Glossary

A communicable diseases exclusion is an exclusion found within a substantial minority of physicians professional liability insurance policies that precludes coverage for claims caused by the transmission of communicable diseases.

Community property is a law (which applies in only a minority of states) stipulating that at the time of divorce, spouses are each entitled to one-half of the total earnings and property acquired during marriage.

Community rating refers to rating based on the experience of a community in which the insureds reside, with reference to age, sex, occupation, or health.

A community rating system (CRS) is a voluntary program for the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP's) participating communities.

Commutation usually refers to the cancellation or dissolution of a reinsurance contract in which there are profits or losses to be allocated.

A commutation agreement is an agreement between a ceding insurer and the reinsurer that provides for the valuation, payment, and complete discharge of all obligations between the parties under a particular reinsurance contract.

A commutation clause is a provision in a reinsurance agreement that allows for payment of cash by one party to release the other from all future obligations to pay claims after a certain time period.

Commutation rights refer to the right of a beneficiary to receive a lump sum payment rather than continuing under an installment option selected for settlement of a life insurance policy.

The Compacts, Access, and Responsible Expansion (CARE) Act was introduced in 2021–2022, aiming to reform medical licensure to expand interstate access to mental health resources. Although needed to ensure a better supply of available mental health providers, the legislation stalled in Congress.

Comparative negligence is a rule used in negligence cases in some states that provides for computing both the plaintiff's and the defendant's negligence, with the plaintiff's damages being reduced by a percentage representing the degree of their contributing fault.