HOUSE BILL No. 5050

 

September 23, 2003, Introduced by Rep. Robertson and referred to the Committee on Insurance.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1956 PA 218, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "The insurance code of 1956,"                                               

                                                                                

    by amending section 4072 (MCL 500.4072), as amended by 2002 PA              

                                                                                

    635.                                                                        

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 4072.  (1) This section shall be known as the standard                 

                                                                                

2   nonforfeiture law for individual deferred annuities.                        

                                                                                

3       (2) This section does not apply to any reinsurance, group                   

                                                                                

4   annuity purchased under a retirement plan or plan of deferred               

                                                                                

5   compensation established or maintained by an employer, including            

                                                                                

6   a partnership or sole proprietorship, or by an employee                     

                                                                                

7   organization, or by both, other than a plan providing individual            

                                                                                

8   retirement accounts or individual retirement annuities under                

                                                                                

9   section 408 of the internal revenue code, premium deposit fund,             

                                                                                

10  variable annuity, investment annuity, immediate annuity, a                  

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   deferred annuity contract after annuity payments have commenced,            

                                                                                

2   or reversionary annuity, nor to a contract delivered outside this           

                                                                                

3   state through an agent or other representative of the company               

                                                                                

4   issuing the contract.                                                       

                                                                                

5       (3) Except as provided in subsection (2),  for contracts                    

                                                                                

6   issued on or after the operative date of this section, as defined           

                                                                                

7   in subsection (13),  a contract of annuity shall not be delivered           

                                                                                

8   or issued for delivery in this state unless it contains in                  

                                                                                

9   substance the following provisions, or corresponding provisions             

                                                                                

10  that in the commissioner's opinion are at least as favorable to             

                                                                                

11  the contract holder, upon cessation of payment of consideration             

                                                                                

12  under the contract:                                                         

                                                                                

13      (a) That upon cessation of payment of consideration under a                 

                                                                                

14  contract, or upon the written request of the contract owner, the            

                                                                                

15  company  will  shall grant a paid-up annuity benefit on a plan              

                                                                                

16  stipulated in the contract of a value specified in subsections              

                                                                                

17  (6), (7), (8), (9), and (11)  (8), (9), (10), (11), and (13).              

                                                                                

18      (b) If a contract provides for a lump sum settlement at                     

                                                                                

19  maturity, or at any other time, that upon surrender of the                  

                                                                                

20  contract at or before the commencement of any annuity payments,             

                                                                                

21  the company  will  shall pay in place of any paid-up annuity                

                                                                                

22  benefit, a cash surrender benefit of an amount specified in                 

                                                                                

23  subsections  (6), (7), (9), and (11)  (8), (9), (11), and (13).             

                                                                                

24  The company  shall  may reserve the right to defer the payment of           

                                                                                

25  the cash surrender benefit for a period of 6 months after demand            

                                                                                

26  for the payment with surrender of the contract if the company               

                                                                                

27  makes a written request to the commissioner showing the necessity           


                                                                                

1   and equitability to all policyholders of the deferral and the               

                                                                                

2   commissioner gives written approval.                                        

                                                                                

3       (c) A statement of the mortality table, if any, and interest                

                                                                                

4   rates used in calculating any minimum paid-up annuity, cash                 

                                                                                

5   surrender, or death benefits that are guaranteed under the                  

                                                                                

6   contract, together with sufficient information to determine the             

                                                                                

7   amounts of the benefits.                                                    

                                                                                

8       (d) A statement that any paid-up annuity, cash surrender, or                

                                                                                

9   death benefits that may be available under the contract are not             

                                                                                

10  less than the minimum benefits required by law of the state in              

                                                                                

11  which the contract is delivered, and an explanation of the manner           

                                                                                

12  in which the benefits are altered by the existence of additional            

                                                                                

13  amounts credited by the company to the contract, indebtedness to            

                                                                                

