The following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) COMMERCIALLY REASONABLE EFFORT. The plans, processes, or procedures necessary to confirm the death of the insured, contract owner or annuitant, or retained asset account holder against other available records and information and, as applicable, to locate the beneficiary or beneficiaries or other person entitled to payment pursuant to the terms of the policy or contract which have been developed by each insurer and submitted to and approved by the department.

Terms Used In Alabama Code 27-15-52

  • Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • following: means next after. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • United States: includes the territories thereof and the District of Columbia. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
(2) CONTRACT. An annuity contract. The term contract shall not include an annuity used to fund an employment-based retirement plan or program where the insurer is not committed by terms of the annuity contract to pay death benefits to the beneficiaries of specific plan participants.
(3) DEATH MASTER FILE. The United States Social Security Administration’s Death Master File or any other database or service that is at least as comprehensive as the United States Social Security Administration’s Death Master File for determining that a person has reportedly died.
(4) DEATH MASTER FILE MATCH. A search of the death master file that results in a match of the Social Security number or the name and date of birth of an insured, annuity contract owner, an annuitant, or retained asset account holder.
(5) INDUSTRIAL LIFE INSURANCE POLICY. A policy of life insurance with a face amount of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), or less, and which provides for payment of premiums monthly or more often.
(6) INSURER. An insurer, as defined in Section 27-1-2(2), which issues life insurance policies or annuity contracts.
(7) POLICY. Any policy, as defined in Section 27-14-1, or certificate of life insurance that provides a death benefit. The term policy shall not include any policy or certificate of life insurance that provides a death benefit under:

(i) an employee benefit plan subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29 U.S.C. § 1002, as periodically amended;
(ii) any federal employee benefit program;
(iii) government plans or church plans as defined in the Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. § 1002 (32) and (33)), as periodically amended;
(iv) any policy or certificate of life insurance that is used to fund a preneed funeral contract or prearrangement;
(v) any policy or certificate of credit life or accident and health insurance;
(vi) any policy of burial insurance, the primary death benefit of which is to be provided in the form of tangible merchandise, such as a casket or funeral services; or
(vii) any industrial life insurance policy.
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