DFS-22-12-00002-E Unclaimed Life Insurance Benefits and Policy Identification

5/30/12 N.Y. St. Reg. DFS-22-12-00002-E

NEW YORK STATE REGISTER

VOLUME XXXIV, ISSUE 22

May 30, 2012

RULE MAKING ACTIVITIES

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

EMERGENCY RULE MAKING

 

I.D No. DFS-22-12-00002-E

Filing No. 452

Filing Date. May. 14, 2012

Effective Date. Jun. 14, 2012

Unclaimed Life Insurance Benefits and Policy Identification

PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE State Administrative Procedure Act, NOTICE is hereby given of the following action:

Action taken:

Addition of Part 226 (Regulation 200) to Title 11 NYCRR.

Statutory authority:

Financial Services Law, sections 202 and 302; and Insurance Law, sections 301, 316, 1102, 1104, 2601, 4521, 4525 and art. 24

Finding of necessity for emergency rule:

Preservation of general welfare.

Specific reasons underlying the finding of necessity:

Many life insurance companies and fraternal benefit societies (“insurers”) have not adopted or implemented reasonable procedures and standards for investigating claims and locating beneficiaries with respect to death benefits payable under life insurance policies, annuity contracts and accounts (“policies and accounts”). The Department conducted an investigation into how such insurers track life insurance policy holders. The Department’s investigation found that many insurers regularly use lists of recent deaths from the U.S. Social Security Administration (“SSA”) to promptly cease making annuity payments. However, most insurers had not been using that list to determine whether death benefits were payable to beneficiaries or amounts under accounts appropriately distributed. While insurers were extremely diligent about terminating benefits, they were much less so in seeing that benefits were paid to beneficiaries and that monies held by them in accounts were properly distributed.

On July 5, 2011, the Department issued a letter to insurers, pursuant to New York Insurance Law section 308 (“308 Letter”), that required every insurer to submit a report that included a narrative summary of the SSA’s Death Master File (“SSA Master File”) cross-check procedures implemented by the insurer; the overall results of the SSA Master File cross-check; the current procedures utilized by the insurer to locate beneficiaries, and a seriatim listing of death benefits paid as a result of the SSA Master File cross-check. To date, over $262 million has been paid to beneficiaries nationwide, including more than $95 million paid to New York beneficiaries. The 308 Letter required a one-time cross-check of the SSA Master File. This rule requires insurers to continue to perform regular SSA Master File cross-checks and to request more detailed beneficiary information (e.g., social security number, address) when policies are issued to facilitate locating and making payments to beneficiaries.

The current system leads to many abuses, for example in situations where deaths occur but without claims being filed, with an insurer continuing to deduct premiums from the account value or cash value until policies lapse. In other instances, the policies or accounts may simply remain dormant after death. In these instances, a valid death benefit is either not paid or distributed or is delayed. Insurers must take reasonable steps to ensure that policyowners and policy beneficiaries are provided with all of the benefits for which they have paid and to which they are entitled.

To ensure that policyowners and policy beneficiaries are provided with all such benefits, this Part requires insurers to implement reasonable procedures to identify unclaimed death benefits, locate beneficiaries, and make prompt payments. In addition, to further ensure payment of unclaimed benefits, this Part requires insurers to respond to requests from the superintendent to search for policies insuring the life of, or owned by, decedents, and to initiate the claims process for any death benefits that are identified as a result of those requests. Any delay in implementing these requirements will result in beneficiaries not receiving benefits or having monies distributed to them to which they are entitled, and in insurers thereby undeservedly retaining such amounts.

For the reasons stated above, the promulgation of this regulation on an emergency basis is necessary for the general welfare.

Subject:

Unclaimed Life Insurance Benefits and Policy Identification.

Purpose:

To ensure payment of unclaimed benefits to policyowners and policy beneficiaries.

Text of emergency rule:

UNCLAIMED LIFE INSURANCE BENEFITS AND POLICY IDENTIFICATION

Section 226.0 Purpose

(a) Many life insurance companies and fraternal benefit societies have not adopted or implemented reasonable procedures and standards to investigate claims and locate beneficiaries with respect to death benefits under life insurance policies, annuity contracts and accounts. The Department conducted an investigation into how such insurers track life insurance policy holders. The Department's investigation has found that many insurers have been regularly using lists of recent deaths from the Social Security Administration to promptly cease making annuity payments. However, most had not been using it to determine whether death benefits were payable to beneficiaries.

