Method and apparatus for performing assessments

• US 7,720,698 B1
• Filed: 07/13/2001
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Guaranty Fund Management Services
• Original Assignee: Guaranty Fund Management Services
• Inventors: Anderson, Karen, Angelone, Linda, Winskowicz, James, Amigo, Denise, Gulko, Paul, Lavin, Kathleen
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel; Vanel
• Application Number:
  US09/905,772
• Time in Patent Office: 3,231 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4, 705/36
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28035 the final conductor layer next to the insulator being silicon, e.g. polysilicon, with or without impurities H01L21/28105 takes precedence

Abstract

Described are techniques used in connection with providing insolvency services in connection with guaranty funds, such as property and casualty guaranty funds, upon the occurrence of an insurance company insolvency. A client/server system provides for creating and maintaining a database of state and insurance company member information. Operations, such as calculations, are performed in accordance with different rules that are associated with varying state laws and rules that may vary with insurance account. A range of functions are performed by the system including report generation, unearned premium calculations, assessment calculation, claim entry and management, administrative tasks, and other related operations. The system which provides services and operations in connection with managing insolvency funds may interact with other applications and systems, such as an accounting system, word processing system, and the like by generating data used as input in these other systems. Also described is a database schema representing a relationship between the different data entities that may be stored in a database in connection with performing insolvency operations.

Claims

1. A method for performing an assessment comprising:

determining with a triggering system in a computer device when an assessment of at least one insolvency fund associated with a plurality of insurers is needed based on one or more triggers;

performing with an assessment processing system in the computer device the assessment of the at least one insolvency fund based on one or more factors when the determining determines the assessment is needed;

allocating with the assessment processing system in the computer device a member assessment amount to each of the plurality of insurers based on the performed assessment; and

providing with a communication system in the computer device notification of the allocated member assessment amount to each of the plurality of insurers.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the one or more triggers comprise an insolvency of at least one of the plurality of insurers, a size of an insolvency of at least one of the plurality of insurers above an insolvency amount threshold, a current total amount in the at least one insolvency fund below a threshold amount, and an expiration of a first set period of time.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the insolvency amount threshold comprises an amount needed to play existing claims.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the allocating with the assessment processing system in the computer device the member assessment amount further comprising:

determining with the assessment processing system a member ratio for the allocating the member assessment amount to each of the plurality of insurers; and

applying with the assessment processing system each of the determined member ratios to a gross assessment amount obtained from the performed assessment to obtain the member assessment amount for each of the plurality of insurers.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the one or more factors comprise at least one of one or more state rules and one or more state statutes relating to an insurance insolvency.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving with the communication system in the computer device approval of the allocated member assessment amounts from each of the plurality of insurers; and

finalizing with the assessment processing system in the computer device the allocated member assessment amounts based on the received approval.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving with the communication system in the computer device at least one of new data and adjusted data relating to at least one of the performing the assessment and the allocating the assessment; and

adjusting with the assessment processing system in the computer device the allocating the member assessment amount for at least one of the plurality of insurers based on the at least one of new data and adjusted data.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the adjusting further comprises:

recalculating with the assessment processing system in the computer device at least one new member ratio for allocating to at least one of the plurality of insurers; and

applying with the assessment processing system in the computer device the at least one new determined member ratio to a gross assessment amount obtained from the performed assessment to obtain the member assessment amount for at least one of the plurality of insurers.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprises:

receiving with the communication system in the computer device a reversal notification from at least one of the plurality of insurers; and

reinstating with the assessment processing system in the computer device the prior member assessment amount to each of the plurality of insurers in response to the received reversal notification.

10. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for performing an assessment comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to perform steps comprising:

determining when an assessment of at least one insolvency fund associated with a plurality of insurers is needed based on one or more triggers;

performing the assessment of the at least one insolvency fund based on one or more factors when the determining determines the assessment is needed;

allocating a member assessment amount to each of the plurality of insurers based on the performed assessment; and

providing notification of the allocated member assessment amount to each of the plurality of insurers.

