Section 38-29-80 - Assessments(1) For the purpose of providing the funds necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the association, the board of directors shall assess the member insurers, separately for each account, at times and for amounts as the board finds necessary. Payment is due thirty days after written notice to the member insurers and shall accrue interest as set forth in the plan of operation.(2) There are two classes of assessments, as follows: (a) Class A assessments are made for the purpose of meeting administrative costs and other general expenses not related to a particular impaired insurer.(b) Class B assessments are made to the extent necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the association under Section 38-29-70 with regard to an insolvent or impaired insurer.(3)(a) The amount of any Class A assessment for each account must be determined by the board and may be authorized and called on a pro rata or non pro rata basis. If called on a pro rata basis, the board may provide that the assessment must be credited against future Class B assessments.(b) The amount of a Class B assessment, except for assessments related to long-term care insurance, must be allocated for assessment purposes between the accounts pursuant to an allocation formula which may be based on the premiums or reserves of the impaired or insolvent insurer or any other standard deemed by the board in its sole discretion as being fair and reasonable under the circumstances.(c) The amount of the Class B assessment for long-term care insurance written by the impaired or insolvent insurer must be allocated according to a methodology included in the plan of operation and approved by the director. The methodology must provide for fifty percent of the assessment to be allocated to accident and health member insurers and fifty percent to be allocated to life and annuity member insurers.(d) Class B assessments against member insurers for each account must be in proportion to the premiums received on business in this State by each assessed member insurer on policies or contracts covered by each account for the three most recent calendar years for which information is available preceding the year in which the member insurer became insolvent. In the case of an assessment of an impaired insurer, the assessment must be in proportion to the premiums received on business in this State for those calendar years by all assessed member insurers.(e) Assessments for funds to meet the requirements of the association with respect to an impaired or insolvent insurer may not be authorized or called until necessary to implement the purposes of this chapter. Classification and computation of assessments under this subsection must be made with a reasonable degree of accuracy, recognizing that exact determinations may not always be possible. The association shall notify each member insurer of its anticipated pro rata share of an authorized assessment not yet called within one hundred eighty days after the assessment is authorized.(4) The association may abate or defer, in whole or in part, the assessment of a member insurer if, in the opinion of the board, payment of the assessment would endanger the ability of the member insurer to fulfill its contractual obligations. In the event an assessment against a member insurer is abated or deferred, in whole or in part, the amount by which the assessment is abated or deferred may be assessed against the other member insurers in a manner consistent with the basis for assessments set forth in this section. Once the conditions that caused a deferral have been removed or rectified, the member insurer must pay all assessments that were deferred pursuant to a repayment plan approved by the association.(5)(a)(i) The total of all assessments authorized by the association with respect to a member insurer for each account shall not in one calendar year exceed four percent of that member insurer's average annual premiums received in this State on the policies and contracts covered by the account during the three calendar years preceding the year in which the member insurer became an impaired or insolvent insurer.(ii) If two or more assessments are authorized in one calendar year with respect to member insurers that become impaired or insolvent in different calendar years, the average annual premiums for purposes of the aggregate assessment percentage limitation must be equal and limited to the higher of the three-year average annual premiums for the applicable account as calculated pursuant to this section.(iii) If the maximum assessment, together with the other assets of the association in any account, does not provide in any one year in any account an amount sufficient to carry out the responsibilities of the association, the necessary additional funds must be assessed as soon as permitted by this chapter.(b) The board may provide in the plan of operation a method of allocating funds among claims, whether relating to one or more impaired or insolvent insurers, when the maximum assessment will be insufficient to cover anticipated claims.(c) If the maximum assessment for the life or annuity account in one year does not provide an amount sufficient to carry out the responsibilities of the association, then the board shall assess the other accounts for the necessary additional amount, subject to the maximum provided in this section.(6) The board may, by an equitable method established in the plan of operation, refund to member insurers in proportion to the contribution of each member insurer to that account, the amount by which the assets of the account exceed the amount the board finds is necessary to carry out during the coming year the obligations of the association with regard to that account, including assets accruing from assignment, subrogation, net realized gains, and income from investments. A reasonable amount may be retained in any account to provide funds for the continuing expenses of the association and for future claims.(7) It is proper for any member insurer, in determining its premium rates and policy owner dividends as to any kind of insurance or health maintenance organization business within the scope of this chapter, to consider the amount reasonably necessary to meet its assessment obligations under this chapter.(8) The association must issue to each member insurer paying an assessment under this chapter, other than a Class A assessment, a certificate of contribution, in a form prescribed by the director, for the amount of the assessments so paid. All outstanding certificates must be of equal dignity and priority without reference to amounts or dates of issue. A certificate of contribution may be shown by the member insurer in its financial statement as an asset in the form and for the amount and for a period of five years.(9)(a) A member insurer that wishes to protest all or part of an assessment shall pay when due the full amount of the assessment as set forth in the notice provided by the association. The payment must be available to meet association obligations during the pendency of the protest or any subsequent appeal. Payment shall be accompanied by a statement in writing that the payment is made under protest and setting forth a brief statement of the grounds for the protest.(b) Within sixty days following the payment of an assessment under protest by a member insurer, the association shall notify the member insurer in writing of its determination with respect to the protest unless the association notifies the member insurer that additional time is required to resolve the issues raised by the protest.(c) Within thirty days after a final decision has been made, the association shall notify the protesting member insurer in writing of that final decision. Within sixty days of receipt of notice of the final decision, the protesting member insurer may appeal that final action to the director.(d) In the alternative to rendering a final decision with respect to a protest based on a question regarding the assessment base, the association may refer protests to the director for a final decision, with or without a recommendation from the association.(e) If the protest or appeal on the assessment is upheld, the amount paid in error or excess must be returned to the member insurer. Interest on a refund due a protesting member insurer shall be paid at the rate actually earned by the association.(10) The association may request information of member insurers in order to aid in the exercise of its power under this section and member insurers shall promptly comply with a request.Amended by 2020 S.C. Acts, Act No. 121 (SB 580),s 1, eff. 3/24/2020.1993 Act No. 181, Section 631; 1988 Act No. 326, Section 2; 1980 Act No. 345, Section 2] recodified as Section 38-29-80 by 1987 Act No. 155, Section 1; 1977 Act No. 69 Section 3; 1972 (57) 2776; Former 1976 Code Section 38-17-80 [1962 Code Section 37-569; 1986 Act No. 426, Section 5A] recodified as Section 38-21-80 by 1987 Act No. 155, Section 1; 1971 (57) 351; Former 1976 Code Section 38-29-80 [1962 Code Section 37-1407. 2020 Act No. 121, Section 1.B, provides as follows:
"[1.]B. The amendments made by this act do not apply to a member insurer that has been placed under an order of rehabilitation or liquidation before July 1, 2020."