2013 Maryland Code
INSURANCE
§ 5-904 - Ceding insurers

§5-904.

(a) (1) Credit may not be allowed, as an asset or deduction from liability, to a ceding insurer for reinsurance unless:

(i) the reinsurer is authorized to transact insurance business in the State or is a solvent insurer approved or accepted by the Commissioner for the purpose of reinsurance; and

(ii) the reinsurance contract provides, in substance, that in the event of the insolvency of the ceding insurer, the reinsurance shall be payable under the terms of a contract reinsured by the reinsurer on the basis of reported claims allowed by the court in a liquidation proceeding, without diminution because of the insolvency of the ceding insurer.

(2) Payments made by a reinsurer under paragraph (1)(ii) of this subsection shall be made directly to the ceding insurer or its domiciliary receiver unless:

(i) the reinsurance contract or other written agreement specifically provides another payee of the reinsurance in the event of the insolvency of the ceding insurer; or

(ii) subject to any contractual or statutory requirement of consent by the policyholder, the reinsurer has assumed the policy obligations of the ceding insurer as direct obligations of the reinsurer to the payees under the policies and in substitution for the ceding insurer’s obligations to the payees.

(3) (i) Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of this subsection, if a life and health insurance guaranty association has elected to succeed to the rights and obligations of an insolvent insurer under a reinsurance contract, the reinsurer’s liability to pay covered reinsured claims shall continue under the reinsurance contract, subject to the payment of premiums to the reinsurer for the reinsurance coverage.

(ii) Payment for a covered reinsured claim under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph shall be made by the reinsurer only at the direction of the life and health insurance guaranty association or its designated successor.

(iii) Payment for a covered reinsured claim made by the reinsurer at the direction of the life and health insurance guaranty association or its designated successor discharges the reinsurer’s liability to any other person for payment of the covered reinsured claim.

(b) (1) A reinsurance agreement may provide that the domiciliary receiver of an insolvent ceding insurer shall give written notice to the reinsurer of the pendency of a claim made against the insolvent ceding insurer under the contract reinsured within a reasonable time after the claim is filed in the liquidation proceeding.

(2) During the pendency of the claim, the reinsurer, at its own expense, may investigate the claim and interpose, in the liquidation proceeding, any defense that it determines is available to the insolvent ceding insurer or its receiver.

(3) (i) The reinsurer may file a claim against the insolvent ceding insurer for any expense incurred by the reinsurer under paragraph (2) of this subsection.

(ii) The claim may not exceed an amount equal to the proportionate share of the benefit accruing to the insolvent ceding insurer solely as a result of the defense undertaken by the reinsurer.

(iii) If two or more reinsurers are involved in a claim and a majority in interest elect to interpose a defense to the claim, the expense shall be apportioned in accordance with the terms of the reinsurance agreement as though the expense had been incurred by the insolvent ceding insurer.

(c) On request of the Commissioner, a ceding insurer shall inform the Commissioner promptly in writing of the cancellation or any other material change of any of its reinsurance treaties or arrangements.