Section 27-32-39

Priority of claims of policyholders and beneficiaries - Reinsuring of policies.

(a) When, upon hearing, the circuit court having jurisdiction of a receivership shall determine it to be in the best interest of the policyholders and the public, the court may order and direct the receiver to reinsure the policies of the insurer with a solvent insurer to the extent of the assets available in the receivership. The circuit court is hereby empowered to place a lien or moratorium against policy benefits and values as necessary to reinsure all policyholders as fully as possible to the extent of assets available and to order the receiver to transfer such assets as determined adequate, necessary, or available to reinsure policies of the insolvent insurer with a solvent insurer, to the exclusion of general creditors should no assets remain thereafter.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (c), reinsurance shall be payable under a contract reinsured by the assuming insurer on the basis of reported claims allowed by the liquidation court, without diminution because of the insolvency of the ceding insurer. The payments shall be made directly to the ceding insurer or to its domiciliary liquidator, except in either of the following cases:

(1) Where the contract or other written agreement specifically provides another payee of the reinsurance in the event of the insolvency of the ceding insurer.

(2) Where the assuming insurer, with the consent of the direct insured, has assumed the policy obligations of the ceding insurer as direct obligations of the assuming insurer to the payees under the policies and in substitution for the obligations of the ceding insurer to the payees.

(c) Notwithstanding subsection (b), in the event that a life and health insurance guaranty association has made the election to succeed to the rights and obligations of the insolvent insurer under the contract of reinsurance, the reinsurer's liability to pay covered reinsured claims shall continue under the contract of reinsurance subject to the payment to the reinsurer of the reinsurance premiums for the coverage. Payment for the reinsured claims shall only be made by the reinsurer pursuant to the direction of the guaranty association or its designated successor. Any payment made at the direction of the guaranty association or its designated successor by the reinsurer shall discharge the reinsurer of all further liability to any other party for the claim payment.

(Acts 1975, No. 1040, p. 2085, §3; Act 2003-346, §1.)