(a) Annual Accounting Statements. (1) The Carrier shall furnish to OPM an accounting of its operations under the contract. In preparing the accounting, the Carrier shall follow the reporting requirements and statement formats prescribed by OPM in the OPM Annual and Fiscal Year Financial Reporting Instructions.

(2) The Carrier shall have its Annual Accounting Statements and that of its underwriter, if any, audited in accordance with the FEHBP Experienced-Rated Carrier and Service Organization Audit Guide (Guide). The Carrier shall submit the audit report and the Annual Accounting Statements to OPM in accordance with the requirements of the Guide.

(3) Based on the results of either the independent audit prescribed by the Guide or a Government audit, OPM may require the Carrier adjust its annual accounting statements (i) by amounts found not to constitute actual, allowable, allocable and reasonable costs; or (ii) to reflect prior overpayments or underpayments.

(4) The Carrier shall develop corrective action plans to resolve audit findings identified in audits that were performed in accordance with the Guide. The corrective action plans will be prepared in accordance with and as defined by the Guide.

(b) Definition of costs. (1) The Carrier may charge a cost to the contract for a contract term if the cost is actual, allowable, allocable, and reasonable. In addition, the Carrier must:

(i) on request, document and make available accounting support for the cost to justify that the cost is actual, reasonable and necessary; and

(ii) determine the cost in accordance with: (A) the terms of this contract, and (B) subpart 31.2 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and subpart 1631.2 of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Acquisition Regulation (FEHBAR) applicable on the first day of the contract period.

(2) In the absence of specific contract terms to the contrary, the Carrier shall classify contract costs in accordance with the following criteria:

(i) Benefits. Benefit costs consist of payments made and liabilities incurred for covered health care services on behalf of FEHBP subscribers less any refunds, rebates, allowances or other credits received.

(ii) Administrative expenses. Administrative expenses consist of all actual, allowable, allocable and reasonable expenses incurred in the adjudication of subscriber benefit claims or incurred in the Carrier's overall operation of the business. Unless otherwise stated in the contract, administrative expenses include, in part: all taxes (excluding premium taxes, as provided in section 1631.205-41), insurance and reinsurance premiums, medical and dental consultants used in the adjudication process, concurrent or managed care review when not billed by a health care provider and other forms of utilization review, the cost of maintaining eligibility files, legal expenses incurred in the litigation of benefit payments and bank charges for letters of credit. Administrative expenses exclude the cost of Carrier personnel, equipment, and facilities directly used in the delivery of health care services, which are benefit costs, and the expense of managing the FEHBP investment program which is a reduction of investment income earned.

(iii) Investment income. While compliance with the checks presented letter of credit methodology will minimize funds on hand, the Carrier shall invest and reinvest all funds on hand, including any in the Special Reserve or any attributable to the reserve for incurred but unpaid claims, which are in excess of the funds needed to discharge promptly the obligations incurred under the contract. Investment income represents the net amount earned by the Carrier after deducting investment expenses. Investment expenses are those actual, allowable, allocable, and reasonable contract costs that are attributable to the investment of funds, such as consultant or management fees.

(iv) Other charges. (A) Mandatory statutory reserve. Charges for mandatory statutory reserves are not allowable unless specifically provided for in the contract. When the term “mandatory statutory reserve” is specifically identified as an allowable contract charge without further definition or explanation, it means a requirement imposed by State law upon the Carrier to set aside a specific amount or rate of funds into a restricted reserve that is accounted for separately from all other reserves and surpluses of the Carrier and which may be used only with the specific approval of the State official designated by law to make such approvals. The amount chargeable to the contract may not exceed an allocable portion of the amount actually set aside. If the statutory reserve is no longer required for the purpose for which it was created, and these funds become available for the general use of the Carrier, the Carrier shall return to the FEHBP a pro rata share based upon FEHBP's contribution to the total Carrier's set aside shall be returned to the FEHBP in accordance with FAR 31.201-5.

(B) Premium taxes. (1) When the term “premium taxes” is used in this contract without further definition or explanation, it means a tax, fee, or other monetary payment directly or indirectly imposed on FEHB premiums by any State, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or by any political subdivision or other governmental authority of those entities, with the sole exception of a tax on net income or profit, if that tax, fee, or payment is applicable to a broad range of business activity.

(2) For purposes of this paragraph (B), OPM has determined that the term “State” as used in 5 U.S.C. 8909(f) includes, but is not limited to, a territory or possession of the United States.

(c) Certification of Accounting Statement Accuracy. (1) The Carrier shall certify the annual and fiscal year accounting statements in the form set forth in paragraph (c)(3) of this clause. The Carrier's chief executive officer and the chief financial officer shall sign the certificate.

(2) The Carrier shall require an authorized agent of its underwriter, if any, also to certify the annual accounting statement.

(3) The certificate required shall be in the following form:

This is to certify that I have reviewed this accounting statement and to the best of my knowledge and belief:

1. The statement was prepared in conformity with the guidelines issued by the Office of Personnel Management and fairly presents the financial results of this reporting period in conformity with those guidelines.

2. The costs included in the statement are actual, allowable, allocable, and reasonable in accordance with the terms of the contract and with the cost principles of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Acquisition Regulation and the Federal Acquisition Regulation;

3. Income, rebates, allowances, refunds and other credits made or owed in accordance with the terms of the contract and applicable cost principles have been included in the statement;

4. If applicable, the letter of credit account was managed in accordance with 5 CFR part 890, 48 CFR chapter 16, and OPM guidelines.