14  the company on the contract, or prior withdrawals from or partial           

                                                                                

15  surrenders of the contract.                                                 

                                                                                

16      (4) Notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (3), a                   

                                                                                

17  deferred annuity contract may provide that if considerations have           

                                                                                

18  not been received under a contract for a period of 2 full years             

                                                                                

19  and the portion of the paid-up annuity benefit at maturity on the           

                                                                                

20  plan stipulated in the contract arising from considerations paid            

                                                                                

21  before this period would be less than $20.00 monthly, the company           

                                                                                

22  may at its option terminate the contract by payment in cash of              

                                                                                

23  the then present value of that portion of the paid-up annuity               

                                                                                

24  benefit, calculated on the basis of the mortality table, if any,            

                                                                                

25  and interest rate specified in the contract for determining the             

                                                                                

26  paid-up annuity benefit.  This payment shall relieve the company            

                                                                                

27  of further obligation under the contract.                                   


                                                                                

1       (5) The minimum values as specified in subsections  (6), (7),               

                                                                                

2   (8), (9), and (11)  (8), (9), (10), (11), and (13) of any paid-up           

                                                                                

3   annuity, cash surrender, or death benefits available under an               

                                                                                

4   annuity contract shall be based upon  minimum nonforfeiture                 

                                                                                

5   amounts as defined in this subsection  the following:                       

                                                                                

6       (a)  Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (b), for                   

                                                                                

7   contracts providing for flexible considerations, the minimum                

                                                                                

8   nonforfeiture amount at any time at or before the commencement of           

                                                                                

9   any annuity payments shall be equal to an accumulation up to that           

                                                                                

10  time at a rate of interest of 3% per annum of percentages of the            

                                                                                

11  net considerations, as defined in this subsection, paid before              

                                                                                

12  that time, decreased by the sum of subparagraphs (i) and (ii),               

                                                                                

13  and increased by any existing additional amounts credited by the            

                                                                                

14  company to the contract:                                                    

                                                                                

15                                                                               (i) Prior withdrawals from or partial surrenders of the                             

                                                                                

16  contract accumulated at a rate of interest of 3% per annum.                 

                                                                                

17      (ii) The amount of any indebtedness to the company on the                    

                                                                                

18  contract, including interest due and accrued.  Until January 1,             

                                                                                

19  2005 for contracts providing for flexible considerations, the               

                                                                                

20  minimum nonforfeiture amount at any time at or before the                   

                                                                                

21  commencement of any annuity payments shall be equal to an                   

                                                                                

22  accumulation up to that time at a rate of interest of 1.5% per              

                                                                                

23  annum of percentages of the net considerations, as defined in               

                                                                                

24  subdivision (c), paid before that time, decreased by the sum of             

                                                                                

25  subparagraphs (i) and (ii), and increased by any existing                    

                                                                                

26  additional amounts credited by the company to the contract:                 

                                                                                

27                                                                               (i) Prior withdrawals from or partial surrenders of the                             


                                                                                

1   contract accumulated at a rate of interest of 1.5% per annum.               

                                                                                

2       (ii) The amount of any indebtedness to the company on the                    

                                                                                

3   contract, including interest due and accrued.                               

                                                                                

4       (b)  Beginning on the effective date of the amendatory act                  

                                                                                

5   that added this subdivision and continuing until January 1, 2005            

                                                                                

6   for contracts providing for flexible considerations, the  The               

                                                                                

7   minimum nonforfeiture amount at any time at or before the                   

                                                                                

8   commencement of any annuity payments shall be equal to an                   

                                                                                

9   accumulation up to that time at  a rate  rates of interest  of              

                                                                                

10  1.5% per annum of percentages  as provided in subsection (6) of             

                                                                                

11  the net considerations, as defined in  this subsection                      

                                                                                

12  subdivision (c), paid before that time, decreased by the sum of             

                                                                                

13  subparagraphs (i)  and (ii), and increased by any existing                   

                                                                                

14  additional amounts credited by the company to the contract  to              

                                                                                

15  (iv):                                                                        

                                                                                

16                                                                               (i) Prior withdrawals from or partial surrenders of the                             

                                                                                

17  contract accumulated at  a rate of interest of 1.5% per annum               

                                                                                

18  rates of interest as provided in subsection (6).                            

