EREG 2015 UPDATE BRI AN GAUDI OSE- CHAI R OF THE PLWG VI RGI NIA DEPUTY COMMI SSI ONER OF I NSURANCE AGENT REGULATI ON OBJECTIVES 1. Recognize the Producer Licensing (EX) Working Group 2015 Charges 2. Changes to the State Licensing Handbook Chapter 8 – Testing Programs 3. Producer Licensing (EX) Working Group’s work on Adjuster Licensing CHARGE • 1. Monitor the implementation of the Uniform Licensing Standards for best practices in examination development and delivery of education materials for pre-licensing education to ensure the timely review and updates of exam materials to test the qualifications for an entry-level position as a producer.—Essential ACTIVITY-CHANGES TO THE HANDBOOK CHAPTER 8 TESTING PROGRAM-PAGES 38&44 • Pass Rates are to be published for 2014 and this should be on ongoing function for the PLWG. • • At least annually, reports regarding exam pass rates, candidate demographics when collected and number of exams administered should be made available to the public. Reports should include first-time pass rates and average scoring by subject area. Whenever possible, the reports should be available by education provider and provided to them. • • A state advisory committee consisting of regulators, subject matter experts and the industry, including, recently licensed producers, should annually work with the testing vendor to review the questions on each examination form for substantive and psychometric requirements.. ACTIVITY-CHANGES TO THE HANDBOOK CHAPTER 8 TESTING PROGRAM-PAGES 38&44 • Generally, items should be reviewed to see if they are inaccurate or unclear, test subject matter that is beyond entry-level, are up-to-date with current law and are properly constructed. In conducting exam reviews, committees should prioritize reviewing those items that exhibit unsatisfactory psychometric properties, such as very high or low p-values, disparities by demographic or items that are frequently missed due to their difficulty. If, during any other time of the year, any examination results exhibit significant unexplained deviations, the examination should be reviewed CHARGE • 2. Continue to provide oversight and ongoing updates, as needed, to the State Licensing Handbook.—Essential • Activity- A lot. The handbook is our focus for the second year in a row. We are in the process of reviewing all the chapters to make sure it is relevant and update that is due beack by May 15, 2015 CHARGE • 3. Provide updated reciprocity guidelines and ongoing maintenance and review of uniform application forms for continuing education providers and the state review and approval of courses.—Important ACTIVITY-CHANGES TO THE HANDBOOK • • • • • • • • • • Course Guidelines for Classroom Webinar/Webcast Delivery Adopted by the Producer Licensing (EX) Working Group Apr. 27, 2014 These guidelines are intended to apply to courses conducted and viewed in real time (live) in all locations and are not intended to apply when courses have been recorded and are viewed at a later time or to other online courses. Each student will be required to log in to the webinar using a distinct username, password and/or email. Students that view webinars in group settings which is two or more individuals should alternatively verify their participation in the form of sign-in and sign-out sheets submitted by a monitor with an attestation or verification code. The provider will verify the identity and license number, or National Producer Number (NPN), of all students. A provider representative, using computer-based attendancemonitoring technology, must monitor attendance throughout the course. ACTIVITY-CHANGES TO THE HANDBOOK • • • • • • • • • The provider must have a process to determine when a participant is inactive or not fully participating, such as when the screen is minimized, or the participant does not answer the polling questions and/or verification codes. For webinars not given in a group setting, no less than two polling questions and/or attendance verification codes must be asked, with appropriate response provided, at unannounced intervals during each one-hour webinar session to determine participant attentiveness. The provider will maintain an electronic roster to include records for each participant’s log-in/log-out times. If required by states chat history and polling responses should be captured as part of the electronic record. When a student is deemed inactive or not fully participating in the course by the course monitor of failure to enter appropriate polling question response or verification codes, continuing education (CE) credit is denied. ACTIVITY-CHANGES TO THE HANDBOOK • • • • • • • • • • • All students and the instructor do not need to be in the same location. Students in all locations must be able to interact in real time with the instructor. Students should be able to submit questions or comments at any point during the webinar session. The course pace must be set by the instructor and does not allow for independent completion. Instruction time is considered the amount of time devoted to the actual course instruction and does not include breaks, lunch, dinner or introductions of speakers. One credit will be awarded for each 50 minutes of webinar/webcast instruction, and the minimum number of credits that will be awarded for webinar/webcast courses is one credit The provider must have a procedure that informs each student in advance of course participation requirements and consequences for failing to actively participate in the course. A comprehensive final examination is not required. ACTIVITY-CHANGES TO THE HANDBOOK • Continuing Education Recommendation for online course – passed by the PLWG and PLTF on March 29 2015 CHARGE • 4. Coordinate through NAIC staff and provide guidance to NIPR on producer licensing related electronic initiatives, such as email address and phone number changes.—Essential. • Well we continue to work closely with NIPR to solve issues as they come up CHARGE • 5. Coordinate with NAIC parent committees and working groups to review and provide recommendations on any new producer training requirements or continuing education requirements that are included in NAIC model acts, regulations and/or standards.—Essential • Last year we looked at contingent annuities and found no real need to add any new training CHARGE • 6. Monitor state implementation of adjuster licensing reciprocity and develop minimum adjuster licensing standards to ensure appropriate consumer protections are in place with the implementation of the use of “Designated Home State.”—Essential ACTIVITY-CHANGES TO THE HANDBOOK • NAIC EMERGENCY INDEPENDENT ADJUSTER • RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES AND BEST PRACTICES FOR REGULATORS • 1. Adopt Section 5 and other provisions in the Independent Adjuster Guidelines to ensure • consistency with standards and requirements. • 2. License/Registration Qualification – requiring the individual to be licensed in their home state • or a designated home state that has testing, fingerprinting and continuing education • requirements. • 3. Create an electronic filing process for emergency/catastrophic adjusters.(A state may consider • utilizing NIPR by updating state business rules to allow for these types/classes of licenses or • registrations or by contract with a third party vendor. • 4. Submit Emergency Adjuster information to the NAIC Producer Database (PDB). This may • occur by reviewing and updating your state specific business rules on file with the National • Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). ACTIVITY-CHANGES TO THE HANDBOOK • 5. Ensure that the automated notification process is off site and preferably out of state so if the • emergency occurs locally, adequate resources are available to respond and issue approval to the • adjusters. • 6. Develop NAIC Uniform Emergency Adjuster applications/registrations consistent with the • adopted Guidelines. Until such time the application/registration is developed, use the NAIC • Uniform Adjuster Application for individuals and business entities. • 7. Work with state officials responsible for oversight of emergency situations to coordinate its • activities to determine if any other credentials (such as photo ID or badge) are required. • 8. If fingerprinting is not required in your state, inquire of the company represented whether a • background check was performed or an alternative method for meaningful background check • occurred. ACTIVITY-CHANGES TO THE HANDBOOK • 9. Individuals wishing to access an emergency area must determine who the “incident • commander” is in order to request and obtain permission to enter the scene. This person will • determine who can access an area for purposes of adjusting no matter what part of the country • you are in, including federal or tribal lands and across state borders or countries (i.e. Canada). • The incident commander is responsible for the safety of all concerned and for the integrity of • the scene so is the ultimate authority for access to an emergency area. • 10. Coordinate with other states or jurisdictions when the catastrophe involves multiple • states/jurisdictions. 2 • 11.9. Establish a one-time fee (if applicable) for a specified time period and not per disaster. CHARGE • 7. Monitor and assess the state implementation of the Uniform Producer Licensing Standards and report to the Task Force regarding the state implementation.—Essential • Appointment discussion
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