§ 58-65-131.  Findings; definitions; conversion plan.

(a) Intent and Findings. - It is the intent of the General Assembly by the enactment of this section, G.S. 58-65-132, and G.S. 58-65-133 to create a procedure for a hospital service corporation to convert to a stock accident and health insurance company or stock life insurance company that is subject to the applicable provisions of Articles 1 through 64 of this Chapter. Except as provided in this section, it is not the intent of the General Assembly to supplant, modify, or repeal other provisions of this Article and Article 66 of this Chapter or the provisions of Chapter 55A of the General Statutes, the Nonprofit Corporation Act, that govern other transactions and the procedures relating to those transactions that apply to corporations governed by the provisions of this Article and Article 66 of this Chapter.

The General Assembly recognizes the substantial and recent changes in market and health care conditions that are affecting these corporations and the benefit of equal regulatory treatment and competitive equality for health care insurers. The General Assembly finds that a procedure for conversion is in the best interest of policyholders because it will provide greater financial stability for these corporations and a greater opportunity for the corporations to remain financially independent. The General Assembly also finds that if a hospital service corporation converts to a stock accident and health insurance company or stock life insurance company, the conversion plan must provide a benefit to the people of North Carolina equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the fair market value of the corporation.

(b) Definitions. - The following definitions apply in this section, G.S. 58-65-132, and G.S. 58-65-133:

(1) Certificate holder. - An enrollee, as defined in Article 67 of this Chapter, in a health maintenance plan provided by the corporation or a subsidiary or by the new corporation or a subsidiary.

(2) Code. - Title 26 of the United States Code, the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

(3) Conversion. - The conversion of a hospital service corporation to a stock accident and health insurance company or stock life insurance company subject to the applicable provisions of Articles 1 through 64 of this Chapter.

(4) Corporation. - A hospital service corporation governed by this Article that files or is required to file a plan of conversion with the Commissioner under subsection (d) of this section to convert from a hospital service corporation to a stock accident and health insurance company or stock life insurance company.

(5) Foundation. - A newly formed tax-exempt charitable social welfare organization formed and operating under section 501(c)(4) of the Code and Chapter 55A of the General Statutes.

(6) New corporation. - A corporation originally governed by this Article that has had its plan of conversion approved by the Commissioner under G.S. 58-65-132 and that has converted to a stock accident and health insurance company or stock life insurance company.

(c) Compliance Required in Certain Events. - A corporation governed by this Article shall comply with the provisions of this section, G.S. 58-65-132, and G.S. 58-65-133 before it may do any of the following:

(1) Sell, lease, convey, exchange, transfer, or make other disposition, either directly or indirectly in a single transaction or related series of transactions, of ten percent (10%) of the corporation's assets, as determined by statutory accounting principles, to, or merge or consolidate or liquidate with or into, any business corporation or other business entity, except a business corporation or other business entity that is a wholly owned subsidiary of the corporation. The ten percent (10%) asset limitation in this subdivision does not apply to:

a. The purchase, acquisition by assignment or otherwise by the corporation of individual accident and health policies or contracts insuring North Carolina residents, or with respect to accident and health group master policies or contracts, only the percentage portion of those policies or contracts covering North Carolina resident certificate holders, and that are issued by a company domiciled or licensed to do business in North Carolina, if the purchase is first approved by the Commissioner after notice to the Attorney General, no profit will inure to the benefit of any officer, director, or employee of the corporation or its subsidiaries, the purchase is transacted at arm's length and for fair value, and the purchase will further the corporation's ability to fulfill its purposes;

b. In the case of a purchase by the corporation of all the common stock of a company domiciled or licensed to do business in North Carolina, that portion of the value of the company which is determined by the Commissioner to be attributable to individual accident and health policies or contracts insuring North Carolina residents or, in the case of accident and health group master policies or contracts, the percentage portion of those policies or contracts covering North Carolina resident certificate holders, if the purchase is first approved by the Commissioner after notice to the Attorney General, no profit will inure to the benefit of any officer, director, or employee of the corporation or its subsidiaries, the purchase is transacted at arm's length and for fair value, and the purchase will further the corporation's ability to fulfill its purposes;

c. Granting encumbrances such as security interests or deeds of trust with respect to assets owned by the corporation or any wholly owned subsidiary to secure indebtedness for borrowed money, the proceeds of which are paid solely to the corporation or its wholly owned subsidiaries and remain subject to the provisions of this section; and

d. Sales or other transfers in the ordinary course of business for fair value of any interest in real property or stocks, bonds, or other securities within the investment portfolio owned by the corporation or any wholly owned subsidiary, the proceeds of which are paid solely to the corporation or any wholly owned subsidiary and remain subject to the provisions of this section.

(2) Directly or indirectly issue, sell, convey, exchange, transfer, or make other disposition to any party of any equity or ownership interest in the corporation or in any business entity that is owned by or is a subsidiary of the corporation, including stock, securities, or bonds, debentures, notes or any other debt or similar obligation that is convertible into any equity or ownership interest, stock or securities. This subdivision shall not be construed to prohibit the corporation or a wholly owned subsidiary, with the approval of the Commissioner after notice to the Attorney General, from investing in joint ventures or partnerships with unrelated third parties, if no profit will inure to the benefit of any officer, director, or employee of the corporation or its subsidiaries, the transaction is conducted at arm's length and for fair value, and the transaction furthers the corporation's ability to fulfill its purposes.