                                                                                

19      (ii) An annual contract charge of $50.00, accumulated at                     

                                                                                

20  rates of interest as provided in subsection (6).                            

                                                                                

21      (iii) Any premium tax paid by the company for the contract,                  

                                                                                

22  accumulated at rates of interest as provided in subsection (6).             

                                                                                

23      (iv)  (ii)  The amount of any indebtedness to the company on                  

                                                                                

24  the contract, including interest due and accrued.                           

                                                                                

25      (c) The net consideration for a given contract year used to                 

                                                                                

26  define the minimum nonforfeiture amount shall be an amount  not             

                                                                                

27  less than zero, and shall be  equal to  the corresponding  87.5%            


                                                                                

1   of the gross considerations credited to the contract during that            

                                                                                

2   contract year.  less an annual contract charge of $30.00 and less           

                                                                                

3   a collection charge of $1.25 per consideration credited to the              

                                                                                

4   contract during that contract year.  The percentages of net                 

                                                                                

5   considerations shall be 65% of the net consideration for the                

                                                                                

6   first contract year and 87-1/2% of the net considerations for the           

                                                                                

7   second and later contract years.  Notwithstanding the preceding             

                                                                                

8   sentence, the percentage shall be 65% of the portion of the total           

                                                                                

9   net consideration for any renewal contract year which exceeds by            

                                                                                

10  not more than 2 times the sum of those portions of the net                  

                                                                                

11  considerations in all prior contract years for which the                    

                                                                                

12  percentage was 65%.                                                         

                                                                                

13      (d) For contracts providing for fixed scheduled                             

                                                                                

14  considerations, minimum nonforfeiture amounts shall be calculated           

                                                                                

15  on the assumption that considerations are paid annually in                  

                                                                                

16  advance, and shall be defined as for contracts with flexible                

                                                                                

17  considerations paid annually, except that:                                  

                                                                                

18                                                                               (i) The portion of the net consideration for the first                              

                                                                                

19  contract year to be accumulated shall be the sum of 65% of the              

                                                                                

20  net consideration for the first contract year plus 22-1/2% of the           

                                                                                

21  excess of the net consideration for the first contract year over            

                                                                                

22  the lesser of the net considerations for the second and third               

                                                                                

23  contract years.                                                             

                                                                                

24      (ii) The annual contract charge shall be the lesser of $30.00                

                                                                                

25  or 10% of the gross annual considerations.                                  

                                                                                

26      (e) For contracts providing for a single consideration,                     

                                                                                

27  minimum nonforfeiture amounts shall be defined as for contracts             


                                                                                

1   with flexible considerations, except that the percentage of net             

                                                                                

2   consideration used to determine the minimum nonforfeiture amount            

                                                                                

3   shall be equal to 90% and the net consideration shall be the                

                                                                                

4   gross consideration less a contract charge of $75.00.                       

                                                                                

5       (6) The interest rate used in determining minimum                           

                                                                                

6   nonforfeiture amounts shall be an annual rate of interest                   

                                                                                

7   determined as the lesser of 3% per annum and the following, which           

                                                                                

8   shall be specified in the contract if the interest rate will be             

                                                                                

9   reset:                                                                      

                                                                                

10      (a) The 5-year constant maturity treasury rate reported by                  

                                                                                

11  the federal reserve as of a date, or average over a period,                 

                                                                                

12  rounded to the nearest 1/20 of 1%, specified in the contract no             

                                                                                

13  longer than 15 months before the contract issue date or                     

                                                                                

14  redetermination date under subdivision (d).                                 

