1. Each insurer required by sections 375.1025 to 375.1062 to file an annual audited financial report shall, within sixty days after becoming subject to such requirement, register with the director in writing the name and address of its independent certified public accountant or accounting firm retained to conduct the annual audit set forth in sections 375.1025 to 375.1062. Any insurer not retaining an independent certified public accountant on the effective date of sections 375.1025 to 375.1062 shall register the name and address of its retained independent certified public accountant not less than six months before the date when the first audited financial report is to be filed.

2. The insurer shall obtain a letter from such accountant, and file a copy with the director stating that the accountant is aware of the provisions of the insurance laws and the rules and regulations of the department of insurance of the state of domicile that relate to accounting and financial matters and affirming that the accountant will express his or her opinion on the financial statements in terms of their conformity to the statutory accounting practices prescribed or otherwise permitted by that department of insurance, specifying such exceptions as he or she may believe appropriate.

3. If an accountant who was the accountant for the immediately preceding filed audited financial report is dismissed or resigns, the insurer shall within five business days notify the director of this event. The insurer shall also furnish the director with a separate letter within ten business days of the notification stating whether in the twenty-four months preceding such event there were any disagreements with the former accountant on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements, if not resolved to the satisfaction of the former accountant, would have caused him or her to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreement in connection with his or her opinion. Disagreements required to be reported by this section include both disagreements resolved to the former accountant’s satisfaction, and disagreements not resolved to the former accountant’s satisfaction. Disagreements contemplated by this section are those that occur at the decision-making level, between personnel of the insurer responsible for the presentation of its financial statements and personnel of the accounting firm responsible for rendering its report. The insurer shall also in writing request such former accountant to furnish a letter addressed to the insurer stating whether the accountant agrees with the statements contained in the insurer’s letter and, if not, stating the reasons for which he does not agree, and the insurer shall furnish such responsive letter from the former accountant to the director together with its own.