Actuarial Standards Board News

The ASB recently approved an exposure draft of a proposed revision of ASOP No. 11, now titled Reinsurance Involving Life Insurance, Annuities, or Health Benefit Plans in Financial Reports, and a second exposure draft of a proposed revision of ASOP No. 32, Social Insurance.

ASOP No. 11, which was first adopted in 1989, superseded Recommendation No. 4 and Interpretation No. 4-A of the Financial Reporting Recommendations and Interpretations of the American Academy of Actuaries that covered certain aspects of generally accepted accounting principles financial reporting on reinsurance ceded by life and health insurance companies. The ASOP was revised in 2005 to reflect changes in reinsurance practice and related accounting guidance. Since 2005, significant new guidelines and requirements for life insurance policies and annuity contracts had emerged. The proposed revision of ASOP No. 11 would apply to actuaries when performing actuarial services in connection with preparing, determining, analyzing, or reviewing financial reports for internal or external use that reflect reinsurance programs on life insurance, annuities, or health benefit plans. The comment deadline for the ASOP No. 11 exposure draft is March 31, 2020.

The first exposure draft of ASOP No. 32 was issued in October 2018. Seven comment letters were received and considered in making changes that are reflected in the second exposure draft. Notable changes to the second exposure draft include clarifying the scope to cover situations when a program was not specifically included or excluded from the scope, and expanding the scope to apply to actuaries when performing actuarial services in connection with an actuarial analysis of a Social Insurance Program when the actuary’s principal is not a government agency with responsibility for the valuation of a Social Insurance Program. The comment deadline for the ASOP No. 32 exposure draft is Feb. 14, 2020.

Both drafts can be viewed under the “Drafts” tab in “Exposure Drafts Open for Comment.” Information on how to submit comments can be found in the drafts.

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The ASB has issued a Request for Input concerning the development of an actuarial standard of practice (ASOP) that would address the actuarial aspects of property/casualty rate filings submitted to state insurance departments. The proposed standard would provide guidance to actuaries regarding the actuarial aspects of a rate filing for the filing actuary, the regulatory actuary, and the reviewing actuary. Therefore, the ASB is interested in the views of actuaries, other parties involved in the determination of rates and the preparation and/or review of rate filings submitted to state insurance departments, and any others who have opinions on the matter of the actuarial aspects of the insurance rate filing process.

The Request for Input document can be found here. Deadline for receipt of input is February 28, 2020.

The ASB recently approved second exposure drafts of revisions of Actuarial Standard of Practice (ASOP) Nos. 27, Selection of Economic Assumptions for Measuring Pension Obligations; and 35, Selection of Demographic and Other Noneconomic Assumptions for Measuring Pension Obligations. The first exposure drafts of ASOP Nos. 27 and 35 were issued in March 2018, and received 18 comment letters and 16 comment letters, respectively, that were considered in making changes that are reflected in the second exposure drafts. Notable changes to ASOP Nos. 27 and 35 include clarifying the ASOPs’ scopes and disclosure requirements with respect to assumptions not selected by the actuary. In addition, several sections in both ASOPs were revised for readability, clarity, or consistency.

The comment deadline for both second exposure drafts is Sept. 15, 2019. Information on how to submit comments can be found in the drafts.

The ASB recently adopted ASOP No. 55, Capital Adequacy Assessment. The ASOP provides guidance to actuaries when performing professional services with respect to an evaluation of the resiliency of an insurer through a capital adequacy assessment. The ASOP applies to actuaries designing, performing, or reviewing capital adequacy assessment work for life or health insurers (including fraternal benefit societies and health benefit plans), property and casualty insurers, mortgage and title insurers, financial guaranty insurance companies, risk retention groups, public entity pools, captive insurers, and similar entities or a combination of such entities, when affiliated (collectively, referred to as “insurer”). The ASOP, which underwent three exposure periods and received a total of 22 comment letters, is effective for work commenced on or after Nov. 1, 2019. ASOP No. 55 can be viewed here.