                                                                                

15      (b) Subject to subsection (7), reduced by 125 basis points.                 

                                                                                

16      (c) Where the resulting interest rate is not less than 1%.                  

                                                                                

17      (d) The interest rate shall apply for an initial period and                 

                                                                                

18  may be redetermined for additional periods.  The redetermination            

                                                                                

19  date, basis, and period, if any, shall be stated in the                     

                                                                                

20  contract.  As used in this subdivision, "basis" means the date or           

                                                                                

21  average over a specified period that produces the value of the              

                                                                                

22  5-year constant maturity treasury rate to be used at each                   

                                                                                

23  redetermination date.                                                       

                                                                                

24      (7) During the period or term that a contract provides                      

                                                                                

25  substantive participation in an equity indexed benefit, the                 

                                                                                

26  contract may provide for an increase in the reduction described             

                                                                                

27  in subsection (6)(b) of up to an additional 100 basis points to             


                                                                                

1   reflect the value of the equity index benefit.  The present value           

                                                                                

2   at the contract issue date, and at each redetermination date                

                                                                                

3   after the issue date, of the additional reduction shall not                 

                                                                                

4   exceed the market value of the benefit.  The commissioner may               

                                                                                

5   require a demonstration that the present value of the additional            

                                                                                

6   reduction does not exceed the market value of the benefit and if            

                                                                                

7   the demonstration is unacceptable, may disallow or limit the                

                                                                                

8   additional reduction.  The commissioner may adopt rules to                  

                                                                                

9   implement this subsection and to provide for further adjustments            

                                                                                

10  to the calculation of minimum nonforfeiture amounts for contracts           

                                                                                

11  that provide substantive participation in an equity index benefit           

                                                                                

12  and for other contracts that the commissioner determines                    

                                                                                

13  adjustments are justified.                                                  

                                                                                

14      (8)  (6)  Any paid-up annuity benefit available under a                     

                                                                                

15  contract shall be such that its present value on the date annuity           

                                                                                

16  payments are to commence is at least equal to the minimum                   

                                                                                

17  nonforfeiture amount on that date.  This present value shall be             

                                                                                

18  computed using the mortality table, if any, and the interest rate           

                                                                                

19  specified in the contract for determining the minimum paid-up               

                                                                                

20  annuity benefits guaranteed in the contract.                                

                                                                                

21      (9)  (7)  For contracts that provide cash surrender benefits,               

                                                                                

22  the cash surrender benefits available before maturity shall not             

                                                                                

23  be less than the present value as of the date of surrender of               

                                                                                

24  that portion of the maturity value of the paid-up annuity benefit           

                                                                                

25  that would be provided under the contract at maturity arising               

                                                                                

26  from considerations paid before the time of cash surrender                  

                                                                                

27  reduced by the amount appropriate to reflect any prior                      


                                                                                

1   withdrawals from or partial surrenders of the contract.  The                

                                                                                

2   present value shall be calculated on the basis of an interest               

                                                                                

3   rate not more than 1% higher than the interest rate specified in            

                                                                                

4   the contract for accumulating the net considerations to determine           

                                                                                

5   the maturity value, decreased by the amount of any indebtedness             

                                                                                

6   to the company on the contract, including interest due and                  

                                                                                

7   accrued, and increased by any existing additional amounts                   

                                                                                

8   credited by the company to the contract.  However, a cash                   

                                                                                

9   surrender benefit shall not be less than the minimum                        

                                                                                

10  nonforfeiture amount at that time.  The death benefit under                 

                                                                                

11  contracts that provide cash surrender benefits shall be at least            

                                                                                

12  equal to the cash surrender benefit.   As used in this subsection           

                                                                                

13  and except as otherwise provided in this subsection, "maturity              

                                                                                

14  value" means an accumulation up to the maturity date at the rate            

                                                                                

15  of interest guaranteed in the contract for accumulating the net             

                                                                                

