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December 23, 2001 at 07:00 PM
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Two insurers–Liberty Life Insurance Company and Atlantic Coast Life Insurance Company–are facing regulatory action for race-based pricing practices following an investigation by the South Carolina Insurance Department.
Liberty Life in Greenville, S.C., is facing an administrative hearing that could result in the suspension of its license to operate in South Carolina for a minimum of a year as well as $2 million in fines.
An order from the department dated Dec. 27, 2001, would require Liberty Life to enhance by 33% the benefits of its in-force premium paying, fully paid up, reduced paid up and extended term policies and on death, endowments and cash surrender values. Also under the order, Liberty Life would pay compound interest of 8.75% on those benefits from Jan. 1, 1986 to present. A $1 million fund would have to be set up for policyholders who could prove that they were charged different rates.
Robert Evans, Liberty Life president and CEO, says the company is appealing the decision. He says he is confident it will be able to continue to operate in South Carolina after the hearing.
Approximately 120,000 in-force policies are affected.
Evans says that although there is circumstantial evidence that the use of race-based premium pricing was a “common practice,” the company wants to do right by policyholders.
Following an investigation by Florida regulators, Evans says the company began the “arduous process” of looking through records that date back as far as the early 1900s. He adds that although there is “limited direct evidence” related to the specific charge, there is circumstantial evidence that the practice of race-based pricing was used.
According to Evans, there is “pretty strong evidence” the department was aware the practice was conducted since reserving requirements reflected differences in the pricing based on race. He says that “to some degree the industry endorsed the practice.”
Evans adds that Liberty Life does not have access to rate books and similar evidence dating back years, but the company has tried to put a program in place to do right by policyholders. However, different actions against the company from the department and the state court have prevented Liberty Life from moving forward with the program, he says.
During the late 1980s, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners sent out a set of questions, similar to ones sent out recently, asking companies about their pricing of policies.
According to Evans, Liberty Life responded to those questions, stating it was not able to uncover any such activities at that point, but that if such were uncovered, it would address them.
