A. Registration Criteria

1. Initial Registration

a. Insurers must demonstrate continuous successful operation in the life insurance business for a period of not less than 5 years on December 31 of the year preceding the date of filing the application.

b. Insurers must be listed in Best's Life-Health Insurance Reports and be assigned a rating of B + (Very Good) or better for the business year preceding the Government's fiscal year for which registration is sought.

2. Re-Registration

a. Insurers must demonstrate continuous successful operation in the life insurance business, as described in paragraph A.1.a. of this appendix.

b. Insurers must retain a Best's rating of B + or better, as described in paragraph A.1.b. of this appendix.

c. Insurers must demonstrate a record of compliance with the policies found in this part.

3. Waiver Provisions

Waivers of the initial registration or re-registration provisions shall be considered for those insurers demonstrating substantial compliance with the aforementioned criteria.

B. Application Instructions

1. Applications Filed Annually. Insurers must apply by June 30 of each year for solicitation privileges on overseas U.S. military installations for the next fiscal year beginning October 1. Applications e-mailed, faxed, or postmarked after June 30 shall not be considered.

2. Application prerequisites. A letter of application, signed by the President, Vice President, or designated official of the insurance company shall be forwarded to the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness), Attention: Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Policy Directorate, 4000 Defense, Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-4000. The registration criteria in paragraph A1.a. or A1.b. of this appendix must be met to satisfy application prerequisites. The letter shall contain the information set forth below, submitted in the order listed. Where criteria are not applicable, the letter shall so state.

a. The overseas Combatant Commands (e.g., U.S. European Command, U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. Central Command, U.S. Southern Command) where the company presently solicits, or plans to solicit, on U.S. military installations.

b. A statement that the company has complied with, or shall comply with, the applicable laws of the country or countries wherein it proposes to solicit. “Laws of the country” means all national, provincial, city, or county laws or ordinances of any country, as applicable.

c. A statement that the products to be offered for sale conform to the standards prescribed in appendix A to this part and contain only the standard provisions such as those prescribed by the laws of the State where the company's headquarters are located.

d. A statement that the company shall assume full responsibility for the acts of its agents with respect to solicitation. If warranted, the number of agents may be limited by the overseas command concerned.

e. A statement that the company shall only use agents who have been licensed by the appropriate State and registered by the overseas command concerned to sell to DoD personnel on DoD installations.

f. Any explanatory or supplemental comments that shall assist in evaluating the application.

g. If the Department of Defense requires facts or statistics beyond those normally involved in registration, the company shall make separate arrangements to provide them.

h. A statement that the company's general agent and other registered agents are appointed in accordance with the prerequisites established in section C of this appendix.

3. If a company is a life insurance company subsidiary, it must be registered separately on its own merits.

C. Agent Requirements

The overseas Combatant Commanders shall apply the following principles in registering agents:

1. An agent must possess a current State license. This requirement may be waived for a registered agent continuously residing and successfully selling life insurance in foreign areas, who, through no fault of his or her own, due to State law (or regulation) governing domicile requirements, or requiring that the agent's company be licensed to do business in that State, forfeits eligibility for a State license. The request for a waiver shall contain the name of the State or jurisdiction that would not renew the agent's license.

2. General agents and agents may represent only one registered commercial insurance company. This principle may be waived by the overseas Combatant Commander if multiple representations are in the best interest of DoD personnel.

3. An agent must have at least 1 year of successful life insurance underwriting experience in the United States or its territories, generally within the 5 years preceding the date of application, in order to be approved for overseas solicitation.

4. The overseas Combatant Commanders may exercise further agent control procedures as necessary.

5. An agent, once registered in an overseas area, may not change affiliation from the staff of one general agent to another and retain registration, unless the previous employer certifies in writing that the release is without justifiable prejudice. Overseas Combatant Commanders will have final authority to determine justifiable prejudice. Indebtedness of an agent to a previous employer is an example of justifiable prejudice.

D. Announcement of Registration

1. Registration by the Department of Defense upon annual applications of insurers shall be announced as soon as practicable by notice to each applicant and by a list released annually in September to the appropriate overseas Combatant Commanders. Approval does not constitute DoD endorsement of the insurer or its products. Any advertising by insurers or verbal representation by its agents, which suggests such endorsement, is prohibited.

2. In the event registration is denied, specific reasons for the denial shall be provided to the applicant.

a. The insurer shall have 30 days from the receipt of notification of denial of registration (sent certified mail, return receipt requested) in which to request reconsideration of the original decision. This request must be in writing and accompanied by substantiating data or information in rebuttal of the specific reasons upon which the denial was based.

b. Action by the Office of the PDUSD(P&R) on a request for reconsideration is final.

c. An applicant that is presently registered as an insurer shall have 90 calendar days from final action denying registration in which to close operations.

3. Upon receiving an annual letter approving registration, each company shall send to the applicable overseas Combatant Commander a verified list of agents currently registered for overseas solicitation. Where applicable, the company shall also include the names and prior military affiliation of new agents for whom original registration and permission to solicit on base is requested. Insurers initially registered shall be furnished instructions by the Department of Defense for agent registration procedures in overseas areas.

4. Material changes affecting the corporate status and financial condition of the company that occur during the fiscal year of registration must be reported to the MWR Policy Directorate at the address in paragraph B.2. of this appendix as they occur.

a. The Office of the PDUSD(P&R) reserves the right to terminate registration if such material changes appear to substantially affect the financial and operational standards described in section A of this appendix on which registration was based.

b. Failure to report such material changes may result in termination of registration regardless of how it affects the standards.

5. If an analysis of information furnished by the company indicates that unfavorable trends are developing that could adversely affect its future operations, the Office of the PDUSD(P&R) may, at its option, bring such matters to the attention of the company and request a statement as to what action, if any, is considered to deal with such unfavorable trends.