(3) Permit its aggregate annual revenues, determined in accordance with statutory accounting principles, from all for-profit activities or operations, including but not limited to those of the corporation, any wholly owned subsidiaries, and any joint ventures or partnerships, to exceed forty percent (40%) of the aggregate annual revenues, excluding investment income, of the corporation and its subsidiaries and determined in accordance with statutory accounting principles; or

(4) Permit its aggregate assets for four consecutive quarters, determined in accordance with statutory accounting principles, employed in all for-profit activities or operations, including, but not limited to, those assets owned or controlled by any for-profit wholly owned subsidiaries, to exceed forty percent (40%) of the aggregate admitted assets of the corporation and its subsidiaries for four consecutive quarters, determined in accordance with statutory accounting principles.

In determining whether the corporation must comply with the provisions of this section, G.S. 58-65-132, and G.S. 58-65-133, the Commissioner may review and consolidate actions of the corporation, its subsidiaries, and other legal entities in which the corporation directly or indirectly owns an interest, and treat the consolidated actions as requiring a conversion. An appeal of the Commissioner's order that consolidated actions require a conversion shall lie directly to the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Appeals under this subsection must be filed within 30 days of the Commissioner's order and shall be considered in the most expeditious manner practical. The corporation must file a plan of conversion within 12 months of the later of the issuance of the Commissioner's order or a final decision on appeal.

(d) Charter Amendment for Conversion. - A corporation may propose to amend its charter pursuant to this Article to convert the corporation to a stock accident and health insurance company or stock life insurance company subject to the applicable provisions of Articles 1 through 64 of this Chapter. The proposed amended charter and a plan for conversion as described in subsection (e) of this section shall be filed with the Commissioner for approval.

(e) Filing Conversion Plan; Costs of Review. - A corporation shall file a plan for conversion with the Commissioner and submit a copy to the Attorney General at least 120 days before the proposed date of conversion. The corporation or the new corporation shall reimburse the Department of Insurance and the office of the Attorney General for the actual costs of reviewing, analyzing, and processing the plan. The Commissioner and the Attorney General may contract with experts, consultants, or other professional advisors to assist in reviewing the plan. These contracts are personal professional service contracts exempt from Articles 3 and 3C of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes. Contract costs for these personal professional services shall not exceed an amount that is reasonable and appropriate for the review of the plan.

(f) Plan Requirements. - A plan of conversion submitted to the Commissioner shall state with specificity the following terms and conditions of the proposed conversion:

(1) The purposes of the conversion.

(2) The proposed articles of incorporation of the new corporation.

(3) The proposed bylaws of the new corporation.

(4) A description of any changes in the new corporation's mode of operations after conversion.

(5) A statement describing the manner in which the plan provides for the protection of all existing contractual rights of the corporation's subscribers and certificate holders to medical or hospital services or the payment of claims for reimbursement for those services. The corporation's subscribers and certificate holders shall have no right to receive any assets, surplus, capital, payment or distribution or to receive any stock or other ownership interest in the new corporation in connection with the conversion.

(6) A statement that the legal existence of the corporation does not terminate and that the new corporation is subject to all liabilities, obligations, and relations of whatever kind of the corporation and succeeds to all property, assets, rights, interests, and relations of the corporation.

(7) Documentation showing that the corporation, acting by its board of directors, trustees, or other governing authority, has approved the plan. It shall not be necessary for the subscribers or certificate holders of the corporation to vote on or approve the plan of conversion, any amendments to the corporation's articles of incorporation or bylaws, or the articles of incorporation or the bylaws of the new corporation, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in this Article or Article 66 of this Chapter or in the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the corporation.

(8) The business plan of the new corporation, including, but not limited to, a comparative premium rate analysis of the new corporation's major plans and product offerings, that, among other things, compares actual premium rates for the three-year period before the filing of the plan for conversion and forecasted premium rates for a three-year period following the proposed conversion. This rate analysis shall address the forecasted effect, if any, of the proposed conversion on the cost to policyholders or certificate holders of the new corporation and on the new corporation's underwriting profit, investment income, and loss and claim reserves, including the effect, if any, of adverse market or risk selection upon these reserves. Information provided under this subsection is confidential pursuant to G.S. 58-19-40.

(9) Any conditions, other than approval of the plan of conversion by the Commissioner, to be fulfilled by a proposed date upon which the conversion would become effective.

(10) The proposed articles of incorporation and bylaws of the Foundation, containing the provisions required by G.S. 58-65-133(h).

(11) Any proposed agreement between the Foundation and the new corporation, including, but not limited to, any agreement relating to the voting or registration for sale of any capital stock to be issued by the new corporation to the Foundation.

(g) Public Comment. - Within 20 days of receiving a plan to convert, the Commissioner shall publish a notice in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the corporation's service area describing the name of the corporation, the nature of the plan filed under G.S. 58-65-131(d), and the date of receipt of the plan. The notice shall indicate that the Commissioner will solicit public comments and hold three public hearings on the plan. The public hearings must be completed within 60 days of the filing of the conversion plan. The written public comment period will be held open until 10 days after the last public hearing. For good cause the Commissioner may extend these deadlines once for a maximum of 30 days. The Commissioner shall provide copies of all written public comments to the Attorney General.

(h) Public Access to Records. - All applications, reports, plans, or other documents under this section, G.S. 58-65-132, and G.S. 58-65-133 are public records unless otherwise provided in this Chapter. The Commissioner shall provide the public with prompt and reasonable access to public records relating to the proposed conversion of the corporation. Access to public records covered by this section shall be made available for at least 30 days before the end of the public comment period. (1998-3, s. 2; 2016-125, 4th Ex. Sess., s. 22(e); 2021-169, s. 1.)