2020 Mississippi Code
Title 83 - Insurance
Chapter 7 - Life Insurance
Unclaimed Life Insurance Benefits Act
§ 83-7-305. Definitions
As used in Sections 83-7-301 through 83-7-313:
"Account owner" means the owner of a retained asset account who is a resident of this state.
"Annuity" means an annuity contract issued in this state. The term "annuity" shall not include any annuity contract used to fund an employment-based retirement plan or program where the insurer takes direction from the plan sponsor and plan administrator.
"Death master file" means the United States Social Security Administration's Death Master File or any other database or service that is at least as comprehensive as the United States Social Security Administration's Death Master File for determining that a person has reportedly died.
"Death master file match" means a search of the death master file that results in a match of a person's name and social security number, or the name and date of birth.
"Insurer" means a life insurance company as defined in Section 83-7-1.
"Knowledge of death" shall, for purposes of Sections 83-7-301 through 83-7-313, for purposes of Section 83-7-6, and for purposes of establishing the presumption of abandonment of funds held or owing by a life insurance corporation under Section 89-12-7 mean (i) receipt of an original or valid copy of a certified death certificate, or (ii) a death master file match validated by a secondary source by the insurer.
"Person" means the policy owner, insured, annuity owner, annuitant or account owner, as applicable under the policy, annuity, or retained asset account subject to Sections 83-7-301 through 83-7-313.
"Policy" means any policy or certificate of life insurance issued in this state; except the term "policy" shall not include (i) any policy or certificate of life insurance that provides a death benefit under an employee benefit plan subject to The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 [29 USC 1002], as periodically amended, or under any federal employee benefit program, (ii) any policy or certificate of life insurance that is used to fund a preneed funeral contract or prearrangement, (iii) any policy or certificate of credit life or accidental death insurance, (iv) any policy or certificate of industrial life insurance, or (v) any policy issued to a group master policyholder for which the insurer does not provide record keeping services.
"Record keeping services" means those circumstances under which the insurer has agreed with a group policyholder to be responsible for obtaining, maintaining and administering in its own systems information about each individual insured under an insured's group insurance contract (or a line of coverage thereunder), at least the following information: (i) social security number or name and date of birth, (ii) beneficiary designation information, (iii) coverage eligibility, (iv) benefit amount, and (v) premium payment status.
