South Carolina § 38-79-190 - Policy forms and rate structure; claims-made or occurrence basis; forbidden provisions; rates charged.

§ 38-79-190. Policy forms and rate structure; claims-made or occurrence basis; forbidden provisions; rates charged.

(1) The board of directors shall specify whether policy forms and the rate structure must be on a "claims-made" or "occurrence" basis and coverage may be provided by the association only on the basis specified by the board of directors. The board of directors shall specify the "claims-made" basis only if the contract makes provision for residual "occurrence" coverage upon the retirement, death, disability, or removal from the State of the insured. Provision may be made for a premium charge allocable to any such residual "occurrence" coverage and the premium charges for the residual coverage must be segregated and separately maintained for such purpose which may include the reinsurance of all or a part of that portion of the risk.

(2) The policy may not contain any limitation in relation to the existing law in tort as provided by the statute of limitations of the State of South Carolina.

(3) The policy form whether on a "claims-made" or "occurrence" basis may not require as a condition precedent to settlement or compromise of any claim the consent or acquiescence of the insured. However, such settlement or compromise may never be held or considered to be an admission of fault or wrongdoing by the insured.

(4) The premium rate charged for either or both "claims-made" or "occurrence" coverage must be at rates established on an actuarially sound basis, including consideration of trends in the frequency and severity of losses. After the accumulated deficit has been eliminated, the association must function as a residual market mechanism. After that time, the association may not offer rates competitive with the admitted market but the rates for policies issued by the association must be adequate and established at a level that permits the association to operate as a self-sustaining mechanism.

HISTORY: 1987 Act No. 155, SECTION 1; 1993 Act No. 181, SECTION 830; 1997 Act No. 19, SECTION 1; 2019 Act No. 67 (H.3760), SECTION 1, eff May 16, 2019.

Effect of Amendment

2019 Act No. 67, SECTION 1, in (4), in the first sentence, deleted ", and must be calculated to be self-supporting" following "severity of losses", and added the second and third sentences.