Original Notice.

     Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 07-08-105.

     Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: prohibition of unfair and abusive sales practices of life insurance to armed forces personnel and their dependents.

     Hearing Location(s): Insurance Commissioner's Office, 5000 Capital Boulevard, Room TR-120, Tumwater, WA 98504-0255, on August 7, 2007, at 11:00 a.m.

     Date of Intended Adoption: August 9, 2007.

     Submit Written Comments to: Kacy Scott, P.O. Box 40255, Olympia, WA 98504-0258, e-mail Kacys@oic.wa.gov, fax (360) 586-3109, by August 6, 2007.

     Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Lorie Villaflores by August 6, 2007, TTY (360) 586-0241 or (360) 725-7087.

     Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: These proposed rules define unfair sales practices involving military personnel that are considered false, misleading, or deceptive. The rules will include a requirement that selling agents must determine the appropriateness of any sale of insurance to a member of the armed forces or his or her dependent.

     Reasons Supporting Proposal: The 109th Congress enacted the Military Personnel Financial Services Protection Act (Public Law 109-290) "to protect members of the Armed Forces from unscrupulous practices regarding the sale of insurance, financial and investment products." The act requires states to adopt a model regulation jointly developed by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) not later than September 29, 2007. The act extends state laws or rules with respect to regulating the business of insurance or securities to military installations, except to the extent that such laws or rules directly conflict with applicable federal laws or rules.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 48.02.060, 48.30.010.

     Statute Being Implemented: RCW 48.30.010.

     Rule is necessary because of federal law, Public Law 109-290.

     Name of Proponent: Mike Kreidler, insurance commissioner, governmental.

     Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting: Melodie Bankers, P.O. Box 40260, Olympia, WA 98604-0260 [98504-0260], (360) 725-7039; Implementation: John Hamje, P.O. Box 40255, Olympia, WA 98604-0255 [98504-0255], (360) 725-7262; and Enforcement: Carol Sureau, P.O. Box 40255, Olympia, WA 98604-0255 [98504-0255], (360) 725-7050.

     No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. Pursuant to RCW 19.85.061, because these proposed rules are solely for the purpose of conformity with federal statute, the office of insurance commissioner (OIC) is not required to prepare a small business economic statement.

     Pursuant to RCW 19.85.030, the OIC is required by the Miliary Personnel Financial Services Protection Act (Public Law 109-290) (act) to adopt rules jointly written and adopted as a model regulation by the NAIC in consultation with the United States DOD. These rules are intended to protect active duty members of the United States armed forces from unfair and misleading sales practices and unfair methods of competition by insurers, agents, brokers, and solicitors on and off military installations.

     Section 9(a) of the act states, in pertinent part: "Congress intends that -- (1) the States collectively work with the Secretary of Defense to ensure implementation of appropriate standards to protect members of the Armed Forces from dishonest and predatory insurance sales practices . . .; and (2) each State [adopt the model regulation] in a uniform manner, not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act [September 29, 2006]." The act further requires the NAIC, the Secretary of Defense, and the Securities and Exchange Commission to report jointly to Congress by September 29, 2007, on the extent to which the states have adopted the model regulation and thereafter meet not less frequently than twice a year to take any further actions to implement the act and to monitor its enforcement.

     A cost-benefit analysis is not required under RCW 34.05.328. Pursuant to RCW 34.05.328 (5)(b)(iii), the requirements of RCW 34.05.328 for a probable cost benefit analysis do not apply to the proposed military sales rule because the proposed rules adopt by reference without material change federal statues and regulations.

July 2, 2007

Mike Kreidler

Insurance Commissioner

OTS-9750.5

MILITARY SALES PRACTICES
NEW SECTION
WAC 284-30-850   Authority, purpose, and effective date.   In order to prevent unfair methods of insurance sales to active duty service members of the United States armed forces, unfair competition, and unfair or deceptive acts or practices by insurers, fraternal benefit societies, agents, brokers or solicitors, WAC 284-30-850 through 284-30-872 are adopted. These rules may be called the "military sales practices" rules.

     (1) The Military Personnel Financial Services Protection Act (P.L. 109-290) was enacted by the 109th Congress to protect members of the United States armed forces from unscrupulous practices regarding the sale of insurance, financial, and investment products on and off military installations. The act requires this state to adopt rules that meet sales practice standards adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners to protect members of the United States armed forces from dishonest and predatory insurance sales practices both on and off of a military installation.

