Insurance Continuing Education Provider
The Office of Financial and Insurance
Regulation issues
A. NAME OF PERMIT OR APPROVAL:
Insurance Continuing Education (CE) Provider Approval
B. STATUTORY AUTHORITY:
The
Insurance Code of 1956 - Chapter 12
C. APPLICABLE REGULATION:
Section
1204c of the Michigan Insurance Code mandates continuing education (CE)
for most individuals who earn an insurance license. Providers certify when
submitting an application to thoroughly understand the statutory and procedural
mandates, and agree to stay abreast of any future changes, related to offering
approved education programs in the State of Michigan. Providers must keep at least 1
course active to maintain and active status in Michigan. Failure to do so will result in
termination of the provider status. Should providers decide to offer courses in
the future, a new provider fee, course fees, required forms and supporting
documentation is required. All courses will be subject to review once again.
D. SUMMARY OF APPROVAL PROCESS AND OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
1. Application Submission
Requirements
2. Procedures and Time-Frame for
Obtaining Permit or Approval
- Cursory review begins within
15 days of receipt of the application and a course evaluation will be
assigned to review the specific education component.
- A determination is made within
90 days of receipt of a complete application with fees.
- If no problems are noted, a
certificate of registration will be issued to the provider indicating the
provider and course name, instruction method, provider and course number,
number of approved credits, effective date, and line(s) of insurance.
- Subsequent course approvals
are handled separately and in writing.
- All courses expire within 2
years of the approval/effective date.
- With the first course
approval, the insurance CE contractor will send with the certificate of
registration and instructions for classroom schedule, a user guide to
submitting CE credits online.
- Courses may receive approval
for fewer credits than requested on the application.
- Providers can only offer and
award the exact approved amount of credits.
- No partial credits are
allowed.
- No credit for passage of an
exam without course work is allowed.
- Providers may contact Prometric at pro.ce-services@prometric.com or
866/241-3115 regarding the status of an application if more than 90 days
have elapsed since the application was filed.
3. Course Information
For detailed course information please visit our Course
Information webpage.
4. Instructor Criteria
- Providers must describe the
minimum requirements used to hire an instructor.
- Individual instructors are
not approved by the State.
- Providers are responsible for
the actions of their instructors.
- Providers must provide a copy
of their classroom protocol that instructors are required to announce at
each program.
5.
Filing Fees
New Provider/Reinstatement
- $500.00 provider fee
- $25.00 per course
- $25.00 per course rejection
Approved Provider
- $100.00 annual renewal fee
- $25.00 per new course
- $25.00 per course rejection
- $25.00 per revised, renewal,
and/or expired course
- $25.00 per appeal of a
disapproval or greater than 30 days from course approval
Notes about filing fees
- $500.00 provider fee is
refundable, upon written request within 90 days of rejection and ONLY if
the provider is not granted CE provider authorization.
- $25.00 course fee is
nonrefundable and nontransferable.
- Any application submitted
without the appropriate fees will be returned to the provider without
processing. No materials or partial fees will be retained.
6. Course Schedule Reporting
Please review our Course
Schedule Reporting document for detailed information.
7. Conducting the Course
Providers may conduct only approved courses at any time and at any business
location it chooses as long as all of the following are met:
- The provider is active.
- The course is active at the
time of offering.
- Electronic course schedules
are reported at least 30 days prior to offering.
- No material changes have been
made to the course since the original approval of the course.
- Providers must staff course
sites using approved monitoring procedures.
- Pre-enrollment procedures,
fees charged, selection and distribution of course materials, choice, use
and substitution of instructors shall be at the discretion of the
provider.
Course advertisements MUST INDICATE:
- The provider name and
number.
- The course name and number.
- The line(s) of insurance.
- The number of approved
credit hours.
- Indicate if there is a
self-study component to earning credits and that a monitored exam is
required to receive the certificate of completion.
8. Renewal Fees
- $100 provider renewal
payment is due on or before December 31.
- On or near October 1, the
provider will receive a renewal invoice.
- Provider renewal fees are
not required for the first year after approval, if the first course
approval is granted after January 15 of that year.
- Payments not received by
December 31, the provider and all course approvals will be withdrawn
effective immediately.
- Provider renewal fee is
nonrefundable.
- Provider renewal does NOT
renew any current courses.
9. Credit Banking/Roster Processing
- Our office will collect
$1.00 for every credit hour from the providers for all licensees upon
course completion. Providers may collect this fee from licensees or pay
the fee on their behalf, BUT must be collected at the time the course is
purchased and before a passing score is earned on an exam.
- The $1.00 per credit hour
must be remitted on behalf of the licensee within 30 days of course
completion to our office and/or its designee.
- Providers will issue to the
licensee a completely filled out Certificate of Completion, either in
person or by U.S. Mail, within 30 days of completion of the program.
- Courses are considered
complete at the conclusion of the CE classroom course or upon achieving a
passing score and provider receiving a disinterested third party affidavit
for an exam for self-study/correspondence courses.
- No additional paperwork is
required by the licensee to request the provider to report the $1.00 per
hour on their behalf.
- Providers must report the
actual course completion date on the certificate of completion.
- A Certificate of Completion
can be generated from Prometric via their online
roster submission for the students on the roster the same date as
submission. Please review A
Users Guide for Web Roster Submission for more information.
- Providers who elect to
distribute completion certificates, not generated from Prometric,
must provide a sample of the certificate for approval including the date
the provider will report the credit hours.
- Providers may use a
signature stamp and/or an electronic signature on the certificate.
10. Audits/Course Schedules
- Providers may be audited by
our office, its designated contractor or the Agent Education Advisory
Council at any time.
- All class schedules must be
reported electronically at least 30 days prior to offering the course.
- An audit may be conducted of
the records of the provider or through actual attendance of class
presentations at any time and without warning.
- Providers not in compliance
with the minimum filing requirements may be subject to administrative
sanctions and jeopardize their approved provider status.
11. Contact Person/Address Change
- Only one (1) designated
individual or "contact person" is allowed.
- The contact person be designated on the application.
- The contact person responds
to any issues regarding provider and/or course filings, licensee disputes
and reporting requirements.
To change the designated contact person or address of the provider:
- Check the box on the
application in Part 1; complete Part 1; and mail to address on the
application.
OR
Send written correspondence to the address on the application, or e-mail and
include:
- The provider's name and
number
- The name of the previous
designated contact person.
- The reason for the change.
The new contact name and information.
12. Record Maintenance/Licensee
Disputes
- Providers are required to
keep all attendance and course completion records for 5 years following
the course completion should a dispute arise where the licensing file
record does not reflect the course completion. The licensee and the
provider should keep records as proof in case of any dispute.
- Licensees can contact Prometric at pro.ce-services@prometric.com or
866/241-3115 or access the Insurance
Agency Locator to verify credits.
In case of a dispute, licensees will be instructed to contact the provider
for resolution of course completion and credit accumulation errors, to prove
actual completion of the course and provide data to correct the licensing file
record. Only if licensees and/or providers are unable to resolve disputes with Prometric should either party contact our office Education
Administrator (ofir-licensing@michigan.gov).
13. Disapproval/Appeal Process
- An explanation will
accompany the final determination.
- To correct any problems,
return the Cover Letter and/or the ORIGINAL Certificate of Registration
along with two (2) copies of the supporting documentation within 30 days
from the final determination.
- If resubmissions are not
returned within the 30 days or if the course was disapproved, a new $25.00
course filing fee and application is required for the course to be reconsidered.
E. ADMINISTERING AGENCY:
- Program Phone: Prometric - 866/241-3115
Creation/Revision Date:
October
6, 2010
