Iowa Code (Last Updated: December 05, 2016) |
Title XIII. COMMERCE |
Chapter 507. EXAMINATION OF INSURANCE COMPANIES |
Section 507.10. Examination reports.
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1. General description. All examination reports shall be comprised only of facts appearing upon the books, records, or other documents of the company, its agents, or other persons examined, or as ascertained from the testimony of its officers or agents or other persons examined concerning its affairs, and such conclusions and recommendations as the examiners find reasonably warranted from the facts.
2. Filing of examination report. No later than sixty days following completion of the examination, the examiner in charge shall file with the division a verified written report of examination. Upon receipt of the verified report and after administrative review, the division shall transmit the report to the company examined, together with a notice which shall afford the company examined a reasonable opportunity of not more than thirty days to make a written submission or rebuttal with respect to any matters contained in the examination report.
3. Adoption of report on examination. Within twenty days of the end of the period allowed for the receipt of written submissions or rebuttals, the commissioner shall fully consider and review the report, together with any written submissions or rebuttals and any relevant portions of the examiner’s work papers and enter an order which does one of the following:
a. Adopts the examination report as filed or with modification or corrections. If the examination report reveals that the company is operating in violation of any law or a rule or prior order of the commissioner, the commissioner may order the company to take any action the commissioner considers necessary and appropriate to cure the violation.
b. Rejects the examination report with directions to the examiners to reopen the examination for purposes of obtaining additional data, documentation, or information, and refiling pursuant to subsection 1 above.
c. Calls for an investigatory hearing with no less than twenty days’ notice to the company for purposes of obtaining additional documentation, data, information, and testimony.
a. All orders entered pursuant to subsection 3, paragraph “a”, shall be accompanied by findings and conclusions resulting from the commissioner’s consideration and review of the examination report, relevant examiner work papers, and any written submissions or rebuttals. Any such order is a final administrative decision and may be appealed pursuant to chapter 17A, and shall be served upon the company by certified mail, together with a copy of the adopted examination report. The board of directors of the company shall timely review the adopted report. The minutes of the meeting of the board at which the adopted report is considered shall reflect that each member of the board has reviewed the adopted report.
b. Any hearing conducted under subsection 3, paragraph “c”, by the commissioner or an authorized representative, shall be conducted as a nonadversarial, confidential, investigatory proceeding as necessary for the resolution of any inconsistencies, discrepancies, or disputed issues apparent upon the face of the filed examination report or indicated as a result of the commissioner’s review of relevant work papers or by the written submission or rebuttal of the company. Within twenty days of the conclusion of any such hearing, the commissioner shall enter an order pursuant to subsection 3, paragraph “a”.
(1) (a) The commissioner shall not appoint an examiner as an authorized representative to conduct the hearing. The hearing shall proceed expeditiously with discovery by the company limited to the examiner’s work papers which tend to substantiate any assertions set forth in any written submission or rebuttal. The commissioner or a representative acting on the commissioner’s behalf may issue subpoenas for the attendance of any witnesses or the production of any documents deemed relevant to the investigation whether under the control of the division of insurance, the company, or other persons. The documents produced shall be included in the record and testimony taken by the commissioner or a representative acting on the commissioner’s behalf shall be under oath and preserved for the record.
(b) This section does not require the division of insurance to disclose any information or records which would indicate or show the existence of any investigation or activity of a criminal or juvenile justice agency.
(2) The hearing shall proceed with the commissioner or the commissioner’s representative posing questions to the persons subpoenaed. Thereafter the company and the division may present testimony relevant to the investigation. Cross-examination shall be conducted only by the commissioner or the commissioner’s representative. The company and the division shall be permitted to make closing statements and may be represented by counsel.
a. Upon the adoption of the preliminary examination report under subsection 3, paragraph “a”, the commissioner shall hold the content of the final examination report as private and confidential information not subject to disclosure and it is not a public record under chapter 22, for a period of twenty days except to the extent provided in subsection 2. After the twenty-day period has elapsed, the commissioner may open the final report for public inspection so long as no court of competent jurisdiction has stayed its publication.
b. The commissioner is not prevented from disclosing the content of an examination report, preliminary examination report or results, or any matter relating to the report, to an insurance department of any other state or country, to the national association of insurance commissioners, or to law enforcement officials of this or any other state or an agency of the federal government at any time, so long as such agency or office receiving the report, or matters relating to the report, agrees in writing to maintain the confidentiality of the report or such matters in a manner consistent with this chapter.
c. If the commissioner determines that regulatory action is appropriate as a result of any examination, the commissioner may initiate any proceeding or action as provided by law.
[S13, §1821-d; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §8634; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §507.10]