     (2) Based on the commissioner's authority under RCW 48.30.010 to define by rule methods of competition and other acts and practices in the conduct of the business of insurance found by the commissioner to be unfair or deceptive, after evaluation of the acts and practices of insurers, fraternal benefit societies, agents, brokers, or solicitors that informed the need for P.L. 109-290, and because the commissioner is required by that act to adopt rules that meet the sales practice standards adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and federal law, the commissioner finds the acts or practices set forth in WAC 284-30-850 through 284-30-872 to be unfair or deceptive methods of competition or unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the business of insurance.

     (3) These military sales practices rules are effective for all benefit contracts, insurance policies and certificates solicited, issued, or delivered in this state on and after (the effective date of these rules).

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     (a) Credit life insurance, as defined in RCW 48.34.030(1).

     (b) Group life insurance where there is no in-person face-to-face solicitation of individuals by a licensed agent, broker, or solicitor or where the policy or certificate does not include a side fund.

     (c) An application to the insurer that issued the existing policy or certificate when a contractual change or a conversion privilege is being exercised; or when the existing insurance policy or certificate is being replaced by the same insurer pursuant to a program filed with and approved by the commissioner; or, when a term life conversion privilege is exercised among corporate affiliates.

     (d) Individual, stand-alone policies of health or disability income insurance.

     (e) Contracts offered by Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) or Veterans Group Life Insurance (VGLI), as authorized by 38 U.S.C. section 1965 et seq.

     (f) Life insurance policies or certificates offered through or by a nonprofit military association, qualifying under section 501 (c)(23) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), and which are not underwritten by an insurer.

     (g) Contracts used to fund any of the following:

     (i) An employee pension or welfare benefit plan that is covered by the Employee Retirement and Income Security Act (ERISA);

     (ii) A plan described by sections 401(a), 401(k), 403(b), 408(k), or 408(p) of the IRC, as amended, if established or maintained by an employer;

     (iii) A government or church plan defined in section 414 of the IRC, a government or church welfare benefit plan, or a deferred compensation plan of a state or local government or tax exempt organization under section 457 of the IRC;

     (iv) A nonqualified deferred compensation arrangement established or maintained by an employer or plan sponsor;

     (v) Settlements of or assumptions of liabilities associated with personal injury litigation or any dispute or claim resolution process; or

     (vi) Prearranged funeral contracts.

     (2) Nothing in WAC 284-30-850 through 284-30-872 shall be construed to restrict the ability of nonprofit organizations or other organizations to educate members of the United States armed forces in accordance with federal Department of Defense Instruction 1344.07 "Personal Commercial Solicitation on DOD Installations," or any successor directive.

     (3)(a) For purposes of the military sales practices rules, general advertisements, direct mail and internet marketing do not constitute "solicitation." Telephone marketing does not constitute "solicitation" only if the caller explicitly and conspicuously discloses that the product being solicited is life insurance and the caller makes no statements that avoid a clear and unequivocal statement that life insurance is the subject matter of the solicitation.

     (b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to exempt an insurer, agent, broker, or solicitor from the military sales practices rules in any in-person face-to-face meeting established as a result of the solicitation exemptions listed in this section.

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     (1) "Active duty" means full-time duty in the active military service of the United States and includes members of the reserve component, such as national guard or reserve, while serving under published orders for active duty or full-time training. This term does not include members of the reserve component who are performing active duty or active duty for training under military calls or orders specifying periods of fewer than thirty-one calendar days.

     (2) "Department of Defense (DOD) personnel" means all active duty service members and all civilian employees, including nonappropriated fund employees and special government employees, of the Department of Defense.

     (3) "Door-to-door" means a solicitation or sales method whereby an agent, broker, or solicitor proceeds randomly or selectively from household to household without a prior specific appointment.

     (4) "General advertisement" means an advertisement having as its sole purpose the promotion of the reader's or viewer's interest in the concept of insurance or the promotion of an insurer, agent, broker, or solicitor.

     (5) "Insurer" means an insurance company, as defined in RCW 48.01.050, that provides life insurance products for sale in this state. The term "insurer" also includes fraternal benefit societies, as defined at RCW 48.36A.010. Whenever the term "insurer," "policy," or "certificate" is used in these military sales practices rules, it includes insurers and fraternal benefit societies and applies to all insurance policies, benefit contracts, and certificates of life insurance issued by them.

