Connecticut Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association

Covered Contracts

§38a-860(f)(1). Sections 38a-858 to 38a-875, inclusive, shall provide coverage to the persons specified in subsections (a) to (e), inclusive, of this section for policies or contracts of direct, nongroup life insurance, health insurance, or annuities and supplemental contracts to such policies or contracts, for certificates under direct group policies and contracts, and for unallocated annuity contracts issued by member insurers, except as limited by said sections. Annuity contracts and certificates under group annuity contracts include, but are not limited to, guaranteed investment contracts, deposit administration contracts, unallocated funding agreements, allocated funding agreements, structured settlement annuities, annuities issued to or in connection with government lotteries and any immediate or deferred annuity contracts.

Non-Covered Contracts

§38a-860(f)(2). Sections 38a-858 to 38a-875, inclusive, shall not provide coverage for: (A) Any portion of a policy or contract not guaranteed by the insurer, or under which the risk is borne by the policy or contract holder; (B) any policy or contract of reinsurance, unless assumption certificates have been issued; (C) except as set forth in subdivision (3) of this subsection, any portion of a policy or contract to the extent that the rate of interest on which it is based or the interest rate, crediting rate or similar factor determined by use of an index or other external reference stated in the policy or contract employed in calculating returns or changes in value (i) averaged over the period of four years prior to the date on which the member insurer becomes an impaired or insolvent insurer under sections 38a-858 to 38a-875, inclusive, exceeds the rate of interest determined by subtracting two percentage points from Moody’s corporate bond yield average averaged for that same four-year period or for such lesser period if the policy or contract was issued less than four years before the member insurer becomes an impaired or insolvent insurer under sections 38a-858 to 38a-875, inclusive, whichever is earlier, and (ii) on and after the date on which the member insurer becomes an impaired or insolvent insurer under sections 38a-858 to 38a-875, inclusive, whichever is earlier, exceeds the rate of interest determined by subtracting three percentage points from Moody’s corporate bond yield average as most recently available; (D) a portion of a policy or contract issued to any plan or program of an employer, association or similar entity to provide life, health or annuity benefits to its employees or members to the extent that such plan or program is self-funded or uninsured, including, but not limited to, benefits payable by an employer, association or similar entity under (i) a multiple employer welfare arrangement as defined in Section 514 of the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time, (ii) a minimum premium group insurance plan, or (iii) an administrative services only contract; (E) any stop-loss or excess loss insurance policy or contract providing for the indemnification of or payment to a policy owner, a contract owner, a plan or another person obligated to pay life, health or annuity benefits; (F) any portion of a policy or contract to the extent that it provides dividends, experience rating credits, voting rights or provides that any fees or allowances be paid to any person, including, but not limited to, the policy or contract holder, in connection with the service to or administration of such policy or contract; (G) any policy or contract issued in this state by a member insurer at a time when it was not licensed or did not have a certificate of authority to issue such policy or contract in this state; (H) any unallocated annuity contract issued to an employee benefit plan protected under the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, regardless of whether the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation has yet become liable to make any payments with respect to the benefit plan; (I) any portion of an unallocated annuity contract that is not issued to, or in connection with a specific employee, union or association of natural persons benefit plan or a government lottery; (J) a portion of a policy or contract to the extent that the assessments required by section 38a-866, with respect to the policy or contract are preempted by federal or state law; (K) a contractual agreement that establishes the insurer’s obligation by reference to a portfolio of assets that is not owned or possessed by the insurance company; (L) an obligation that does not arise under the express written terms of the policy or contract issued by the member insurer to the enrollee, certificate holder, contract owner or policy owner, including, but not limited to, (i) a claim based on marketing materials, (ii) a claim based on side letters, riders or other documents that were issued by the member insurer without meeting applicable policy contract form filing or approval requirements, (iii) a misrepresentation of or regarding policy or contract benefits, (iv) an extra-contractual claim, or (v) a claim for penalties or consequential or incidental damages; (M) a contractual agreement that establishes the member insurer’s obligations to provide a book value accounting guaranty for defined contribution benefit plan participants by reference to a portfolio of assets that is owned by the benefit plan or its trustee, which in each case is not an affiliate of the member insurer; (N) a portion of a policy or contract to the extent it provides for interest or other changes in value to be determined by the use of an index or other external reference stated in the policy or contract, but that have not been credited to the policy or contract, or as to which the policy or contract owner’s rights are subject to forfeiture, as of the date the member insurer becomes an impaired or insolvent insurer under sections 38a-858 to 38a-875, inclusive, whichever is earlier. If a policy’s or contract’s interest or changes in value are credited less frequently than annually, then for purposes of determining the values that have been credited and are not subject to forfeiture under this subparagraph, the interest or change in value determined by using the procedures defined in the policy or contract shall be credited as if the contractual date of crediting interest or changing values was the date of impairment or insolvency, whichever is earlier, and shall not be subject to forfeiture; (O) structured settlement annuity benefits to which a payee or beneficiary has transferred the payee’s or beneficiary’s rights in a structured settlement factoring transaction as defined in 26 USC 5891(c)(3)(A), regardless of whether the transaction occurred before or after said section became effective; and (P) any policy or contract providing hospital, medical, prescription drugs or other health care benefits pursuant to Part C, 42 USC 1395w21 et seq., Part D, 42 USC 1395w101 et seq., or 42 USC Chapter 7, Subchapter XIX, as said parts and subchapter may be amended from time to time, or any regulations issued thereunder.

