On March 18, 2009, U.S. Congressmen Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) and Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) introduced the Insurance Industry Competition Act of 2009 (H.R. 1583).   H.R. 1583 seeks to amend the McCarran-Ferguson Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1011 et seq., by removing the federal antitrust exemption for the insurance industry. 


Read More Legislation Introduced to Repeal Insurance Industry’s Antitrust Exemption

Earlier this month, Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) reintroduced legislation, the Multiple Peril Insurance Act of 2009 (H.R. 1264), into the House of Representatives that would amend the National Flood Insurance Program (“NFIP”) to allow homeowners to purchase multiperil insurance covering windstorm damage in addition to flood damage. 


Read More Multiperil Bill Amending NFIP Reintroduced In House

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) published its much-anticipated review of global banking regulation on 18 March 2009. The review analyses the events that led to the financial crisis and recommends reform based on a “macro-prudential” approach rather than focussing solely on specific firms. 


Read More UK: FSA Publishes Turner Review on Global Banking Regulation

The Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (S. 2499) (the “Act”), signed into law late last year, contains a new mandatory reporting requirement for insurers covering medical expenses. 


Read More New Medicare Reporting Requirement for Non-Group Health Plan Providers Effective July 1, 2009

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has backed the proposed creation of a European body to act as “supervisor of supervisors” across the EU as part of regulatory reform, and put forward five key principles in order to help ensure that reforms bring benefits for consumers. 


Read More UK/EU: Association of British Insurers Proposes Regulatory Principles, Backs European Supervisory Body

The New York Insurance Department issued Circular Letter No. 4 (the “Circular Letter”) on February 19, 2009, which is directed to foreign insurers and reinsurers whose home state regulator or domiciliary regulator has “prescribed or permitted accounting practices that differ from the requirements of the New York Insurance Law.” 


Read More NY Insurance Department: NY Annual Statement Supplement Filed by Foreign (Re)Insurers to Follow Accounting Practices Set Forth in NY Insurance Law

On March 9, 2009, the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (“IAIS”) released an Issues Paper on Group-Wide Solvency Assessment and Supervision (the “Issues Paper”).  The purpose of the Issues Paper is to serve as a framework for the development of future papers providing guidance on group-wide solvency assessment and supervision on a global scale. 


Read More IAIS Releases Issues Paper on Group-Wide Solvency Assessment and Supervision