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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation
Basis of Presentation
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). Amounts are presented in United States of America ("U.S.") dollars and all amounts are in thousands, except for number of shares, per share amounts, number of securities in an unrealized loss position and number of loans.
Use of Estimates
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities. The items on the Company's balance sheets affected by the use of estimates include but are not limited to, investments, premiums and accounts receivable, reinsurance recoverables, deferred acquisition costs ("DAC"), deferred income taxes and associated valuation allowances, goodwill, future policy benefits and expenses, unearned premiums, claims and benefits payable, deferred gain on disposal of businesses, and commitments and contingencies. The estimates are sensitive to market conditions, investment yields, mortality, morbidity, commissions and other acquisition expenses, policyholder behavior and other factors. Actual results could differ from the estimates recorded. The Company believes all amounts reported are reasonable and adequate.
Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Comprehensive income (loss) is comprised of net income, net unrealized gains and losses on securities classified as available for sale and net unrealized gains and losses on other-than-temporarily impaired securities, less deferred income taxes.
Fair Value
Fair Value
The Company uses an exit price for its fair value measurements. An exit price is defined as the amount received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. In measuring fair value, the Company gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs. See Note 5 for further information.
Investments
Investments
Fixed maturity and equity securities are classified as available for sale, as defined in the investments guidance, and reported at fair value. If the fair value is higher than the amortized cost for fixed maturity securities or the cost for equity securities, the excess is an unrealized gain; and, if lower than cost, the difference is an unrealized loss. Net unrealized gains and losses on securities classified as available for sale, less deferred income taxes, are included in accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”).
Commercial mortgage loans on real estate are reported at unpaid balances, adjusted for amortization of premium or discount, less allowance for losses. The allowance is based on management’s analysis of factors including actual loan loss experience, specific events based on geographical, political or economic conditions, industry experience, loan groupings that have probable and estimable losses and individually impaired loan loss analysis. A loan is considered individually impaired when it becomes probable the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due, including principal and interest, according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. Indicative factors of impairment include, but are not limited to, whether the loan is current, the value of the collateral and the financial position of the borrower. If a loan is individually impaired, the Company uses one of the following valuation methods based on the individual loan’s facts and circumstances to measure the impairment amount: (1) the present value of expected future cash flows, (2) the loan's observable market price, or (3) the fair value of collateral. Changes in the allowance for loan losses are recorded in net realized losses on investments, excluding other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”) losses.
The Company places loans on non-accrual status after 90 days of delinquent payments (unless the loans are both well secured and in the process of collection). A loan may be placed on non-accrual status before this time if information is available that suggests its impairment is probable.
Policy loans are reported at unpaid principal balances, which do not exceed the cash surrender value of the underlying policies.
Short-term investments include money market funds and short maturity investments. These amounts are reported at cost, which approximates fair value.
Other investments consist primarily of investments in Certified Capital Companies ("CAPCOs"). The Company's CAPCOs consist of debt instruments that are recorded at amortized cost, which approximates fair value.
The Company monitors its investment portfolio to identify investments that may be other-than-temporarily impaired. In addition, securities, aggregated by issuer, whose market price is equal to 80% or less of their original purchase price or which had a discrete credit event resulting in the debtor defaulting or seeking bankruptcy protection are added to a potential write-down list, which is discussed at quarterly meetings attended by members of the Company's investment, accounting and finance departments. See Note 4 for further information.
Realized gains and losses on sales of investments are recognized on the specific identification basis.
Investment income is recorded as earned and reported net of investment expenses. The Company uses the interest method to recognize interest income on its commercial mortgage loans.
The Company anticipates prepayments of principal in the calculation of the effective yield for mortgage-backed securities and structured securities. The retrospective method is used to adjust the effective yield.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers cash on hand, all operating cash and working capital cash to be cash equivalents. These amounts are carried at cost, which approximates fair value. Cash balances are reviewed at the end of each reporting period to determine if negative cash balances exist. If negative cash balances do exist, the cash accounts are netted with other positive cash accounts of the same bank provided the right of offset exists between the accounts. If the right of offset does not exist, the negative cash balances are reclassified to accounts payable.
Uncollectible Receivable Balance
Uncollectible Receivable Balance
The Company maintains allowances for doubtful accounts for probable losses resulting from the inability to collect payments.