Non-Resident Coverage

§38a-860(a)(2)(B). Yes. Covers nonresidents, but only under all of the following conditions: (i) the member insurer that issued such policy or contract is domiciled in this state, (ii) the state in which the person resides has an association similar to the association created by this section and sections 38a-837, 38a-838, 38a-845, 38a-853, 38a-859, 38a-862, 38a-863, 38a-865 and 38a-866, and (iii) the person is not eligible for coverage by an association in any other state because the insurer was not licensed in the state in which the person resides at the time specified in the state’s guaranty association law.

§38a-860(g). The benefits for which the association may become liable shall in no event exceed the lesser of: (1) The contractual obligations for which the insurer is liable or would have been liable if it were not an impaired insurer, or (2) (A) with respect to any one life, regardless of the number of policies or contracts: (i) Five hundred thousand dollars in life insurance death benefits, but no more than five hundred thousand dollars in net cash surrender and net cash withdrawal values for life insurance; (ii) five hundred thousand dollars in health insurance benefits, including, but not limited to, any net cash surrender and net cash withdrawal values; (iii) five hundred thousand dollars in the present value of annuity benefits, including, but not limited to, net cash surrender and net cash withdrawal values; (B) with respect to each individual participating in a governmental retirement plan established under Section 401, 403(b) or 457 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent internal revenue code of the United States, as amended from time to time, covered by an unallocated annuity contract or the beneficiaries of each such individual if deceased, in the aggregate, five hundred thousand dollars in present value annuity benefits, including, but not limited to, net cash surrender and net cash withdrawal values; (C) with respect to each payee of a structured settlement annuity, or beneficiary or beneficiaries of the payee if deceased, five hundred thousand dollars in present value annuity benefits, in the aggregate, including, but not limited to, net cash surrender and net cash withdrawal values, if any, provided in no event shall the association be liable to expend (i) more than the five hundred thousand dollars in the aggregate with respect to any one individual under subparagraphs (A), (B) and (C) of this subdivision, and (ii) with respect to one owner of multiple nongroup policies of life insurance, whether the policy or contract owner is an individual, firm, corporation or other person, and whether the persons insured are officers, managers, employees or other persons, more than five million dollars in benefits, regardless of the number of policies and contracts held by the owner; (D) with respect to either (i) one contract owner provided coverage under subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section, or (ii) one plan sponsor whose plans own directly or in trust one or more unallocated annuity contracts not included in subparagraph (B) of subdivision (2) of this subsection, five million dollars in benefits regardless of the number of contracts with respect to the contract owner or plan sponsor, except that in the case where one or more unallocated annuity contracts are covered contracts under sections 38a-858 to 38a-875, inclusive, and are owned by a trust or other entity for the benefit of two or more plan sponsors, coverage shall be afforded by the association if the largest interest in the trust or entity owning the contract or contracts is held by a plan sponsor whose principal place of business is in this state and in no event shall the association be obligated to cover more than five million dollars in benefits with respect to all such unallocated contracts; and (E) the limits set forth in this subsection are limits on the benefits for which the association is obligated before taking into account either the association’s subrogation and assignment rights or the extent to which those benefits could be provided out of the assets of the impaired or insolvent insurer that are attributable to covered policies. The costs of the association’s obligations under sections 38a-858 to 38a-875, inclusive, may be met by the use of assets attributable to covered policies or reimbursed to the association pursuant to the association’s subrogation and assignment rights.

Discretionary Triggers

§38a-865(a). If a member insurer is an impaired insurer.

Mandatory Triggers

§38a-865(b). If a member insurer is an insolvent insurer.

Foreign Triggers

No separate provision.

"Impaired Insurer"

§38a-862(11). A member insurer that, after 10/1/72, is not an insolvent insurer, and is placed under an order of rehabilitation or conservation by a court of competent jurisdiction.

