Market Conduct Examination
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Market Conduct Examination UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION AND USAA CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY San Antonio, Texas STATE OF NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF BANKING AND INSURANCE Office of Consumer Protection Services Market Conduct Examination Section Date Report Adopted: March 6, 2007 MARKET CONDUCT EXAMINATION of the UNITED SERVICES AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION USAA CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY located in San Antonio Texas as of April 27, 2005 BY EXAMINERS of the STATE OF NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF BANKING AND INSURANCE OFFICE OF CONSUMER PROTECTION SERVICES MARKET CONDUCT EXAMINATION SECTION DATE REPORT ADOPTED: MARCH 6, 2007 Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 A. SCOPE OF EXAMINATION ........................................................................................... 1 B. ERROR RATIOS............................................................................................................ 1 C. COMPANY PROFILE .................................................................................................... 2 II. CLAIMS REVIEW................................................................................................................. 4 A. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................... 4 B. ERROR RATIOS ........................................................................................................... 4 C. PERSONAL INJURY PROTECTION CLAIMS .............................................................. 7 D. PHYSICAL DAMAGE CLAIMS....................................................................................... 8 III. UNDERWRITING REVIEW ............................................................................................... 10 A. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 10 B. ERROR RATIOS.......................................................................................................... 10 C.EXAMINERS’ FINDINGS.............................................................................................. 10 IV. ANTI-FRAUD COMPLIANCE REVIEW............................................................................ 12 A. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 12 B. EXAMINERS FINDINGS.............................................................................................. 12 V. RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................................................................... 13 A. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS ....................................................................................... 13 B. CLAIMS....................................................................................................................... 13 C. UNDERWRITING........................................................................................................ 14 APPENDIX A – CLAIM ERRORS .......................................................................................... 15 VERIFICATION PAGE ........................................................................................................... 16 United Services Automobile Association and USAA Casualty Insurance Company - Market Conduct Examination I. INTRODUCTION A. SCOPE OF EXAMINATION his is a report of the Market Conduct and Anti-Fraud Compliance activities of the United Services Automobile Association and USAA Casualty Insurance TCompanies (hereinafter referred to as “USAA” and “CIC” respectively, or collectively as the Companies). In this report, examiners of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (NJDOBI) present their findings, conclusions and recommendations as a result of their examination. The Market Conduct Examiners were Robert Greenfield Examiner-in-Charge, Thomas H. Goehrig and John Sivon. The scope of the examination included private passenger automobile insurance sold by the Company in New Jersey. The examiners evaluated the Companies’ compliance with the regulations and statutes pertaining to automobile underwriting, prompt handling of claim files and anti-fraud compliance. The review period for the examination was January 1, 2003 to April 27, 2005. Review of database records included the period January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2003. The examiners conducted their fieldwork at the United States Automobile Association in San Antonio, Texas between November 29, 2004 and February 4, 2005. On various dates thereafter, the examiners completed additional review work and report writing in Trenton, New Jersey. The examiners randomly selected files and records from computer listings and documents provided by the Company. The random selection process is in accordance with the National Association of Insurance Commissioner’s (NAIC) Market Conduct Examiners’ Handbook. In addition, the examiners used the NAIC Handbook, Chapter VIII Conducting the Property and Casualty Examination as a guide to examine the Company and to write this report. B. ERROR RATIOS Error ratios are the percentage of files reviewed which an insurer handles in error. A file is counted as an error when it is mishandled or the insured is treated unfairly, even if no statute or regulation is applicable. If a file contains multiple errors, the examiners will count the file only once in calculating error ratios. However, any file which contains more than one error will be cited more than once in the report. In the event that the insurer corrects an error as a result of a consumer complaint or due to the examiners’ findings, the error will be included in the error ratio. If the insurer corrects an error independent of a complaint or NJDOBI intervention, the error is not included in the error ratios. For the purpose of the database computer analyses conducted during this review period, the examiners define an exception as a file or record in a database that does not meet specified criteria as set forth in electronic queries. The file or record has not been reviewed in depth by an examiner. However, the frequency, type or severity of these exceptions may result in the examiners extracting sub-populations and review samples for further, detailed analysis. Whenever the examiners find that a company commits a type of error with sufficient frequency, they will cite the errors as an improper general business practice. Whenever the examiners identified errors that constitute an improper general business practice, they have stated this in the report that follows. The examiners sometimes find improper general business practices of an insurer that may be technical in nature or which did not have an impact on a consumer. Even though such a practice would not be in compliance with applicable law, the examiners do not count each of these files as an error in determining error ratios. Whenever such business practices do have an impact on the consumer, each of the files in error will be counted in the error ratio. The examiners indicate in the report that follows whenever they did not count any particular files in the error ratio. The examiners submitted written inquiries to Company representatives on the errors cited in this report. This provided the opportunity to respond to the examiners' findings and to provide exception to the statutory and/or regulatory errors or mishandling of files reported herein. In response to these inquiries, USAA and CIC agreed with some of the errors cited in this report. On those errors with which the Company disagreed, the examiners evaluated the individual merits of each response and gave due consideration to all comments. In some instances, the examiners did not cite the files due to the Companies' explanatory responses. In others, the errors remained as cited in the examiners' inquiries. C. COMPANY PROFILE United Services Automobile Association (USAA) is organized as a reciprocal inter-insurance exchange. This Company began conducting business in June, 1922 as the “United States Army Automobile Insurance Association” with offices at Kelly Field, Texas. The present title was adopted at the same time that its headquarters was established at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. USAA is licensed in all states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Subscribers of the exchange (members) are limited to active and former commissioned, non-commissioned and warrant officers of the regular forces and reserve components of the United States Armed Services. The Companies also write private passenger business for its non-military employees. 2 USAA Casualty Insurance Company (CIC) was incorporated and licensed in the State of Texas under the name United Services Casualty Insurance Company in September 1968. The current name was adopted in December 1970. In July 1990, CIC was redomesticated to Florida. In January 2000, CIC was redomesticated back to Texas. All outstanding capital stock is owned by United Services Automobile Association. The company is licensed in all states and the District of Columbia. CIC specializes in writing personal lines property and casualty insurance for active duty enlisted personnel other than non-commissioned officers (NCOs), and ex-dependents of USAA members. USAA specializes in writing personal lines property and casualty insurance. USAA and CIC are direct writers in the State of New Jersey. Operations are conducted on a direct basis by mail and telephone