(b) The public needs to know that insurers are taking reasonable steps to ensure that policyowners and policy beneficiaries are provided with all of the life insurance benefits for which they have paid and to which they are entitled. In particular, there may be instances where a death has occurred and no claim has been filed, but premiums continue to be deducted from the account value or cash value until the policy lapses. In other instances, the policies or accounts may simply remain dormant after death. In these instances, a valid death benefit is either not paid or distributed or is delayed.

(c) To ensure that policyowners and policy beneficiaries are provided with all of the benefits for which they have paid and to which they are entitled, this Part requires insurers to implement reasonable procedures to identify unclaimed death benefits, locate beneficiaries, and make prompt payments. In addition, to further ensure payment of unclaimed benefits, this Part requires insurers to respond to requests from the superintendent to search for policies insuring the life of, or owned by, decedents and to initiate the claims process for any death benefits that are identified as a result of those requests.

Section 226.1 Definitions

(a) Account means:

(1) any mechanism, whether denoted as a retained asset account or otherwise, whereby the settlement of proceeds payable to a beneficiary under a policy is accomplished by the insurer or an entity acting on behalf of the insurer placing the proceeds into an account where those proceeds are retained by the insurer and the beneficiary has check or draft writing privileges; or

(2) any other settlement option relating to the manner of distribution of the proceeds payable under a policy.

(b) Death index means the death master file maintained by the United States social security administration or any other database or service acceptable to the superintendent.

(c) Insured includes an annuitant when the annuity contract provides for benefits to be paid or other monies to be distributed upon the death of the annuitant.

(d) Insurer means a life insurance company or fraternal benefit society.

(e) Lost policy finder means a service made available by the Department on its website or otherwise to assist consumers in locating unclaimed life insurance benefits.

(f) Policy means a life insurance policy, annuity contract, or a certificate under a life insurance policy or annuity contract, or a certificate issued by a fraternal benefit society, under which benefits are to be paid upon the death of the insured.

Section 226.2 Applicability

(a) This Part shall apply to:

(1) every policy issued by a domestic insurer and any account established under or as a result of such policy; and

(2) every policy delivered or issued for delivery in New York by an authorized foreign insurer and any account established under or as a result of such policy.

(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) of this section, with respect to a policy delivered or issued for delivery outside this State, an insurer may, in lieu of the requirements of this Part, implement procedures that meet the minimum requirements of the state in which the policy was delivered or issued, provided that the superintendent concludes that such other requirements are no less favorable to the policyowner and beneficiary than those required by this Part.

Section 226.3 Multiple Policy Search Procedures

(a) Upon receiving notification of the death of an insured or account holder or in the event of a match made by a death index cross-check pursuant to section 226.4 of this Part, an insurer shall search every policy or account subject to this Part to determine whether the insurer has any other policies or accounts for the insured or account holder.

(b) Every insurer that receives a notification of death of the insured or account holder, or identifies a death index match, shall notify each insurer in its holding company system of the notification or verified death index match.

Section 226.4 Standards for investigating claims and locating claimants under policies and accounts

(a) Prior to a policy's issuance or an account's establishment, and upon any change of insured, owner, or beneficiary, every insurer shall request information sufficient to ensure that all benefits or other monies are distributed to the appropriate persons upon the death of the insured or account holder, including, at a minimum, the name, address, social security number, and telephone number of every owner, insured and beneficiary of such policy or account, as applicable.

(b)(1) Every insurer shall use the latest available updated version of the death index to cross-check every policy and account subject to this Part, except as specified in subdivision (h) of this section. The cross-checks shall be performed no less frequently than quarterly. An insurer may submit a request to the superintendent for the insurer to perform the cross-checks less frequently than quarterly. The superintendent may grant such a request upon the insurer's demonstration of hardship.

(2) The cross-checks shall be performed using:

(i) the social security number of the insured or account holder; or

(ii) where the social security number is not known to the insurer, the name and date of birth of the insured or account holder.