Reinsurance
Reinsurance
Reinsurance recoverables include amounts related to paid benefits and estimated amounts related to unpaid policy and contract claims, future policyholder benefits and policyholder contract deposits. The cost of reinsurance is recognized over the terms of the underlying reinsured policies using assumptions consistent with those used to account for the policies. Amounts recoverable from reinsurers are estimated in a manner consistent with claim and claim adjustment expense reserves or future policy benefits reserves and are reported in the balance sheets. The cost of reinsurance related to long-duration contracts is recognized over the life of the underlying reinsured policies. The ceding of insurance does not discharge the Company’s primary liability to insureds, thus a credit exposure exists to the extent that any reinsurer is unable to meet the obligation assumed in the reinsurance agreements. To mitigate this exposure to reinsurance insolvencies, the Company evaluates the financial condition of its reinsurers and holds collateral (in the form of funds withheld, trusts, and letters of credit) as security under the reinsurance agreements. An allowance for doubtful accounts is recorded on the basis of periodic evaluations of balances due from reinsurers (net of collateral), reinsurer solvency, management’s experience and current economic conditions.
Funds withheld under reinsurance represent amounts contractually held from assuming companies in accordance with reinsurance agreements.
Reinsurance premiums assumed are calculated based upon payments received from ceding companies together with accrual estimates, which are based on both payments received and in force policy information received from ceding companies. Any subsequent differences arising on such estimates are recorded in the period in which they are determined.
Income Taxes
Income Taxes
The Company reports its taxable income in a consolidated federal income tax return along with other affiliated subsidiaries of the Parent. Income tax expense or benefit is allocated among the affiliated subsidiaries by applying corporate income tax rates to taxable income or loss determined on a separate return basis according to a tax allocation agreement. Entities with losses record current tax benefits to the extent such losses are recognized in the consolidated federal tax return.
Current federal income taxes are recognized based upon amounts estimated to be payable or recoverable as a result of taxable operations for the current year. Deferred income taxes are recorded for temporary differences between the financial reporting basis and income tax basis of assets and liabilities, based on enacted tax laws and statutory tax rates applicable to the periods in which the Company expects the temporary differences to reverse. A valuation allowance is established for deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that an amount will not be realized.
The Company classifies net interest expense related to tax matters and any applicable penalties as a component of income tax expense.
Other Assets
Other Assets
Other assets primarily include prepaid items, goodwill, deferred acquisition costs and held for sale assets. See Note 3 for further information on held for sale assets.
Only direct incremental costs associated with the successful acquisition of new or renewal insurance contracts are deferred to the extent that such costs are deemed recoverable from future premiums or gross profits.
Goodwill represents the excess of acquisition costs over the net fair value of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination. Goodwill is deemed to have an indefinite life and is not amortized, but rather is tested at least annually for impairment. The Company reviews goodwill annually in the fourth quarter for impairment, or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. The Company regularly assesses whether any indicators of impairment exist. Such indicators include, but are not limited to: significant adverse change in legal factors, adverse action or assessment by a regulator, unanticipated competition, loss of key personnel, or a significant decline in expected future cash flows due to changes in company-specific factors or the broader business climate. In the 2015 and 2014 annual goodwill tests, we concluded that the estimated fair value exceeded its respective book value and therefore goodwill was not impaired.
Amortization expense is included in underwriting, general and administrative expenses in the statement of operations.
Separate Accounts
Separate Accounts
Assets and liabilities associated with separate accounts relate to considerations for variable annuity products for which the contract-holder, rather than the Company, bears the investment risk. Separate account assets (with matching liabilities) are reported at fair value. Revenues and expenses related to the separate account assets and liabilities, to the extent of benefits paid or provided to the separate account policyholders, are excluded from the amounts reported in the accompanying statements of operations because the accounts are administered by reinsurers.
Reserves
Reserves
Reserves are established in accordance with GAAP, using generally accepted actuarial methods. Factors used in their calculation include experience derived from historical claim payments and actuarial assumptions. Such assumptions and other factors include trends, the incidence of incurred claims, the extent to which all claims have been reported, and internal claims processing charges. The process used in computing reserves cannot be exact, particularly for liability coverage, since actual claim costs are dependent upon such complex factors as inflation, changes in doctrines of legal liabilities and damage awards. The methods of making such estimates and establishing the related liabilities are periodically reviewed and updated.
Reserves do not represent an exact calculation of exposure, but instead represent our best estimates of what we expect the ultimate settlement and administration of a claim or group of claims will cost based on facts and circumstances known at the time of calculation. The adequacy of reserves may be impacted by future trends in claims severity, frequency, judicial theories of liability and other factors. These variables are affected by both external and internal events, including but not limited to: changes in the economic cycle, changes in the social perception of the value of work, emerging medical perceptions regarding physiological or psychological causes of disability, emerging health issues and new methods of treatment or accommodation, inflation, judicial trends, legislative changes and claims handling procedures.
