Note 17. Dividend Payment Restrictions and Statutory Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Notes

Note 17. Dividend Payment Restrictions and Statutory Information

Note 17.          Dividend Payment Restrictions and Statutory Information

Our insurance subsidiaries are restricted by state laws and regulations as to the amount of dividends they may pay to their parent without regulatory approval in any year. Any dividends in excess of limits are deemed “extraordinary” and require approval. Based on statutory results as of December 31, 2016, in accordance with applicable dividend restrictions, our insurance subsidiaries could pay dividends of approximately $24,801,000 in 2017 without obtaining regulatory approval. There are no regulatory restrictions on the ability of our holding company, IHC, to pay dividends. Under Delaware law, IHC is permitted to pay dividends from surplus or net profits for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding fiscal year. Dividends to shareholders are paid from funds available at the corporate holding company level.

In December 2016, regulatory approvals were received for the following “extraordinary” dividend payments: (i) Madison National Life declared and paid an “extraordinary” dividend in the amount of $10,546,000 to its parent; and (ii) Standard Security Life declared and paid an “extraordinary” dividend in the amount of $60,000,000 to its parent.

Non-“extraordinary” dividend payments were as follows:  (i) Madison National Life declared and paid cash dividends of $5,290,000, $4,600,000 and $4,000,000 to its parent in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively; (ii) Standard Security Life declared and paid dividends of $12,500,000, $6,000,000 and $6,000,000 to its parent in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively; and (iii) Independence American did not declare or pay dividends to its parent in 2016, 2015 or 2014. IHC declared cash dividends of $1,800,000 in 2016, $1,562,000 in 2015 and $1,223,000 in 2014.

The Company’s insurance subsidiaries are required to prepare statutory financial statements in accordance with statutory accounting practices prescribed or permitted by the insurance department of their state of domicile. Statutory accounting practices differ from U.S. GAAP in several respects causing differences in reported net income and stockholder’s equity. The Company’s insurance subsidiaries have no permitted accounting practices, which encompass all accounting practices not so prescribed that have been specifically allowed by the state insurance authorities.

The statutory net income and statutory capital and surplus for each of the Company’s insurance subsidiaries are as follows for the periods indicated (in thousands):

		Years Ended December 31,
		2016		2015		2014
Statutory net income:
Madison National Life	$	(1,615)	$	20,326	$	9,876
Standard Security Life		(10,480)		13,198		12,074
Independence American		4,048		2,960		3,127

		December 31,
		2016		2015
Statutory capital and surplus:
Madison National Life	$	178,978	$	116,652
Standard Security Life		70,620		125,070
Independence American		66,812		63,412

The insurance subsidiaries are also required to maintain certain minimum amounts of statutory surplus to satisfy their various state insurance departments of domicile. Risk-based capital (“RBC”) requirements are designed to assess capital adequacy and to raise the level of protection that statutory surplus provides for policyholders. At December 31, 2016 and 2015, the statutory capital of our insurance subsidiaries is significantly in excess of their regulatory RBC requirements.