     (6) "Known" or "knowingly" means, depending on its use in WAC 284-30-870 and 284-30-872, that the insurer or agent, broker, or solicitor had actual awareness, or in the exercise of ordinary care should have known at the time of the act or practice complained of that the person being solicited is either:

     (a) A service member; or

     (b) A service member with a pay grade of E-4 or below.

     (7) "Life insurance" has the meaning set forth in RCW 48.11.020.

     (8) "Military installation" means any federally owned, leased, or operated base, reservation, post, camp, building, or other facility to which service members are assigned for duty, including barracks, transient housing, and family quarters.

     (9) "MyPay" means the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) web-based system that enables service members to process certain discretionary pay transactions or provide updates to personal information data elements without using paper forms.

     (10) "Service member" means any active duty officer (commissioned and warrant) or any enlisted member of the United States armed forces.

     (11) "Side fund" means a fund or reserve that is part of or is attached to a life insurance policy or certificate (except for individually issued annuities) by rider, endorsement, or other mechanism which accumulates premium or deposits with interest or by other means. The term does not include:

     (a) Accumulated or cash value or secondary guarantees provided by a universal life policy;

     (b) Cash values provided by a whole life policy which are subject to standard nonforfeiture law for life insurance; or

     (c) A premium deposit fund which:

     (i) Contains only premiums paid in advance which accumulate at interest;

     (ii) Imposes no penalty for withdrawal;

     (iii) Does not permit funding beyond future required premiums;

     (iv) Is not marketed or intended as an investment; and

     (v) Does not carry a commission, either paid or calculated.

     (12) "Specific appointment" means a prearranged appointment that has been agreed upon by both parties and is definite as to place and time.

     (13) "United States armed forces" means all components of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

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     (a) Knowingly soliciting the purchase of any life insurance policy or certificate door to door or without first establishing a specific appointment for each meeting with the prospective purchaser.

     (b) Soliciting service members in a group or mass audience or in a captive audience where attendance is not voluntary.

     (c) Knowingly making appointments with or soliciting service members during their normally scheduled duty hours.

     (d) Making appointments with or soliciting service members in barracks, day rooms, unit areas, or transient personnel housing, or other areas where the installation commander has prohibited solicitation.

     (e) Soliciting the sale of life insurance without first obtaining permission from the installation commander or the commander's designee.

     (f) Posting unauthorized bulletins, notices, or advertisements.

     (g) Failing to present DD Form 2885 Personal Commercial Solicitation Evaluation, to service members solicited or encouraging service members solicited not to complete or submit a DD Form 2885.

     (h) Knowingly accepting an application for life insurance or issuing a policy or certificate of life insurance on the life of an enlisted member of the United States armed forces without first obtaining for the insurer's files a completed copy of any required form which confirms that the applicant has received counseling or fulfilled any other similar requirement related to the sale of life insurance established by regulations, directives, or rules of the DOD or any branch of the United States armed forces.

     (2) The following acts or practices by an insurer, agent, broker, or solicitor are found by the commissioner to be false, misleading, unfair or deceptive methods of competition or unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of the business of insurance or improper influences or inducements when committed on a military installation:

     (a) Using DOD personnel, directly or indirectly, as a representative or agent in any official or business capacity with or without compensation with respect to the solicitation or sale of life insurance to service members.

     (b) Using an agent, broker, or solicitor to participate in any education or orientation program sponsored by United States armed forces.

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     (a) Submitting, processing, or assisting in the submission or processing of any allotment form or similar device used by the United States armed forces to direct a service member's pay to a third party for the purchase of life insurance. For example, the using or assisting in the use of a service member's "MyPay" account or other similar internet or electronic medium to pay for life insurance is prohibited. For purposes of these military sales practices rules, assisting a service member by providing insurer or premium information necessary to complete any allotment form is not an unfair, deceptive, or prohibited practice.

