Section 4706. Reserve and surplus requirements  


Latest version.
  • (a) Notwithstanding any
      provision of law, the governing board of a municipal cooperative  health
      benefit plan shall establish a reserve fund, and the plan's chief fiscal
      officer  shall  cause  to  be  paid  into  the  reserve fund the amounts
      necessary to satisfy all contractual obligations and liabilities of  the
      plan, including:
        (1)  a reserve for payment of claims and expenses thereon reported but
      not yet paid, and claims and  expenses  thereon  incurred  but  not  yet
      reported  which  shall  not  be less than an amount equal to twenty-five
      percent of expected incurred claims and expenses thereon for the current
      plan  year,  unless  a  qualified  actuary  has  demonstrated   to   the
      superintendent's satisfaction that a lesser amount will be adequate;
        (2) a reserve for unearned premium equivalents;
        (3) a claim stabilization reserve;
        (4)  a  reserve  for  other  obligations  of the municipal cooperative
      health benefit plan; and
        (5) a surplus account, established and maintained for the sole purpose
      of satisfying unexpected obligations of the municipal cooperative health
      benefit plan in the event of termination or  abandonment  of  the  plan,
      which shall not be less than:
        (A)  five  percent of the annualized earned premium equivalents during
      the current fiscal year of a municipal cooperative health  benefit  plan
      which  consists of five or more participating municipal corporations and
      covers two thousand or more employees and retirees; or
        (B) seven percent of the annualized earned premium equivalents  during
      the current fiscal year of the municipal cooperative health benefit plan
      which  consists of four or fewer participating municipal corporations or
      covers fewer than two thousand employees and retirees.
        (b) The moneys in the plan's reserve funds and surplus  account  shall
      be  deposited  in one or more banks or trust companies designated by the
      governing board in accordance with the municipal cooperation  agreement,
      in  one  or  more separate segregated accounts, subject to investment in
      obligations specified in the general municipal law or education law  (as
      applicable)  for  investment  of moneys in reserve funds or as otherwise
      expressly permitted by  the  superintendent.  Any  such  bank  or  trust
      company  shall  be  located  in  this  state and shall be duly chartered
      pursuant to federal law or the laws of this state. Any  interest  earned
      or  capital  gain  realized  on the money so deposited or invested shall
      accrue to and become  part  of  the  plan's  reserve  funds  or  surplus
      account, as applicable.
        (c)  The  plan's  chief  fiscal  officer  shall account for the plan's
      reserve funds separate and apart from all other funds of  the  municipal
      cooperative health benefit plan, and such accounting shall show:
        (1)  the  purpose,  source,  date and amount of each sum paid into the
      fund;
        (2) the interest earned by such funds;
        (3) capital gains or losses resulting from the sale of investments  of
      the plan's reserve funds;
        (4)  the  order,  purpose,  date  and  amount of each payment from the
      reserve fund; and
        (5) the assets of the fund, indicating cash balance  and  schedule  of
      investments.
        (d)  The plan's chief fiscal officer, within ninety days of the end of
      each fiscal year, shall furnish a detailed report of the operations  and
      condition of the plan's reserve funds to the governing board.
        (e)  An  expenditure  from the plan's reserve funds shall be made only
      for the payment of benefits  and  other  obligations  of  the  municipal
    
      cooperative  health  benefit  plan or expenses incurred in administering
      such plan.
        (f) If the municipal cooperative health benefit plan ceases to provide
      plan  benefits  on  a  shared-funding basis, the moneys remaining in the
      plan's reserve funds not needed to  satisfy  plan  liabilities  incurred
      prior  to  such cessation shall be disposed of in the manner provided in
      the municipal cooperation agreement.
        (g) If a municipal corporation withdraws from a municipal  cooperative
      health  benefit  plan  operating  under  a certificate of authority, the
      governing board shall, in  accordance  with  the  municipal  cooperation
      agreement,  determine  the  amount,  if any, of the plan's reserve funds
      attributable to such municipal corporation, after considering  all  plan
      liabilities,  and  dispose  of such amount in the manner provided in the
      municipal cooperation agreement.