Standard Provisions for Annuity Contracts

  1. Law
  2. Georgia Code
  3. Insurance
  4. Annuity and Pure Endowment Contracts
  5. Standard Provisions for Annuity Contracts

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  1. No annuity, reversionary annuity, or pure endowment contract, other than group annuities and except as stated in this Code section, shall be delivered or issued for delivery in this state unless it contains in substance each of the provisions specified in subsection (b) of this Code section or contains provisions which in the opinion of the Commissioner are more favorable to contract holders. Any of the provisions not applicable to single premium annuities or single premium pure endowment contracts shall not, to that extent, be incorporated in the policy. This Code section shall not apply to contracts for deferred annuities included in or upon the lives of beneficiaries under life insurance policies.
    1. GRACE PERIOD. A provision that there shall be a grace period of not less than 30 days within which any stipulated payment to the insurer falling due after the first may be made during which grace period the contract shall continue in force but, if a claim arises under the contract during the period of grace, the amount of the payments may be deducted from any amount payable under the contract in settlement except that, in the case of reversionary annuities, the insurer may at its option provide for an equitable reduction of the amount of the annuity payments in settlement of an overdue or deferred payment in lieu of providing for deduction of such payments from an amount payable upon settlement under the contract.
    2. INCONTESTABILITY. A provision that the contract shall be incontestable after it has been in force for a period of two years from its date of issue during the life of the person or of each of the persons upon whose life or lives the contract is made except for nonpayment of stipulated payments to the insurer. Provisions relating to benefits in the event of total and permanent disability and provisions which grant additional insurance specifically against death by accident or accidental means may also be excepted.
    3. ENTIRE CONTRACT. A provision that if any reference is made to the application for the contract or to the constitution, bylaws, or the rules of the insurer as forming part of or as affecting the contract between the parties there shall be included in or attached to the contract, when issued, a correct copy of the application signed by the applicant and of the constitution, bylaws, and rules referred to.
    4. MISSTATEMENT OF AGE OR SEX. A provision that if the age or sex of the person or persons upon whose life or lives the contract is made, or of any of them, has been misstated, the amount payable or benefits accruing under the contract shall be such as the stipulated payment or payments to the insurer would have purchased according to the correct age or sex; and that if the insurer shall make or has made any overpayment or overpayments on account of any such misstatement, the amount of the overpayment or overpayments with interest at the rate to be specified in the contract, but not exceeding 6 percent per annum, may be charged against the current or next succeeding payment or payments to be made by the insurer under the contract.
    5. DIVIDENDS. If the contract is participating, there shall be a provision that beginning not later than the end of the third contract year the insurer shall annually ascertain and apportion any divisible surplus accruing on the contract.
    6. REINSTATEMENT. A provision that the contract may be reinstated at any time within one year from the default in making stipulated payments to the insurer, unless the cash surrender value has been paid, but all overdue stipulated payments and any indebtedness to the insurer on the contract shall be paid or reinstated with interest thereon at a rate to be specified in the contract but not exceeding 6 percent per annum compounded annually and, in cases where applicable, the insurer may also include a requirement of evidence of insurability satisfactory to the insurer. This paragraph shall not apply to reversionary annuities.
    7. REVERSIONARY ANNUITIES; REINSTATEMENT. In reversionary annuity contracts there shall be a provision that the contract may be reinstated at any time within three years from the date of default in making stipulated payments to the insurer, upon production of evidence of insurability satisfactory to the insurer and upon condition that all overdue payments and any indebtedness to the insurer on account of the contract be paid or, within the limits permitted by the then cash values of the contract, reinstated with interest as to both payments and indebtedness at a rate to be specified in the contract but not exceeding 6 percent per annum compounded annually.
    8. PAYMENT OF CERTAIN CLAIMS. For any cash refund annuity, refund annuity, or any other annuity which provides for a lump sum settlement upon the death of the annuitant, a provision that interest shall be payable on the amount of such lump sum settlement in the same manner, at the same rate, and subject to the same conditions as provided by Code Section 33-25-10 for payment of interest on proceeds or payments under an individual policy of life insurance.

(Code 1933, § 56-2602, enacted by Ga. L. 1960, p. 289, § 1; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 33; Ga. L. 1999, p. 536, § 1.)

Editor's notes.

- Ga. L. 1999, p. 536, § 3, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: "This Act shall apply to contracts issued, delivered, or issued for delivery on or after July 1, 1999."

JUDICIAL DECISIONS

Cited in Chatham County Hosp. Auth. v. John Hancock Mut. Life Ins. Co., 325 F. Supp. 614 (S.D. Ga. 1971).

RESEARCH REFERENCES

ALR.

- Apportionment of divisible surplus of insurance company between different policies, 108 A.L.R. 1212.

Right of estate of named beneficiary to payments of annuity or income during period between his death and the death of third person or other event by reference to which the period of payment is limited by the terms of will or other instrument, 112 A.L.R. 581.

Incontestable clause of statute or policy as applicable to claims other than for death benefits, 121 A.L.R. 1437; 147 A.L.R. 1015.

Provision or option for payment in installments of amount of life insurance policy as creating "annuity,", 128 A.L.R. 981.

Grounds for cancellation or rescission of annuity agreement, or for recovery back of property conveyed, or money paid, thereunder, 131 A.L.R. 424.

Date at which coverage begins upon reinstatement, renewal, or revival of insurance policy after default, 167 A.L.R. 333.

Annuitant's right to corpus or capital sum in lieu of annuity, 54 A.L.R.2d 361.

Respective rights of insured and beneficiary in endowment, accumulation and tontine policies, 72 A.L.R.2d 1311.


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