(c) If an insurer uses a resource instead of or in addition to a death index in order to terminate benefits or close an account, the insurer shall also use that resource when cross-checking policies or accounts pursuant to subdivision (b) of this section.

(d) If an insurer uses a resource more frequently than quarterly in order to terminate benefits or close an account, the insurer shall use that resource with the same frequency when cross-checking policies or accounts pursuant to subdivision (b) of this section.

(e) If an insurer only has a partial name, social security number, date of birth, or a combination thereof, of the insured or account holder under a policy or account, the insurer shall use the available information to perform the cross-check pursuant to subdivision (b) of this section.

(f)(1) Every insurer shall implement reasonable procedures to account for common variations in data that would otherwise preclude an exact match with a death index, including:

(i) nicknames, initials used in lieu of a first or middle name, use of a middle name, compound first and middle names, and interchanged first and middle names;

(ii) compound last names, and blank spaces or apostrophes in last name;

(iii) incomplete date of birth data, and transposition of the "month" and "date" portions of the date of birth;

(iv) incomplete social security number; and

(v) common data entry errors in name, date of birth and social security data.

(2) An insurer that does not have in place on the effective date of this Part reasonable procedures to implement paragraph (1) of this subdivision shall do so as expeditiously as possible but no later than 150 days after such effective date.

(g) Every insurer shall establish reasonable procedures to locate beneficiaries and shall make prompt payments or distributions in accordance with Part 216 of this Title (Insurance Regulation 64).

(h) This section shall not apply to any policy or any account in the event of the death of an insured or account holder:

(1) where the insurer has fully satisfied all obligations under the policy or account prior to the date that the cross-check is performed;

(2) where the insurer has paid full death benefits on all insureds under the policy, or where the remaining obligations have been transferred to one or more new policies or accounts providing benefits of any kind in the event of the death of the insured or account holder;

(3) where the insurer has paid full surrender benefits on the policy, including a policy that is replaced after full surrender;

(4) where the policy has been rescinded and the insurer has returned all paid premiums;

(5) where the policy has been returned under a free-look provision and the insurer has returned all paid premiums;

(6) where the insurer has paid full maturity benefits under the policy;

(7) where the insurer has no record of certificate holders under a group policy administered by the group policyholder;

(8) where all monies due under the policy or account have escheated in accordance with state unclaimed property statutes;

(9) where the insurer has novated the policy;

(10) where the policy is a group annuity contract that funds employer-sponsored retirement plans and the insurer is not obligated by the terms of the contract to pay death benefits directly to the plan participant's beneficiary;

(11) where the insurer receives payroll deduction contributions for either a group annuity contract or premium payment for a group policy and a payment has been made 90 days prior to a cross-check;

(12) except as to retired employees, where premiums are wholly paid by an employer on an individual or group policy; or

(13) where a policy has lapsed or otherwise terminated and no death has been reported and the policy has been cross-checked with a death index for a period of at least two years since lapse or termination with no match.

Section 226.5 Lost policy finder application procedures

(a) Every insurer shall:

(1) upon receiving a request forwarded by the superintendent through a lost policy finder application, search for policies and any accounts subject to this Part that insure the life of, or are owned by, an individual named as the decedent in the request forwarded by the superintendent;

(2) report to the superintendent through a lost policy finder application:

(i) within 30 days of receiving the request, the findings of the search; and

(ii) where the search reveals that benefits may be due, within 30 days of the final disposition of the request, the benefit paid and any other information requested by the superintendent; and

(3) within 30 days of receiving the request, for each identified policy and account insuring the life of, or owned by, the named decedent, provide to:

(i) a requestor who is also the beneficiary of record on the identified policy or account all items, statements and forms that the insurer reasonably believes to be necessary in order to file a claim; or

(ii) a requestor who is not the beneficiary of record on the identified policy or account the requested information to the extent permissible to be disclosed in accordance with Part 420 (Insurance Regulation 169) of this Title and any other applicable privacy law, and to take such other steps necessary to facilitate the payment of any benefit that may be due under the identified policy or account.

(b)(1) Every insurer shall establish procedures to electronically receive the lost policy finder application request from, and make reports to, the superintendent as provided for in subdivision (a) of this section. When transmitted electronically, the date that the superintendent forwards the request shall be deemed to be the date of receipt by the insurer unless the day is a Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday, as defined in General Construction Law section 25 and, in such case, the date of receipt shall be as provided in General Construction Law section 25-A.

