Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance v. United States

66 Fed. Cl. 217, 96 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5015, 2005 U.S. Claims LEXIS 178, 2005 WL 1560476
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedJune 30, 2005
DocketNo. 97-619T
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 66 Fed. Cl. 217 (Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance v. United States, 66 Fed. Cl. 217, 96 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5015, 2005 U.S. Claims LEXIS 178, 2005 WL 1560476 (uscfc 2005).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

BRADEN, Judge.

Although the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has decided five federal income tax cases applying the “all events test,” established by the United States Supreme Court in United States v. Anderson, 269 U.S. 422, 431, 46 S.Ct. 131, 70 L.Ed. 347 (1926), none has addressed whether the right to receive supplemental premium income is “fixed” and when that amount of income can be determined with “reasonable accuracy” for purposes of calculating life insurance company taxable income--the core issues presented in this case.

PRELIMINARY FACTUAL BACKGROUND1

Plaintiff Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. (“MassMutual”) is a mutual life insurance company organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. See Joint Stip. K1. During the years 1984 through 1989, MassMutual was a life insurance company, as defined in 26 U.S.C. § 816(a).2 Id. 112. MassMutual was a calen[219]*219dar year taxpayer, with the taxable year ending on December 31 of each year, during the years at issue. Id. H 3. MassMutual did not change its overall method of accounting during these years. Id. U 4.

As part of its insurance business, MassMu-tual underwrote group accident and health insurance policies (“Group Policies”) to employers (“Plan Sponsors”) that provided health insurance benefits for their employees. Id. 1Í1Í 5, 6. An essential term of the Group Policies is that Plan Sponsors paid monthly premiums (“Group Policy Premiums”) as a prerequisite for coverage by MassMutual. See Joint Ex. 1 at 11-13. Plan Sponsors funded Group Policies without riders by paying directly to MassMutual monthly premiums that were aetuarially calculated to be sufficient to fund all costs of paying reimbursable claims incurred under the policy, including run-off claims3 and extended benéfits.4

In 1984, MassMutual began offering a Minimum Premium Plan (“MPP”) Rider to holders of Group Policies as an option to the traditional benefits funding method. See Joint Stip. H11.

The MPP Rider amended the Group Policy by providing that:

This Rider changes the liability of the Insurer and the Plan Sponsor for the funding of benefits under the Group Policy. In return for a reduced premium, the Plan Sponsor will assume a share of the funding for the listed benefits. The extent of the Plan Sponsor’s liability is determined below. In all other respects, the Group Policy terms will remain in full force and effect, unless a different result is stated in this Rider.

Joint Stip. H12.

The MPP Rider provided for:

a. a reduced monthly premium [the “Minimum Premium”];
b. the Plan Sponsor to establish a bank account [the “Benefit Funding Account”]; and
c. a Supplemental Premium, payable after termination.

Id. IT 13.

The MPP Rider contained the following provisions concerning the funding and payment of plan benefits:

2. The Plan Sponsor is liable each Policy Month for funding of all Plan Benefits up to the sum of:
a. the Monthly Payment Limit for that month, and
b. the sum of the Plan Benefits paid on behalf of the plan sponsor in such Policy Months.
3. In any Policy Month the Insurer will pay on behalf of the Plan Sponsor all Plan Benefits which the Plan Sponsor has agreed to fund. The Insurer will fund and pay all Plan Benefits in excess of those that the Plan Sponsor has agreed to fund.

Joint Ex. 3 at 181.

Under the MPP Rider, the Plan Sponsor placed funds into the Benefit Funding Account sufficient to pay all Expected Claims it had agreed to fund, up to the limits specified in the Rider, the Monthly Payment Limit. See Joint Ex. 3 at 181; see also McBride Aff. H 38. MassMutual withdrew funds from the Benefit Funding Account to fund Expected Claims. See McBride Aff. H39. It also would determine whether to fund the claim using the Benefit Funding Account, or whether the claim was an Excess Claim5 that MassMutual was required to “fund and pay.” Id.; see also McBride Aff. H 41.

[220]*220Minimum Premiums required under the MPP Rider were billed and payable monthly. See McBride Aff. 1144.

The amount of the Minimum Premium payable by a Plan Sponsor was determined by multiplying a Minimum Premium rate by the number of covered employees.6 Id. U 46. The premium rates depended upon several factors, including who was covered, the scope of coverage, and what exclusions and limitations were specified. Id. On annual statements, MassMutual reported each monthly Minimum Premium as income when it was billed. Id. H 51.

A MPP Rider could be terminated for various reasons. Id. 1161. The MPP Rider contained the following terms concerning policy termination:

11. This Rider will terminate on the earliest of these dates:
• the date the Plan or the Group Policy terminates; or
• on any date that the Plan Sponsor fails to provides sufficient funds in the Benefit Funding Account to pay Plan Benefits as they arise.
This Rider may be terminated by:
• the Plan Sponsor on any Premium Due Date by advance written notice to the Insurer; or
• the Insurer at any time if it gives at least 31 days advance written notice to the Plan Sponsor.
12. When this Rider terminates the sum of (a) and (b) below will be due and payable without delay by the Plan Sponsor to the Insurer:
a. all unpaid monthly premiums; and
b. the Supplemental Premium.
13. When this Rider terminates, the Plan Sponsor will be liable for the funding of all plan benefits for which checks were issued on the Benefit Funding Account before this Rider terminated. But, the Plan Sponsor will not be liable for the funding of any other Plan Benefits under this Rider after its termination.

Joint Ex. 3 at 182.

The MPP Rider provided for the payment of a Supplemental Premium upon the termination of a MPP Rider: “[i]n addition to the premium determined in accordance with the terms of the Group Policy, a Supplemental Premium will be due on each monthly Premium Due date. But this Supplemental Premium will not be payable until the date this Rider terminates.” Id. The MPP Rider defined a Supplemental Premium as:

1. the Plan Sponsor’s reserve liability as calculated by the Insurer at the beginning of the current policy month, plus
2. any excess of:
a.

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Related

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance v. United States
103 Fed. Cl. 111 (Federal Claims, 2012)
Fisher v. United States
69 Fed. Cl. 193 (Federal Claims, 2006)

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Bluebook (online)
66 Fed. Cl. 217, 96 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5015, 2005 U.S. Claims LEXIS 178, 2005 WL 1560476, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/massachusetts-mutual-life-insurance-v-united-states-uscfc-2005.