Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance: Cameron Mutual Insurance Company Placed Into Liquidation

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, Nov. 17 -- The Department of Commerce and Insurance issued the following news release on Nov. 16, 2023:

Cameron Mutual Insurance Company ("Cameron Mutual") has been placed into court-supervised liquidation effective December 1, 2023. Chlora Lindley-Myers, Director of the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance ("DCI") has been named liquidator of Cameron Mutual.

A copy of the Final Judgment, Decree, and Order of Liquidation ("Liquidation Order") will be posted when it becomes available from the Court at insurance.mo.gov/companies/receiv.php.

When an insurance company is impaired, in unsound financial condition, or its further transaction of insurance business would be hazardous to its policyholders, Missouri law authorizes the DCI Director to ask the court for an order directing the DCI Director to liquidate the insurance company during which:

* Policies will terminate within 30 days of the effective date of the liquidation order.

* Notice of the liquidation order, policy termination, and the claims procedures will be provided to all policyholders and other known creditors by U.S. mail.

* The liquidator will marshal the assets of the insurer and wind down its operations.

* Claims will be paid in accordance with Missouri's priority distribution statute.

Cameron Mutual provides property and casualty insurance, and its lines of business include personal (primarily homeowners and auto coverage), commercial, and farm. Cameron Mutual experienced significant losses during 2023 which caused a rapid reduction in Cameron Mutual's policyholder surplus. Cameron Mutual's surplus dropped from $16.4 million as of March 31, 2023, to $3.4 million as of June 30, 2023. The company announced earlier this year that it would wind down its insurance operations by non-renewing policies.

The company was placed under Administrative Supervision on July 6, 2023. Effective July 12, 2023, the Board of Directors for Cameron Mutual and Cameron National Insurance Company ("Cameron National") resigned. On August 7, 2023, the Court entered an Order of Rehabilitation of Cameron Mutual and appointed the DCI Director as the rehabilitator. During rehabilitation, the rehabilitator encouraged policyholders to switch their policies to another carrier and authorized payment of unearned premiums up to at least $10,000. However, due to the Liquidation Order of Cameron Mutual, payment of unearned premium refunds will be suspended until such claims are determined in the Court-supervised liquidation proceeding.

Cameron National is not part of the Liquidation Order and will remain in rehabilitation.

DCI is charged with protecting Missouri consumers through oversight of the insurance industry, banks, credit unions, utilities, and various professional licensees operating in the state.

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Original text here: https://insurance.mo.gov/news/newsitem/uuid/87b324e4-5f7d-4d57-981b-4509ea33df20