(2) An insurer required to electronically receive and submit pursuant to this Part may apply to the superintendent for an exemption from the requirement that the submission be electronic by submitting a written request to the superintendent for approval.

(3) The insurer's request for an exemption shall specify whether it is making the request for an exemption based upon undue hardship, impracticability, or good cause, and set forth a detailed explanation as to the reason that the superintendent should approve the request.

(4) The insurer requesting an exemption shall submit, upon the superintendent's request, any additional information necessary for the superintendent to evaluate the insurer's request for an exemption.

(5) The insurer shall be exempt from the electronic submission requirement upon the superintendent's written determination so exempting the insurer. The superintendent's determination will specify the basis upon which the superintendent is granting the request and for how long the exemption applies.

(6) If the superintendent approves an insurer's request for an exemption from the electronic submission requirement, then the insurer shall make a physical submission in a form and manner acceptable to the superintendent.

Section 226.6 Report to the comptroller

By February first of each year, every insurer shall submit a report to the office of the comptroller of this State specifying the number of policies and accounts that the insurer has identified pursuant to section 226.4 of this Part for the prior calendar year under which any outstanding monies have not been paid or distributed by December thirty-first of such year.

This notice is intended

to serve only as a notice of emergency adoption. This agency intends to adopt this emergency rule as a permanent rule and will publish a notice of proposed rule making in the State Register at some future date. The emergency rule will expire August 11, 2012.

Text of rule and any required statements and analyses may be obtained from:

David Neustadt, New York State Department of Financial Services, One State Street, New York, NY 10004, [phone], email: [e-mail]

Regulatory Impact Statement

1. Statutory authority: The Superintendent's authority for promulgation of this rule derives from sections 202 and 302 of the Financial Services Law ("FSL") and sections 301, 316, 1102, 1104, 2601, 4521 and 4525 and Article 24 of the Insurance Law.

FSL section 202 establishes the office of the Superintendent and designates the Superintendent to be the head of the Department of Financial Services.

FSL section 302 and Insurance Law section 301 authorize the Superintendent to effectuate any power accorded by the Insurance Law, the Banking Law, the Financial Services Law, or any other law of this state and to prescribe regulations interpreting, among others, the Insurance Law.

Insurance Law section 316 authorizes the Superintendent to promulgate regulations to require an insurer or other person or entity that makes a filing or submission with the Superintendent, pursuant to the Insurance Law, to do so by electronic means.

Insurance Law section 1102 authorizes the Superintendent to refuse to issue or renew an insurer's license if such refusal will best promote the interests of the people of this state.

Insurance Law section 1104 authorizes the Superintendent to revoke the license of a foreign insurer if such revocation is reasonably necessary to protect the interests of the people of this state.

Insurance Law Article 24 regulates trade practices in the insurance industry by prohibiting practices that constitute unfair methods of competition or unfair or deceptive acts or practices.

Insurance Law section 2601 prohibits insurers from engaging in unfair claim settlement practices, including the failure to adopt and implement reasonable standards for prompt investigation of claims.

Insurance Law section 4521 authorizes the Superintendent to revoke or suspend a fraternal benefit society's license if such society is not carrying out its contracts in good faith.

Insurance Law section 4525 applies Articles 3 and 24 of the Insurance Law to authorized fraternal benefit societies.

2. Legislative objectives: The Department has been investigating allegations of unfair claims and trade practices by authorized life insurers and fraternal benefit societies (collectively herein, "insurers"). The Department is concerned that many insurers have not adopted or implemented reasonable procedures and standards to investigate claims and locate beneficiaries with respect to death benefits due under policies and accounts. In particular, there may be instances in which a death has occurred and no claim has been filed, but premiums continue to be deducted from the account value or cash value until the policy lapses. In other instances, the policies or accounts may simply remain dormant after death. In these instances, a valid death benefit is either not paid or distributed or is delayed.