16  considerations to determine the maturity value, but in no event             

                                                                                

17  less than 3% per annum, of the percentages of the net                       

                                                                                

18  considerations, as defined in subsection (5), paid before that              

                                                                                

19  time, decreased by the sum of prior withdrawals from or partial             

                                                                                

20  surrenders of the contract accumulated at the rate of interest              

                                                                                

21  guaranteed in the contract for accumulating net considerations to           

                                                                                

22  determine the maturity value but in no event less than 3% per               

                                                                                

23  annum and the amount of any indebtedness to the company on the              

                                                                                

24  contract, including interest due and accrued, and increased by              

                                                                                

25  excess interest previously credited by the company to the                   

                                                                                

26  contract.  Beginning on the effective date of the amendatory act            

                                                                                

27  that added subsection (5)(b) and continuing until  Until                    


                                                                                

1   January 1, 2005, as used in this subsection, "maturity value"               

                                                                                

2   means an accumulation up to the maturity date at the rate of                

                                                                                

3   interest guaranteed in the contract for accumulating the net                

                                                                                

4   considerations to determine the maturity value, but in no event             

                                                                                

5   less than 1.5% per annum, of the percentages of the net                     

                                                                                

6   considerations, as defined in subsection (5), paid before that              

                                                                                

7   time, decreased by the sum of prior withdrawals from or partial             

                                                                                

8   surrenders of the contract accumulated at the rate of interest              

                                                                                

9   guaranteed in the contract for accumulating net considerations to           

                                                                                

10  determine the maturity value but in no event less than 1.5% per             

                                                                                

11  annum and the amount of any indebtedness to the company on the              

                                                                                

12  contract, including interest due and accrued, and increased by              

                                                                                

13  excess interest previously credited by the company to the                   

                                                                                

14  contract.  As used in this subsection, the excess interest is the           

                                                                                

15  amount credited over and above the guaranteed interest.                     

                                                                                

16      (10)  (8)  For contracts that do not provide cash surrender                 

                                                                                

17  benefits, the present value of any paid-up annuity benefit                  

                                                                                

18  available as a nonforfeiture option at any time before maturity             

                                                                                

19  shall not be less than the present value of that portion of the             

                                                                                

20  maturity value of the paid-up annuity benefit provided under the            

                                                                                

21  contract arising from considerations paid before the contract is            

                                                                                

22  surrendered in exchange for, or changed to, a deferred paid-up              

                                                                                

23  annuity.  The present value shall be calculated for the period              

                                                                                

24  before the maturity date on the basis of the interest rate                  

                                                                                

25  specified in the contract for accumulating the net considerations           

                                                                                

26  to determine the maturity value, and increased by any  existing             

                                                                                

27  additional amounts credited by the company to the contract.  For            


                                                                                

1   contracts that do not provide death benefits before the                     

                                                                                

2   commencement of annuity payments, the present values shall be               

                                                                                

3   calculated on the basis of the interest rate and the mortality              

                                                                                

4   table specified in the contract for determining the maturity                

                                                                                

5   value of the paid-up annuity benefit.  However, the present value           

                                                                                

6   of a paid-up annuity benefit shall not be less than the minimum             

                                                                                

7   nonforfeiture amount at that time.                                          

                                                                                

8       (11)  (9) For the purpose of  In determining the benefits                   

                                                                                

9   calculated under subsections  (7) and (8), in the case of  (9)              

                                                                                

10  and (10), for annuity contracts under which an election may be              

                                                                                

11  made to have annuity payments commence at optional maturity                 

                                                                                

12  dates, the maturity date shall be considered to be the latest               

                                                                                

13  date for which election shall be permitted by the contract, but             

                                                                                

14  shall not be later than the anniversary of the contract next                

                                                                                

15  following the annuitant's seventieth birthday, or the tenth                 

                                                                                

16  anniversary of the contract, whichever is later.                            