11. The medium as set forth in claim 10 wherein the one or more triggers comprise an insolvency of at least one of the plurality of insurers, a size of an insolvency of at least one of the plurality of insurers above an insolvency amount threshold, a current total amount in the at least one insolvency fund below a threshold amount, and an expiration of a first set period of time.

12. The medium as set forth in claim 11 wherein the insolvency amount threshold comprises an amount needed to play existing claims.

13. The medium as set forth in claim 10 wherein the allocating the member assessment amount further comprising:

determining a member ratio for the allocating the member assessment amount to each of the plurality of insurers; and

applying each of the determined member ratios to a gross assessment amount obtained from the performed assessment to obtain the member assessment amount for each of the plurality of insurers.

14. The medium as set forth in claim 10 wherein the one or more factors comprise at least one of one or more state rules and one or more state statutes relating to an insurance insolvency.

15. The medium as set forth in claim 10 further comprising:

receiving approval of the allocated member assessment amounts from each of the plurality of insurers; and

finalizing the allocated member assessment amounts based on the received approval.

16. The medium as set forth in claim 10 further comprising:

receiving at least one of new data and adjusted data relating to at least one of the performing the assessment and the allocating the assessment; and

adjusting the allocating the member assessment amount for at least one of the plurality of insurers based on the at least one of new data and adjusted data.

17. The medium as set forth in claim 16 wherein the adjusting further comprises:

recalculating at least one new member ratio for allocating to at least one of the plurality of insurers; and

applying the at least one new determined member ratio to a gross assessment amount obtained from the performed assessment to obtain the member assessment amount for at least one of the plurality of insurers.

18. The medium as set forth in claim 10 further comprising:

receiving a reversal notification from at least one of the plurality of insurers; and

reinstating the prior member assessment amount to each of the plurality of insurers in response to the received reversal notification.

19. A system comprising:

a triggering system that determines when an assessment of at least one insolvency fund associated with a plurality of insurers is needed based on one or more triggers;

an assessment processing system that performs the assessment of the at least one insolvency fund based on one or more factors when the determining determines the assessment is needed and allocates a member assessment amount to each of the plurality of insurers based on the performed assessment; and

a communication system that provides notification of the allocated member assessment amount to each of the plurality of insurers.

20. The system as set forth in claim 19 wherein the one or more triggers comprise an insolvency of at least one of the plurality of insurers, a size of an insolvency of at least one of the plurality of insurers above an insolvency amount threshold, a current total amount in the at least one insolvency fund below a threshold amount, and an expiration of a first set period of time.

21. The system as set forth in claim 20 wherein the insolvency amount threshold comprises an amount needed to play existing claims.

22. The system as set forth in claim 19 wherein the assessment processing determines a member ratio for the allocating the member assessment amount to each of the plurality of insurers and applies each of the determined member ratios to a gross assessment amount obtained from the performed assessment to obtain the member assessment amount for each of the plurality of insurers.

23. The system as set forth in claim 19 wherein the one or more factors comprise at least one of one or more state rules and one or more state statutes relating to an insurance insolvency.

24. The system as set forth in claim 19 wherein the communication system receives approval of the allocated member assessment amounts from each of the plurality of insurers and the assessment processing system finalizes the allocated member assessment amounts based on the received approval.

25. The system as set forth in claim 19 wherein the communication system receives at least one of new data and adjusted data relating to at least one of the performing the assessment and the allocating the assessment and the assessment processing system adjusts the allocating of the member assessment amount for at least one of the plurality of insurers based on the at least one of new data and adjusted data.

26. The system as set forth in claim 19 wherein the assessment processing system recalculates at least one new member ratio for allocating to at least one of the plurality of insurers and applies the at least one new determined member ratio to a gross assessment amount obtained from the performed assessment to obtain the member assessment amount for at least one of the plurality of insurers.

27. The system as set forth in claim 19 wherein the communication system receives a reversal notification from at least one of the plurality of insurers and the assessment processing system reinstates the prior member assessment amount to each of the plurality of insurers in response to the received reversal notification.