Justice Leah Ward Sears to Speak at 2010 Legal Seminar
Justice Leah Ward Sears, former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice and said to be on President Obama's "short list" of candidates for the U.S. Supreme Court, has agreed to be the luncheon speaker at NOLHGA's 2010 Legal Seminar.
In 1992, when then-Governor Zell Miller appointed her to the state supreme court, Justice Sears was the youngest justice ever to sit on the court and the first African-American woman to serve on Georgia's highest court. In 2005, she became the first African-American woman in the country to serve as a state supreme court justice. After retiring from the court, Justice Sears returned to private practice at Schiff Harden, LLP, in Atlanta, where she focuses her time on "high stakes" litigation matters. Justice Sears received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and her law degree from Emory University School of Law.
NOLHGA's 2010 Legal Seminar will be held on July 15-16 at New York's Marriott Marquis in Times Square (an MPC meeting will be held on July 13 and 14). Hotel reservations, online registration, and other meeting information can be found on the meeting Web page.
Staff Contact - Imerica Life & Health Insurance Company (Arkansas)Order for Liquidation Entered
On May 3, 2010, the Circuit Court for Pulaski County, Arkansas, entered an order for liquidation with a finding of insolvency with respect to Imerica Life & Health Insurance Company, an Arkansas-domiciled insurer that wrote primarily high-deductible health insurance business. A copy of the liquidation order is posted to Quest, NOLHGA's online receivership library (only authorized users have access to Quest).
Imerica was licensed in 33 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Claims processing and payment on behalf of affected associations is underway. We expect that the first batch of claims will be posted to Quest this week, with summary data sent to each of the affected associations having claims in this batch. Updated in-force policy counts and eligibility data for each state will also be posted to Quest under each association's secure link for this insolvency.
Please feel free to contact Joni Forsythe at 703.787.4103 if you have any questions.
Task Force Chair - Andrea Bowers; Staff Contact - Joni ForsytheGuaranty Association Law Summaries Updated on NOLHGA's Web Site
NOLHGA has updated its state guaranty association law summary reports to reflect legislative changes that took effect through May 1, 2010. Many states have updated their guaranty association statutes to reflect recent changes in the NAIC Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association Model Act.
The GA Law Summaries are available under Facts & Figures on the homepage of NOLHGA's Web site in addition to being accessible under the Member Resources section in the password-protected portion of the site. Users can generate individual state reports by choosing from the "Law Summaries by State" drop-down menu. Alternatively, the summaries can be viewed and printed by selecting a specific report from the "Law Summaries by Provision" drop-down menu, which lists all provisions by topic. Finally, the Guaranty Association Laws page provides users with state guaranty association contact information as well as links, where applicable, to the state guaranty association's Web site and the corresponding state insurance department's Web site. Changes or corrections should be submitted to Meg Melusen.
Guaranty Association Law Summaries Staff Contact -Latrenta Named General Counsel at MetLife
Nicholas D. Latrenta, former Chair of the NOLHGA Board of Directors and Vice Chair of the Life Insurance Company Guaranty Corporation of New York, has been appointed General Counsel of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. As General Counsel and head of MetLife's legal affairs organization, Latrenta will lead the company's global legal operations. He also will oversee MetLife's government and industry relations department and the company's corporate ethics and compliance group.
Latrenta, who began his career with MetLife in 1969 as a trainee in the company's Personal Life Insurance Administration Department, had been serving as Senior Chief Counsel, overseeing legal matters for MetLife's U.S. and international businesses since March 2007. Previously, he had been Chief Counsel for the company's Institutional Business and had held several other positions with the company.
The press release announcing the promotion can be found here.
Staff Contact - Sean McKennaUpdate on Jim Kleen
Jim Kleen, Administrator of the Oregon Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association, has asked NOLHGA to pass on his sincere appreciation for all the cards, thoughts, prayers, flowers, gift baskets, etc., he has received since his accident. He says they are truly helping him get through his rehabilitation.
Jim was recently moved to a rehabilitation center, and he said he would enjoy hearing from members of the guaranty community. He can be reached at:
Jim Kleen
Patient
Evergreen Windsor
820 Cottage Street, NE
Salem, OR 97301
GA Contact Info
The office of the Virginia Life, Accident & Sickness Insurance Guaranty Association has moved to a new suite (#235) in the same building. All other contact information for the association (see below) remains the same:
Virginia Life, Accident & Sickness Insurance Guaranty Association
c/o APM Management Services, Inc.
8001 Franklin Farms Drive, Suite 235
Richmond, VA 23229
Phone: 804.282.2240
Fax: 804.282.1816