     (b) Knowingly receiving funds from a service member for the payment of premium from a depository institution with which the service member has no formal banking relationship. For purposes of this section, a formal banking relationship is established when the depository institution:

     (i) Provides the service member a deposit agreement and periodic statements and makes the disclosures required by the Truth in Savings Act, 12 U.S.C. § 4301 et seq. and regulations promulgated thereunder; and

     (ii) Permits the service member to make deposits and withdrawals unrelated to the payment or processing of insurance premiums.

     (c) Employing any device or method, or entering into any agreement whereby funds received from a service member by allotment for the payment of insurance premiums are identified on the service member's leave and earnings statement (or equivalent or successor form) as "savings" or "checking" and where the service member has no formal banking relationship.

     (d) Entering into any agreement with a depository institution for the purpose of receiving funds from a service member whereby the depository institution, with or without compensation, agrees to accept direct deposits from a service member with whom it has no formal banking relationship.

     (e) Using DOD personnel, directly or indirectly, as a representative or agent in any official or unofficial capacity with or without compensation with respect to the solicitation or sale of life insurance to service members who are junior in rank or grade, or to their family members.

     (f) Offering or giving anything of value, directly or indirectly, to DOD personnel to procure their assistance in encouraging, assisting, or facilitating the solicitation or sale of life insurance to another service member.

     (g) Knowingly offering or giving anything of value to a service member with a pay grade of E-4 or below for his or her attendance to any event where an application for life insurance is solicited.

     (h) Advising a service member with a pay grade of E-4 or below to change his or her income tax withholding or state of legal residence for the sole purpose of increasing disposable income in order to purchase life insurance.

     (2) The following acts or practices by an insurer, agent, broker, or solicitor may lead to confusion regarding the source, sponsorship, approval, or affiliation of the insurer or any agent, broker or solicitor. They are each found by the commissioner to be false, misleading, unfair or deceptive methods of competition or unfair or deceptive or acts or practices in the conduct of the business of insurance regardless of the location where they occur:

     (a) Making any representation, or using any device, title, descriptive name, or identifier that has the tendency or capacity to confuse or mislead a service member into believing that the insurer, agent, broker, or solicitor, or the policy or certificate offered is affiliated, connected, or associated with, endorsed, sponsored, sanctioned, or recommended by the U.S. government, the United States armed forces, or any state or federal agency or governmental entity.

     (i) For example, the use of the following titles, including but not limited to the following is prohibited: Battalion insurance counselor, unit insurance advisor, Servicemen's Group Life Insurance conversion consultant, or veteran's benefits counselor.

     (ii) A person is not prohibited from using a professional designation awarded after the successful completion of a course of instruction in the business of insurance by an accredited institution of higher learning. Examples include, but are not limited to the following: Chartered life underwriter (CLU), chartered financial consultant (ChFC), certified financial planner (CFP), master of science in financial services (MSFS), or masters of science financial planning (MS).

     (b) Soliciting the purchase of any life insurance policy or certificate through the use of or in conjunction with any third-party organization that promotes the welfare of or assists members of the United States armed forces in a manner that has the tendency or capacity to confuse or mislead a service member into believing that the insurer, agent, broker, solicitor, or the insurance policy or certificate is affiliated, connected, or associated with endorsed, sponsored, sanctioned, or recommended by the U.S. government, or the United States armed forces.

     (3) The following acts or practices by an insurer, agent, broker, or solicitor lead to confusion regarding premiums, costs, or investment returns. They are each found by the commissioner to be false, misleading, unfair or deceptive methods of competition or unfair or deceptive or acts or practices in the conduct of the business of insurance regardless of the location where they occur:

     (a) Using or describing the credited interest rate on a life insurance policy in a manner that implies that the credited interest rate is a net return on premium paid.

     (b) Misrepresenting the mortality costs of a life insurance policy or certificate (except for individually issued annuities), including stating or implying that the policy or certificate costs nothing or is free.

     (4) The following acts or practices by an insurer, agent, broker, or solicitor regarding Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) or Veterans Group Life Insurance (VGLI) are each found by the commissioner to be false, misleading, unfair, or deceptive methods of competition or unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of the business of insurance regardless of the location where they occur:

     (a) Making any representation regarding the availability, suitability, amount, cost, exclusions, or limitations to coverage provided to service members or dependents by SGLI or VGLI, which is false, misleading, or deceptive.

     (b) Making any representation regarding conversion requirements, including the costs of coverage, exclusions, or limitations to coverage of SGLI or VGLI to private insurers which is false, misleading, or deceptive.