Many of these items are not directly quantifiable. Reserve estimates are refined as experience develops. Adjustments to reserves, both positive and negative, are reflected in the statement of operations of the period in which such estimates are updated. Because establishment of reserves is an inherently uncertain process involving estimates of future losses, there can be no certainty that ultimate losses will not exceed existing claims reserves. Future loss development could require reserves to be increased, which could have a material adverse effect on our earnings in the periods in which such increases are made. However, based on information currently available, we believe our reserve estimates are adequate.
Long Duration Contracts
The Company’s long duration contracts primarily include traditional life insurance policies no longer offered and policies disposed of via reinsurance (FFG and LTC contracts).
Future policy benefits and expense reserves for LTC and the traditional life insurance contracts no longer offered, are equal to the present value of future benefits to policyholders plus related expenses less the present value of the future net premiums. These amounts are estimated based on assumptions as to the expected investment yield, inflation, mortality, morbidity and withdrawal rates as well as other assumptions that are based on the Company’s experience. These assumptions reflect anticipated trends and include provisions for possible unfavorable deviations.
Risks related to the reserves recorded for policies under FFG, LTC and life insurance no longer offered have been 100% ceded via reinsurance. While the Company has not been released from the contractual obligation to the policyholders, changes in and deviations from economic mortality, morbidity, and expense assumptions used in the calculation of these reserves will not directly affect our results of operations unless there is a default by the assuming reinsurer.
Changes in the estimated liabilities are reported as a charge or credit to policyholder benefits as the estimates are revised
Short Duration Contracts
The Company’s short duration contracts include group term life contracts, group disability contracts, medical contracts, dental contracts, vision contracts and credit life and disability contracts. For short duration contracts, claims and benefits payable reserves are recorded when insured events occur. The liability is based on the expected ultimate cost of settling the claims. The claims and benefits payable reserves include: (1) case reserves for known but unpaid claims as of the balance sheet date; (2) incurred but not reported (“IBNR”) reserves for claims where the insured event has occurred but has not been reported to the Company as of the balance sheet date; and (3) loss adjustment expense reserves for the expected handling costs of settling the claims.
For group disability, the case reserves and the IBNR reserves are recorded at an amount equal to the net present value of the expected future claims payments. Group long-term disability and group term life waiver of premiums reserves are discounted to the valuation date at the valuation interest rate. The valuation interest rate is reviewed quarterly by taking into consideration actual and expected earned rates on our asset portfolio. Group long-term disability and group term life reserve adequacy studies are performed annually, and morbidity and mortality assumptions are adjusted where appropriate.
Changes in the estimated liabilities are recorded as a charge or credit to policyholder benefits as estimates are revised.
Deferred Gain on Disposal of Businesses
Deferred Gain on Disposal of Businesses
On March 1, 2000, the Company sold its LTC business using a coinsurance contract. On April 2, 2001, the Company sold its FFG business using coinsurance and a modified coinsurance contract. Since the form of sale did not discharge the Company's primary liability to the insureds, the gain on these disposals was deferred and reported as a liability. The liability is decreased and recognized as revenue over the estimated life of the contracts' terms. The Company reviews and evaluates the estimates affecting the deferred gain on disposal of businesses annually or when significant information affecting the estimates becomes known to the Company, and adjusts the revenue accordingly.
Premiums
Premiums
Long Duration Contracts
Premiums for LTC insurance and life insurance contracts no longer offered are recognized as revenue when due from the policyholder. For investment-type annuity contracts within FFG, revenues consist of charges assessed against policy balances. For the FFG and LTC businesses previously sold and life insurance contracts no longer offered, all revenue is ceded.
Short Duration Contracts
The Company’s short duration contracts revenue is recognized over the contract term in proportion to the amount of insurance protection provided. The Company’s short duration contracts primarily include group term life, group disability, dental, vision and credit life and disability.
Total Other-Than-Temporary Impairment Losses
Total Other-Than-Temporary Impairment Losses
For debt securities with credit losses and non-credit losses or gains, total OTTI losses is the total of the decline in fair value from either the most recent OTTI determination or a prior period end in which the fair value declined until the current period end valuation date. This amount does not include any securities that had fair value increases. For equity securities and debt securities that the Company has the intent to sell or if it is more likely than not that it will be required to sell for equity securities that have an OTTI or for debt securities if there are only credit losses, total other-than-temporary impairment losses is the total amount by which the fair value of the security is less than its amortized cost basis at the period end valuation date and the decline in fair value is deemed to be other-than-temporary.
Fees and Other Income
Fees and Other Income
The Company derives fees and other income from providing administrative services. These fees are recognized monthly when services are performed.