The Department met with several insurers that have substantial writings in New York to discuss past and current claim and death benefit payment practices. Some insurers have used the U.S. Social Security Administration's Death Master File ("SSA Master File") to confirm the death of a contract holder so that it may cease making annuity payments, but have not used the SSA Master File to determine whether any death benefit payments are due under insurance policies or other accounts.

The Department sent a letter dated July 5, 2011, to every insurer requesting the submission of a special report, pursuant to Insurance Law section 308 (the "308 Letter"). The 308 Letter required the insurer to submit a report that included a narrative summary of the SSA Master File cross-check procedures implemented by the insurer; the overall results of the SSA Master File cross-check; the current procedures utilized by the insurer to locate beneficiaries, and a seriatim listing of death benefits paid as a result of the SSA Master File cross-check. After matches were identified, each insurer was directed to provide to the Superintendent a final report updating the actions it had taken to investigate the matches to determine whether a death benefit payment was due, and to describe the procedures it had implemented to locate the beneficiaries and make payments, where appropriate. To date, over $262 million has been paid nationwide to beneficiaries, including more than $95 million that was paid to New York beneficiaries.

The 308 Letter was a one-time comparison of the SSA Master File. This rule is necessary to require insurers to continue to make the cross-checks on an ongoing basis. This rule requires insurers to continue to perform regular cross-checks using the SSA Master File, or other database or service acceptable to the Superintendent, and to request more detailed beneficiary information (e.g., social security number, address) to facilitate locating and making payments to beneficiaries.

The regulation also addresses another matter of concern. The Department regularly receives requests from family members and other potential beneficiaries requesting assistance in locating lost policies. Although certain fee-based services have been available to provide some assistance, there has not been an efficient, no-fee mechanism by which the Department could assist the public.

The Department has now developed a Lost Policy Finder application that offers a free-of-charge service to assist in locating unclaimed benefits on policies insuring the life of, or owned by, the deceased and accounts that are established under or as a result of such policies.

This rule requires insurers to establish procedures to respond within 30 days of the Department's notification of a request to identify coverage, which the Department received through its new Lost Policy Finder application. The rule also requires the insurer to notify the beneficiary, within 30 days of the notification, of all items necessary to file a claim, if the insurer determines that there are benefits to be paid or other monies to be distributed.

3. Needs and benefits: Many insurers have still not adopted or implemented reasonable procedures and standards to investigate claims and locate beneficiaries with respect to death benefits under policies and accounts. The Department conducted an investigation into how insurers track life insurance policy holders. The Department found that many insurers have been regularly using lists of recent deaths from the Social Security Administration to promptly cease making annuity payments. However, most had not been using it to determine whether death benefits were payable to beneficiaries.

This leads to many abuses. For example, in some instances, a death may occur and no claim filed, but premiums continue to be deducted from the account value or cash value until the policy lapses. In other cases, the policies or accounts may simply remain dormant after death. In these instances, a valid death benefit is either not paid or distributed or is delayed.

While insurers were extremely diligent about terminating benefits, they were much less so in seeing that benefits were paid to beneficiaries and monies held by them in accounts were properly distributed. Insurers must take reasonable steps to ensure that policyowners and policy beneficiaries are provided with all of the benefits for which they have paid and to which they are entitled.

To ensure that policyowners and policy beneficiaries are provided with all of the benefits for which they have paid and to which they are entitled, this Part requires insurers to implement reasonable procedures to identify unclaimed death benefits, locate beneficiaries, and make prompt payments. In addition, this Part requires insurers to respond to requests from the Superintendent to search for policies insuring the life of, or owned by, decedents and to initiate the claims process for any death benefits that are identified as a result of those requests. It also establishes a filing requirement with the Office of the Comptroller regarding unpaid benefits.

4. Costs: Many insurers have already implemented procedures similar to those required by this rule to terminate annuity payments. In response to the 308 Letter sent by the Department to insurers in July 2011, a number of insurers confirmed that they have already established, or are in the process of establishing, the standards and procedures required by this rule. As a result, such insurers should incur minimal additional costs to comply with the requirements of this rule. The public benefit of ensuring that all policyowners and policy beneficiaries are provided with all of the benefits for which they have paid and to which they are entitled outweighs the incidental costs of complying with this rule.

The cost to the Department, and the Office of the Comptroller, will be minimal because existing personnel are available to verify and ensure compliance of this rule. There are no costs to any other state government agency or local government.