     (c) Suggesting, recommending, or encouraging a service member to cancel or terminate his or her SGLI policy, or issuing a life insurance policy or certificate which replaces an existing SGLI policy unless the replacement takes effect upon or after separation of the service member from the United States armed forces.

     (5) The following acts or practices regarding disclosure by an insurer, agent, broker, or solicitor are declared to be false, misleading, unfair, or deceptive methods of competition or unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of the business of insurance regardless of the location where the act occurs:

     (a) Deploying, using, or contracting for any lead generating materials designed exclusively for use with service members that do not clearly and conspicuously disclose that the recipient will be contacted by an agent, broker, or solicitor, if that is the case, for the purpose of soliciting the purchase of life insurance.

     (b) Failing to disclose that a solicitation for the sale of life insurance will be made when establishing a specific appointment for an in-person face-to-face meeting with a prospective purchaser.

     (c) Except for individually issued annuities, failing to clearly and conspicuously disclose the fact that the policy or certificate being solicited is life insurance.

     (d) Failing to make, at the time of sale or offer to an individual known to be a service member, the written disclosures required by Section 10 of the Military Personnel Financial Services Protection Act (P.L. 109-290), p. 16.

     (e) Except for individually issued annuities, when the sale is conducted in-person face-to-face with an individual known to be a service member, failing to provide the applicant at the time of application is taken:

     (i) An explanation of any free look period with instructions on how to cancel any policy or certificate issued by the insurer; and

     (ii) Either a copy of the application or a written disclosure. The copy of the application or the written disclosure must clearly and concisely set out the type of life insurance, the death benefit applied for, and its expected first year cost. A basic illustration that meets the requirements of this state will be considered a written disclosure.

     (6) The following acts or practices by an insurer, agent, broker, or solicitor are each found by the commissioner to be false, misleading, unfair or deceptive methods of competition or unfair or deceptive or acts or practices in the conduct of the business of insurance regardless of the location where they occur:

     (a) Except for individually issued annuities, recommending the purchase of any life insurance policy or certificate which includes a side fund to a service member in pay grades E-4 and below unless the insurer has reasonable grounds for believing that the life insurance death benefit, standing alone, is suitable.

     (b) Offering for sale or selling a life insurance policy or certificate which includes a side fund to a service member in pay grades E-4 and below who is currently enrolled in SGLI, is presumed unsuitable unless, after the completion of a needs assessment, the insurer demonstrates that the applicant's SGLI death benefit, together with any other military survivor benefits, savings and investments, survivor income, and other life insurance are insufficient to meet the applicant's insurable needs for life insurance.

     (i) "Insurable needs" are the risks associated with premature death taking into consideration the financial obligations and immediate and future cash needs of the applicant's estate, survivors, or dependents.

     (ii) Other military survivor's benefits include, but are not limited to: The death gratuity, funeral reimbursement, transition assistance, survivor and dependents' educational assistance, dependency and indemnity compensation, TRICARE healthcare benefits, survivor housing benefits and allowances, federal income tax forgiveness, and Social Security survivor benefits.

     (c) Except for individually issued annuities, offering for sale or selling any life insurance policy or certificate which includes a side fund:

     (i) Unless interest credited accrues from the date of deposit to the date of withdrawal and permits withdrawals without limit or penalty;

     (ii) Unless the applicant has been provided with a schedule of effective rates of return based upon cash flows of the combined policy or certificate. For this disclosure, the effective rate of return must consider all premiums and cash contributions made by the policyholder and all cash accumulations and cash surrender values available to the policyholder in addition to life insurance coverage. This schedule must be provided for at least each policy year from year one to year ten and for every fifth policy year thereafter, ending at age one hundred, policy maturity, or final expiration; and

     (iii) Which by default diverts or transfers funds accumulated in the side fund to pay, reduce, or offset any premiums due.

     (d) Except for individually issued annuities, offering for sale or selling any life insurance policy or certificate which after considering all policy benefits, including but not limited to endowment, return of premium, or persistency, does not comply with standard nonforfeiture law for life insurance.

     (e) Selling any life insurance policy or certificate to a person known to be a service member that excludes coverage if the insured's death is related to war, declared or undeclared, or any act related to military service, except for accidental death coverage (for example, double indemnity) which may be excluded.

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