                                                                                

17      (12)  (10)  A contract that does not provide cash surrender                 

                                                                                

18  benefits or does not provide death benefits at least equal to the           

                                                                                

19  minimum nonforfeiture amount before the commencement of annuity             

                                                                                

20  payments shall include a statement in a prominent place in the              

                                                                                

21  contract that those benefits are not provided.                              

                                                                                

22      (13)  (11)  Any paid-up annuity, cash surrender, or death                   

                                                                                

23  benefits available at any time, other than on the contract                  

                                                                                

24  anniversary under a contract with fixed scheduled considerations,           

                                                                                

25  shall be calculated with allowance for the lapse of time and the            

                                                                                

26  payment of any scheduled considerations beyond the beginning of             

                                                                                

27  the contract year in which cessation of payment of considerations           


                                                                                

1   under the contract occurs.                                                  

                                                                                

2       (14)  (12)  For a contract that provides, within the same                   

                                                                                

3   contract by rider or supplemental contract provision, both                  

                                                                                

4   annuity benefits and life insurance benefits that are in excess             

                                                                                

5   of the greater of cash surrender benefits or a return of the                

                                                                                

6   gross considerations with interest, the minimum nonforfeiture               

                                                                                

7   benefits shall be equal to the sum of the minimum nonforfeiture             

                                                                                

8   benefits for the annuity portion and the minimum nonforfeiture              

                                                                                

9   benefits, if any, for the life insurance portion computed as if             

                                                                                

10  each portion were a separate contract.  Notwithstanding                     

                                                                                

11  subsections  (6), (7), (8), (9), and (11)  (8), (9), (10), (11),            

                                                                                

12  and (13), additional benefits payable for total and permanent               

                                                                                

13  disability, as reversionary annuity or deferred reversionary                

                                                                                

14  annuity benefits, or as other policy benefits additional to life            

                                                                                

15  insurance, endowment and annuity benefits, and considerations for           

                                                                                

16  all such additional benefits, shall be disregarded in                       

                                                                                

17  ascertaining the minimum nonforfeiture amounts, paid-up annuity,            

                                                                                

18  cash surrender, and death benefits that may be required by this             

                                                                                

19  section.  The inclusion of the additional benefits shall not be             

                                                                                

20  required in any paid-up benefits, unless the additional benefits            

                                                                                

21  separately would require minimum nonforfeiture amounts, paid-up             

                                                                                

22  annuity, cash surrender, and death benefits.                                

                                                                                

23      (13) After October 1, 1980, a company may file with the                     

                                                                                

24  commissioner a written notice of its election to comply with this           

                                                                                

25  section after a specified date before October 1, 1982.  After the           

                                                                                

26  filing of this notice, then on that specified date, which shall             

                                                                                

27  be the operative date of this section for the company, this                 


                                                                                

1   section shall become operative with respect to annuity contracts            

                                                                                

2   thereafter issued by the company.  If a company does not make the           

                                                                                

3   election, the operative date of this section for the company                

                                                                                

4   shall be October 1, 1982.                                                   

                                                                                

5       (14) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section,                  

                                                                                

6   upon cancellation of an annuity subject to an assignment under              

                                                                                

7   section 2080(6), the minimum nonforfeiture amount of the annuity            

                                                                                

8   shall be 92% of the sum of the total premiums paid by the                   

                                                                                

9   assignor at the time of the cancellation plus interest on such              

                                                                                

10  premiums at an annual rate of not less than 5% or the consumer              

                                                                                

11  price index, whichever is greater.  As used in this subsection,             

                                                                                

12  "consumer price index" means that term as defined in                        

                                                                                

13  section 2080.                                                               

                                                                                

14      (15) Until January 1, 2005, an insurer may elect to proceed                 

                                                                                

15  under subsection (5)(a) or (b).  On and after January 1, 2005, an           

                                                                                

16  insurer shall proceed under subsection (5)(b).