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For informational purposes only. Refer to your policy or ask your agent for the exact definition of any term defined in your policy.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X

David G. Sayles Insurance Services
Insurance Terms--R

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 bullet Rate: The pricing factor upon which the insurance buyer's premium is based.
 bullet Rated Policy: An insurance policy issued at a higher-than-standard premium rate to cover a higher-than-standard risk; for example, for an Insured who has impaired health or a hazardous occupation.
 bullet Ratemaking: The statistical process by which insurers determine probability of loss and pricing for the basic classes of insurance.
 bullet Rating Territory: A geographical grouping in which like hazards tend to equalize and permit the establishment of an equitable rate for the territory.
 bullet Reasonable and Customary Charge: A charge for health care which is consistent with the going rate or charge in a certain geographical area for identical or similar services.
 bullet Rebating: Giving any valuable consideration, usually all or part of the commission, to the prospect or Insured as an inducement to buy or renew. Rebating is illegal.
 bullet Recurring Claim Provision: A provision in some Health Insurance policies which specifies a length of time during which the recurrence of a condition is considered to be a continuation of a previous period of disability or hospital confinement. Also known as a Recurring Clause.
 bullet Reduced Paid-Up Insurance: A form of insurance available as a nonforfeiture option. It provides for continuation of the original insurance plan, but for a reduced amount.
 bullet Regulation: Supervision of business practices by a governmental entity. Regulation of insurance companies is through respective state insurance commissioners.
 bullet Rehabilitation: (1) Restoration of a totally disabled person to a meaningful occupation. (2) a provision in some Long- Term Disability Policies that provides for continuation of benefits or other financial assistance while a totally disabled insured is retraining or attempting to resume productive employment.
 bullet Reimbursement: The payment of the expenses actually incurred as a result of an accident or sickness, but not to exceed any amount specified in the policy.
 bullet Reinstatement: The resumption of coverage under a policy which has lapsed.
 bullet Reinsurance: The acceptance by one or more insurers, called reinsurers, of a portion of the risk accepted by another insurer who has contracted for the entire coverage. Reinsurance can be treaty or facultative.
 bullet Reinsurance Facility: An alternative mechanism to service those Insureds who cannot obtain insurance in the voluntary market. Premiums and losses for the business that is ceded to the facility are pooled and all insurers share according to their proportion of the voluntary market. See also: Residual Market.
 bullet Renewable Term Insurance: Term Insurance which can be renewed at the end of the term, at the option of the policyholder and without evidence of insurability, for a limited number of successive terms. The rates increase at each renewal as the age of the Insured increases.
 bullet Renewal: Continuance of coverage under a policy beyond its original term by the insurer's acceptance of the premium for a new policy term.
 bullet Rent Insurance: A form of Business Interruption Insurance for a landlord, designed to protect building owners against loss of income when rentals have been interrupted or rental value has been impaired by the occurrence of any of the insured perils. It assures continuous income while an Insured's building is untenantable.
 bullet Renter's Policy: A package type of insurance that includes coverage similar to a homeowners policy to cover the personal property of a renter or tenant in a building. [MORE]
 bullet Replacement: The substitution of Health Insurance coverage from one policy contract to another.
 bullet Replacement Cost: The cost to repair or replace property at construction costs prevailing at time of loss; the cost to repair or rebuild property without considering depreciation. Contrast Actual Cash Value.
 bullet Replacement Cost Insurance: Insurance designed to provide coverage on the basis of full replacement cost without deduction for depreciation on any loss sustained, subject to the terms of the co-insurance clause. This coverage applies to both building and contents items as specified on the face of the policy. No deduction is taken for depreciation in arriving at the proper amount of insurance needed to comply with the coinsurance clause.
 bullet Replacement Ratio: The percentage of income before retirement that is required to be replaced to maintain the same standard of living after retirement.
 bullet Representation: Statements made by an applicant in an insurance application, which he represents as being substantially true to the best of his knowledge and belief, but which are not warranted as exact in every detail.
 bullet Rescission: Termination of an insurance contract by the insurer on the grounds of material misstatement on the application for insurance. The action of rescission must take place within the contestable period or Time Limit on Certain Defenses clause set forth in the policy, but takes effect as of the effective date of the policy, thus voiding the contract from its inception.
 bullet Reservation of Rights: An arrangement whereby an insurer defends a case without commitment to provide coverage in the event that the facts disclosed during the trial reveal that the occurrence is not covered.
 bullet Reserve: (1) An amount representing an insurer's estimate of its liabilities on future commitments under policies outstanding. (2) An amount allocated for a special purpose.
 bullet Residual Disability: A period of partial disability that immediately follows a period of total disability. Benefits for residual disability are paid on a pro-rata basis, depending on the percentage of earnings loss.
 bullet Residual Disability Benefits: A provision in an insurance policy that provides benefits in proportion to a reduction of earnings as a result of disability, as opposed to the inability to work full-time.
 bullet Residual Market: A source of insurance available to applicants who are unable to obtain insurance through ordinary methods in the voluntary market. (See: Automobile Insurance Plan, Joint Underwriting Association).
 bullet Retention: The net amount of risk retained by an insurance company for its own account or that of specified others, and not reinsured.
 bullet Retrocession: The process by which a reinsurer obtains reinsurance from another company.
 bullet Retrospective Date: The first date for which claims will be paid under a Claims-Made Policy of Liability Insurance.
 bullet Retrospective Rating: Rating procedure which allows adjustment of an Insured's final rate on the basis of the Insured's own loss experience.
 bullet Revocable Trust: A trust that can be terminated or revoked by its creator.
 bullet Rider: A document that modifies an insurance policy. It may increase or decrease benefits, waive a condition or coverage, or in any other way amend the original contract. See: Endorsement.
 bullet Right of Survivorship: Legal rule which states that at the death of one co-owner of property, that person's interest in the property automatically passes to the surviving joint tenant or tenants.
 bullet Risk: (1) The chance of loss; (2) The Insured or property covered by a policy or application.
 bullet Risk Classification: The process by which a company decides how its premium rates for Life Insurance should differ according to the risk characteristics of individuals insured (e.g., age, occupation, sex, state of health) and then applies the resulting rules to individual applications. (See also: Underwriting)
 bullet Risk Control: Any conscious action (or decision not to act) intended to reduce the frequency, severity, or unpredictability of accidental losses.
 bullet Risk Retention Group: An alternative form of insurance in which members of a similar profession or business band together to self insure their risks.
 bullet Robbery: The taking of property from a person by force or threat of violence.
 bullet Rollover: Transfer of IRA or other qualified pension funds from one financial institution to another.

Copyright 1998 David G. Sayles Insurance Services

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