Underwriting, General and Administrative Expenses
Underwriting, General and Administrative Expenses
Underwriting, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of commissions, premium taxes, licenses, fees, salaries and personnel benefits and other general operating expenses.
Leases
Leases
The Company records expenses for operating leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
Contingencies
Contingencies
The Company evaluates each contingent matter separately. A loss contingency is recorded if reasonably estimable and probable. The Company establishes reserves for these contingencies at the best estimate, or if no one estimated number within the range of possible losses is more probable than any other, the Company records an estimated reserve at the low end of the estimated range. Contingencies affecting the Company primarily relate to litigation matters which are inherently difficult to evaluate and are subject to significant changes. The Company believes the contingent amounts recorded are reasonable.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements - Adopted and Not Yet Adopted
Recent Accounting Pronouncements — Adopted
On January 1, 2014, the Company adopted the new guidance on presentation of an unrecognized tax benefit when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists. The amendments in this guidance state that an unrecognized tax benefit, or a portion thereof, should be presented in the financial statements as a reduction to a deferred tax asset for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward. An exception to this guidance would be where a net operating loss carryforward or similar tax loss or credit carryforward would not be available under the tax law to settle any additional income taxes that would result from the disallowance of a tax position, or the tax law does not require the entity to use, and the entity does not intend to use, the deferred tax asset for such purpose. In such a case, the unrecognized tax benefit should be presented in the financial statements as a liability and should not be combined with deferred tax assets. The adoption of this new presentation guidance did not impact the Company's financial position or results of operations.
On January 1, 2014, the Company adopted the other expenses guidance that addresses how health insurers should recognize and classify in their statements of operations fees mandated by the Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act imposes an annual fee on health insurers for each calendar year beginning on or after January 1, 2014. The amendments specify that the liability for the fee should be estimated and recorded in full once the entity provides qualifying health insurance in the applicable calendar year in which the fee is payable with a corresponding deferred cost that is amortized to expense ratably over the calendar year during which it is payable. For the calendar years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company ratably recorded $165 and $146 in underwriting, general and administrative expenses in the statements of operations, and paid, in full, the final assessment during the third quarter of 2015.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements — Not Yet Adopted
In January 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued amended guidance on the measurement and classification of financial instruments. This amended guidance requires that all equity investments be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized through net income (other than those accounted for under equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the investee). The amendments also require an entity to present separately in other comprehensive income the portion of the total change in the fair value of a liability resulting from a change in the instrument-specific credit risk when the fair value option has been elected for financial liabilities. The amendments eliminate the requirement to disclose the methods and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value for financial instruments measured at amortized cost, however public business entities will be required to use the exit price when measuring the fair value of financial instruments measured at amortized cost for disclosure purposes. In addition, the new guidance requires financial assets and financial liabilities to be presented separately in the notes to the financial statements, grouped by measurement category and form of financial asset. The amended guidance is effective in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Therefore, the Company is required to adopt the guidance on January 1, 2018. For the provision related to presentation of financial liabilities, early adoption is permitted for financial statements that have not been previously issued. The Company is evaluating the requirements of this amended measurement and classification of financial instruments guidance and the potential impact on the Company’s financial position and results of operations.
In February 2015, the FASB issued new consolidation guidance that affects reporting entities that are required to evaluate whether they should consolidate certain legal entities. All legal entities are subject to reevaluation under the revised consolidation model. The new guidance eliminates specialized guidance for limited partnerships and similar legal entities, and removes the indefinite deferral for certain investment funds. The new guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. Therefore, the Company is required to adopt the guidance on January 1, 2016. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. The new guidance may be applied retrospectively or through a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the year of adoption. The Company does not expect the adoption of this new consolidation guidance to have an impact on the Company’s financial position and results of operations.
In May 2014, the FASB issued amended guidance on revenue recognition. The amended guidance affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards. Insurance contracts are within the scope of other standards and therefore are specifically excluded from the scope of the amended revenue recognition guidance. The core principle of the amended guidance is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve the core principle, the entity applies a five step process outlined in the amended guidance. The amended guidance also includes a cohesive set of disclosure requirements. In August 2015, the FASB issued guidance to defer the effective date of the revenue recognition guidance. The amended guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and earlier application is permitted only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. Therefore, the Company is required to adopt the guidance on January 1, 2018. An entity can choose to apply the amended guidance using either the full retrospective approach or a modified retrospective approach. The Company is evaluating the requirements of the revenue recognition guidance as it relates to its non-insurance contract revenue and the potential impact on the Company’s financial position and results of operations.