5. Local government mandates: The rule imposes no new programs, services, duties or responsibilities on any county, city, town, village, school district, fire district or other special district.

6. Paperwork: Section 226.5 of this rule requires every insurer to report to the Superintendent, within 30 days of receiving the Superintendent's request to search for policies and accounts, the findings of that search. In addition, within 30 days of the final disposition of the request, every insurer is required to report the benefits or amounts paid, if any, as a result of the search, and any other information requested by the Superintendent. Section 226.6 of this rule requires every insurer to submit a report to the Office of the Comptroller specifying the number of policies and accounts that the insurer has identified through a death index match or notification of the death of an insured or account holder, for the prior calendar year, any outstanding monies that have not been paid or distributed by December thirty-first of such year.

7. Duplication: This rule will not duplicate any existing state or federal rule.

8. Alternatives: There are no viable alternatives to this rule. As a result of the 308 Letter, to date, more than $262 million has been paid to beneficiaries nationwide, including more than $95 million paid to New York beneficiaries. The benefit to the public on an on-going basis is unquestionable. While some insurers may voluntarily implement these procedures, promulgation of this rule is necessary to require all insurers to do so. This rule addresses unfair claims and trade practices by insurers in a manner that protects the public while providing minimal burdens on insurers.

After considering comments received from insurers after the 308 Letter was issued, the Department issued guidance to supplement the 308 Letter. This rule incorporates those comments.

9. Federal standards: There are no minimum standards of the federal government for the same or similar subject areas.

10. Compliance schedule: Many insurers have already implemented procedures similar to those required by this rule to terminate annuity payments. In response to the 308 Letter, a number of insurers confirmed that they have already established, or are in the process of establishing, the standards and procedures required by this rule. Therefore, with the exception provided under section 226.4(f)(2), this rule will take effect 30 days upon filing with the Secretary of State.

Under section 226.4(f)(2), an insurer that does not have in place on the effective date of this Part reasonable procedures to implement section 226.4(f)(1) of this Part shall do so as expeditiously as possible but no later than 150 days after such effective date.

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

1. Small businesses: The Department of Financial Services finds that this rule will not impose any adverse economic impact or any reporting, recordkeeping or other compliance requirements on small businesses. The basis for this finding is that this rule is directed at life insurers and fraternal benefit societies (collectively, "insurers") authorized to do business in New York State, none of which fall within the definition of "small business" as found in section 102(8) of the State Administrative Procedure Act. The Department of Financial Services has reviewed filed reports on examination and annual statements of these authorized insurers and believes that none of them fall within the definition of "small business," because there are none which are both independently owned and have less than one hundred employees.

2. Local governments: This rule does not impose any adverse economic impact on local governments, including reporting, recordkeeping, or other compliance requirements.

Rural Area Flexibility Analysis

1. Types and estimated numbers of rural areas: Insurers covered by this rule do business in every county in this state, including rural areas as defined under State Administrative Procedure Act Section 102(13).

2. Reporting, recordkeeping and other compliance requirements, and professional services: This rule requires authorized life insurers and fraternal benefit societies (collectively, "insurers") to establish standards for investigating claims and locating claimants under policies and accounts providing benefits in the event of the death of an insured or account holder. It also requires insurers to establish procedures to search for policies and accounts upon receipt of a death notice or the Superintendent's notification of a request to identify coverage, which was received through the Lost Policy Finder application. It requires insurers to perform, no less than quarterly, a cross-check of the death index (i.e., the U.S. Social Security Administration's Death Master File ("SSA Master File") or any other database or service that is acceptable to the Superintendent). In addition, it requires insurers to establish procedures for lost policy searches, and establishes a filing requirement with the Office of the Comptroller regarding unpaid benefits.

Section 226.5 of this rule requires every insurer to report to the Superintendent, within 30 days of receiving the Superintendent's request to search for policies and accounts, the findings of that search. In addition, within 30 days of the final disposition of the request, every insurer is required to report the benefits or amounts paid, if any, as a result of the search, and any other information requested by the Superintendent. Additionally, section 226.6 of this rule requires every insurer to submit a report to the Office of the Comptroller specifying the number of policies and accounts that the insurer has identified through a death index match or notification of the death of an insured or account holder, for the prior calendar year, any outstanding monies that have not been paid or distributed by December thirty-first of such year.