"Insolvent Insurer"

§38-862(12). A member insurer that, after 10/1/72, is placed under an order of liquidation by a court of competent jurisdication with a finding of insolvency.

"Member Insurer"

§38-862(13). any insurer or health care center licensed or holding a certificate of authority to issue in this state any kind of insurance or conduct any health care center business to which sections 38a-858 to 38a-875, inclusive, apply under section 38a-860, and may include an insurer or health care center whose license in this state has been suspended, revoked or voluntarily withdrawn;

§38a-863(a). For purposes of administration and assessment, the association shall maintain two accounts: (1) The life insurance and annuity account which includes the following subaccounts: (A) Life insurance account; (B) Annuity account which shall include, but is not limited to, annuity contracts owned by a governmental retirement plan, or its trustee, established under Section 401, 403(b) or 457 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended, but shall otherwise exclude unallocated annuities; and (C) Unallocated annuity account which shall exclude contracts owned by a governmental retirement benefit plan, or its trustee, established under Section 401, 403(b) or 457 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended; and (2) The health account.

Assessment Limits

§38a-866(e)(1)(A) Subject to the provisions of subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, the total of all assessments authorized by the association with respect to a member insurer for each subaccount of the life insurance and annuity account and for the health account shall not in any one calendar year exceed two per cent of such insurer’s average annual premiums received in this state on the policies and contracts covered by the subaccount or account during the three calendar years preceding the year in which the member insurer became an impaired or insolvent insurer.

Assessment Classes

§38a-866(b) There shall be two classes of assessments, as follows: (1) Class A assessments shall be made for the purpose of meeting administrative costs and other general expenses not related to a particular impaired or insolvent insurer; and (2) Class B assessments shall be authorized and called to the extent necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the association under section 38a-865 with regard to an impaired or insolvent insurer.

§38a-860(f)(2)(C) Guaranty Association excludes from coverage: except as set forth in subdivision (3) of this subsection, any portion of a policy or contract to the extent that the rate of interest on which it is based or the interest rate, crediting rate or similar factor determined by use of an index or other external reference stated in the policy or contract employed in calculating returns or changes in value (i) averaged over the period of four years prior to the date on which the member insurer becomes an impaired or insolvent insurer under sections 38a-858 to 38a-875, inclusive, exceeds the rate of interest determined by subtracting two percentage points from Moody’s corporate bond yield average averaged for that same four-year period or for such lesser period if the policy or contract was issued less than four years before the member insurer becomes an impaired or insolvent insurer under sections 38a-858 to 38a-875, inclusive, whichever is earlier, and (ii) on and after the date on which the member insurer becomes an impaired or insolvent insurer under sections 38a-858 to 38a-875, inclusive, whichever is earlier, exceeds the rate of interest determined by subtracting three percentage points from Moody’s corporate bond yield average as most recently available;

§38a-866(h). Yes. 100% of assessment amount may be offset for 5 years following payment at the rate of 20% per year.

§ 38a-862 (17) “Premiums” means amounts or considerations, by whatever name called, received on covered policies or contracts less premiums, considerations and deposits returned thereon, and less dividends and experience credits thereon. “Premiums” does not include (A) any amounts or considerations received for any policies or contracts or for the portions of any policies or contracts for which coverage is not provided under subsection (f) of section 38a-860, except that (i) assessable premium shall not be reduced on account of subparagraph (C) of subdivision (2) of subsection (f) of section 38a-860, relating to interest limitations, and subdivision (2) of subsection (g) of section 38a-860, relating to limitations with respect to any one individual, any one participant and any one policy or contract owner, and (ii) “premiums” does not include any premiums in excess of five million dollars on any unallocated annuity contract not issued under a governmental retirement benefit plan established under Section 401, 403(b) or 457 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended, or (B) with respect to multiple nongroup policies of life insurance owned by one owner, whether the policy owner or contract owner is an individual, firm, corporation or other person, and whether the persons insured are officers, managers, employees or other persons, premiums in excess of five million dollars with respect to such policies or contracts, regardless of the number of policies or contracts held by the owner;

§ 38a-871. “Liability for unpaid assessments. Records. Use of assets of impaired insurer. Distributions” …(e) It shall be a prohibited unfair trade practice and a violation of section 38a-815 for any person to make use in any manner of the protection afforded by sections 38a-858 to 38a-875, inclusive, in the solicitation, negotiation, procurement or effectuation of insurance provided, this subsection shall not apply to the distribution of any publication approved by the commissioner and describing the general purposes and current limitations of sections 38a-858 to 38a-874, inclusive. Violations of this section shall be subject to the provisions of section 38a-817.