Insurance Licensing Virginia-Life-Annuities-and-Health-Insurance - Virginia Life, Annuities, and Health Insurance Examination Series 11-01

Premiums paid by employers for qualified long-term care insurance are tax-deductible as a business expense. For employees, the value of employer-paid premiums is excluded from gross income. This aligns with federal tax treatment and is covered in Virginia’s insurance exam outline.

Exact Extract (Virginia Insurance Study Guide): “Employer contributions to qualified long-term care insurance premiums are deductible to the employer as a business expense and not taxable to the employee.”

References (Virginia Documents / Study Guide):

— Virginia Life & Health Insurance Examination Outline, Section 6.2 Tax treatment of long-term care insurance

Medicare Part A Hospital Insurance is available regardless of age to individuals who have received Social Security disability benefits for at least 24 months. This is a key provision that allows individuals who are disabled and have been receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for two years to qualify for Medicare Part A.

Detailed Answer in Step-by-Step Solution:

An immediate annuity (C) begins payments shortly after a single premium is paid, lacking an accumulation period (the phase where funds build up, typical in deferred annuities).

Option A (installments) applies to deferred annuities. Option B (lump sum) is not standard; annuities pay periodically. Option D (tax-deductible) is false; contributions are not deductible unless part of a qualified plan, not typical for immediate annuities.

The Virginia study guide defines an immediate annuity as one purchased with a single premium, with payments starting within one year, bypassing an accumulation phase. Reference: Virginia Life, Annuities, and Health Insurance study guide, section on "Annuities."

A major medical policy is designed as a comprehensive health policy, covering a wide range of expenses, including hospital, surgical, physician, and prescription costs. It provides broader coverage than limited benefit plans such as dental or vision policies. Workers’ compensation is not considered a general health policy because it specifically covers occupational injuries.

Exact Extract (Virginia Health Insurance Study Guide): “Major medical insurance—provides comprehensive coverage for hospital, physician, surgical, and other medical expenses, subject to deductibles and coinsurance. Distinguished from limited health expense policies (dental, vision).”

References (Virginia Documents / Study Guide):

— Virginia Health Insurance Examination Outline, Section 2.2 Comprehensive vs. Limited Policies

The monthly indemnity paid to an employee under employer-paid group disability income insurance is not always tax-free. If the employer pays the premiums, the benefits received by the employee are typically taxed as income, unless the employee pays a portion of the premiums with after-tax dollars. The employer-paid premiums are deductible as a business expense for the employer, but the tax treatment of the indemnity benefits depends on who pays the premiums.

Virginia exam materials describe standard STD plan design as wage-replacement for a short duration with a weekly cap; integration with Social Security and multi-year benefit periods are characteristics of long-term disability (LTD), not STD. Exact extract (Study Guide): “Short-Term Disability (STD) pays weekly benefits, typically 50%–60% of earnings, subject to a weekly maximum, for a short duration (commonly up to 13–26 weeks).” “Coordination with Social Security benefits is generally a feature of LTD, not STD.”

Level term life insurance provides a fixed premium for a specified period, even though the risk of death increases as the insured ages. This is possible because premiums are averaged over the term of the policy.

In the early years, the insured pays more than the actual mortality cost, while in later years the cost of insurance exceeds the premium paid. This averaging mechanism allows the premium to remain level throughout the term.

Evidence of insurability is not required annually, the face amount does not necessarily decrease, and no additional lump-sum premium is required. Virginia exam materials consistently emphasize premium averaging as the reason level premiums are possible, making option D correct.

In Virginia, an insurance agent is treated as the insurer’s agent when selling/soliciting/negotiating insurance, which is why insurers are generally accountable to insureds for authorized acts of their agents in those transactions. However, that does not mean the agent is immune from personal responsibility. When an agent goes beyond the authority granted by the insurer—especially by doing something the agency agreement expressly forbids—the agent is acting outside the scope of the contractually granted authority and may face personal consequences (including civil liability exposure depending on the harm caused and the legal theory asserted). Virginia regulatory guidance also warns that exceeding authority is a violation of Virginia law, underscoring that an agent’s actions are constrained by the authority they’ve been granted. By contrast, “oral but unwritten authority” can still be actual authority if the insurer granted it, and using insurer-provided materials (even if problematic) typically implicates the insurer’s oversight and advertising compliance duties rather than automatically shifting liability to the agent. The “never” option is incorrect because liability can arise when authority is exceeded or prohibited conduct occurs.

A market value adjusted (MVA) annuity applies an adjustment to the annuity’s value if funds are withdrawn before the end of the guarantee period. Virginia regulations require sales materials to clearly and fairly explain how MVAs work, including the fact that the adjustment may be either positive or negative, depending on interest rate movements.

Misleading illustrations suggesting guaranteed gains or consistently negative adjustments are prohibited. Insurers must ensure consumers understand that interest rate changes affect annuity values and that withdrawals during certain periods may result in either an increase or decrease in value.

Options A and B improperly imply projections or guarantees, which are not allowed. Option C is incorrect because MVAs are not always negative. Therefore, option D is correct.

Agents are fiduciaries, meaning they must handle clients’ premiums with the highest standard of care. Misuse or misappropriation of funds constitutes a violation of fiduciary duty.

Exact Extract (Virginia Agent Regulations): “Insurance producers act in a fiduciary capacity regarding premiums received from insureds and must promptly remit them to insurers.”

References (Virginia Documents / Study Guide):

— Code of Virginia §38.2-1834 (Fiduciary responsibility of agents)