3. Costs: Many insurers have already implemented procedures similar to those required by this rule to terminate annuity payments. In response to a letter sent by the Department to insurers in July 2011, pursuant to Insurance Law section 308, a number of insurers confirmed that they have already established, or are in the process of establishing, the standards and procedures required by this rule. As a result, such insurers should incur minimal additional costs to comply with the requirements of this rule. The public benefit of ensuring that all policyowners and policy beneficiaries are provided with all of the benefits for which they have paid and to which they are entitled outweighs the incidental costs of complying with this rule.

The cost to the Department, and the Office of the Comptroller, will be minimal because existing personnel are available to verify and ensure compliance with this rule. There are no costs to any other state government agency or local government.

4. Minimizing adverse impact: The public needs to know that insurers are taking reasonable steps to ensure that all policyowners and policy beneficiaries are provided with all of the benefits for which they have paid and to which they are entitled. In particular, there may be instances where a death has occurred and no claim has been filed, but premiums continue to be deducted from the account value or cash value until the policy lapses. In other instances, the policies or accounts may simply remain dormant after death. In these instances, a valid death benefit is either not paid or distributed or is delayed.

The Department sent a letter, dated July 5, 2011, to every insurer requesting the submission of a special report, pursuant to Insurance Law section 308 (the "308 Letter"). The 308 Letter required the insurer to submit a report that included a narrative summary of the SSA Master File cross-check procedures implemented by the insurer; the overall results of the SSA Master File cross-check; the current procedures utilized by the insurer to locate beneficiaries, and a seriatim listing of death benefits paid as a result of the SSA Master File cross-check. After matches were identified, each insurer was directed to provide to the Superintendent a final report updating the actions it had taken to investigate the matches to determine whether a death benefit payment was due, and to describe the procedures it had implemented to locate the beneficiaries and make payments, where appropriate. To date, over $262 million has been paid nationwide to beneficiaries, including more than $95 million that was paid to New York beneficiaries.

The 308 Letter was a one-time comparison of the SSA Master File. This rule is necessary to require insurers to continue to make the cross-checks on an ongoing basis. This rule requires insurers to continue to perform regular cross-checks using the SSA Master File, or other database or service acceptable to the Superintendent, and to request more detailed beneficiary information (e.g., social security number, address) to facilitate locating and making payments to beneficiaries.

The regulation also addresses another matter of concern. The Department regularly receives requests from family members and other potential beneficiaries requesting assistance in locating lost policies. Although certain fee-based services have been available to provide some assistance, there has not been an efficient, no-fee mechanism by which the Department could assist the public.

The Department has now developed a Lost Policy Finder application that offers a free-of-charge service to assist in locating unclaimed benefits on policies insuring the life of, or owned by, the deceased and accounts that are established under or as a result of such policies.

This rule requires insurers to establish procedures to respond within 30 days of the Department's notification of a request to identify coverage, which the Department received through its new Lost Policy Finder application. The rule also requires the insurer to notify the beneficiary, within 30 days of the notification, of all items necessary to file a claim, if the insurer determines that there are benefits to be paid or other monies to be distributed.

The rule thus ensures that insurers will continue to make death index cross-check efforts so that policyowners and policy beneficiaries will be provided with all of the benefits for which they have paid and to which they are entitled. This rule will result in the rightful payment of millions of dollars of additional benefits to beneficiaries. Therefore, it is necessary for all insurers to comply with the requirements of this rule.

5. Rural area participation: The Department received comments from insurers, including those doing business in rural areas of the State, regarding the 308 Letter. Those comments have been incorporated into this rule.

Job Impact Statement

The Department of Financial Services finds that this rule will have little or no impact on jobs and employment opportunities. This rule requires insurers to set forth standards for investigating claims and locating claimants under policies and accounts providing benefits in the event of an individual's death. It also requires insurers to set up procedures for lost policy searches, and establishes a filing requirement with the Office of the Comptroller regarding unpaid benefits.

The Department does not believe that this rule will have any adverse impact on jobs or employment opportunities, including self-employment opportunities.