Attached files
file | filename |
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EX-10.8 - AMIC Holdings, Inc. | v207544_ex10-8.htm |
EX-31.2 - AMIC Holdings, Inc. | v207544_ex31-2.htm |
EX-31.1 - AMIC Holdings, Inc. | v207544_ex31-1.htm |
EX-10.7 - AMIC Holdings, Inc. | v207544_ex10-7.htm |
EX-32.1 - AMIC Holdings, Inc. | v207544_ex32-1.htm |
EX-32.2 - AMIC Holdings, Inc. | v207544_ex32-2.htm |
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-K/A
(Amendment
No. 1)
ANNUAL
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
FOR
THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2009
COMMISSION
FILE NUMBER 001-05270
AMERICAN
INDEPENDENCE CORP.
(Exact
name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
DELAWARE
|
11-1817252
|
|
(State
of Incorporation)
|
(I.
R.S. Employer Identification
No.)
|
485
Madison Avenue, New York, New York
|
10022
|
(Address
of Principal Executive Offices)
|
(Zip
Code)
|
(212)
355-4141
Registrant's
telephone number, including area
code:
|
NONE
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the
Act
|
COMMON
STOCK, PAR VALUE $0.01 PER SHARE
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the
Act
|
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in
Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
¨
Yes x
No
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to
Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act.
¨
Yes x
No
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be
filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the
preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required
to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for
the past 90 days. Yesx No
¨
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on
its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be
submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this
chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required to submit and post such
files). ¨
Yes ¨
No
Indicate
by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of
Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best
of the registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this
Form 10-K. ¨
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting
company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,”
“accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act:
Large
accelerated filer ¨ Accelerated
filer ¨ Non-accelerated
filer ¨ Smaller
reporting company x
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Act).
¨
Yes x
No
The
aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by
non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was
last sold, as of June 30, 2009 was $19,407,000.
Indicate
the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common
stock, as of the latest practicable date.
Class
|
Outstanding at March 25,
2010
|
|
Common
Stock, $0.01 par value
|
8,506,489
|
Explanatory
Note
This
Amendment No. 1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2009, as filed on March 25, 2010 (the “Original Filing”), is filed
in response to comments set forth in a letter dated December 15, 2010 received
by the Company from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“SEC”). In response to such comments, we have included additional
disclosure under “Part III, Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate
Governance,” which disclosure is intended to clarify and supplement the
disclosure previously set forth in the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement on
Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on April 30, 2010.
Additionally, in response to the SEC’s comments, we have
also amended and restated “Part IV, Item 15, Exhibits and Financial Statement
Schedules.”
Pursuant
to Rule 12b-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, this
Amendment amends the Original Filing and contains new certifications pursuant to
Section 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
Except as
described above, no other amendments have been made to the Original
Filing. This Amendment speaks only as of the date of the Original
Filing, and the Company has not updated the disclosure contained therein to
reflect events that have occurred since the date of the Original
Filing. Accordingly, this Amendment should be read in conjunction
with the Company’s other filings made with the SEC subsequent to the filing of
the Original Filing, including any amendments to those filings.
1
FORM
10-K/A CROSS REFERENCE INDEX
PART III
|
Item 10.
|
Directors,
Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
|
3
|
PART IV
|
Item 15.
|
Exhibits
and Financial Statement Schedules
|
10
|
2
Item
10. Directors, Executive Officers and
Corporate Governance
Nominees
for Election to the Board
Director, Year First
Elected as Director
|
Age
|
Principal Occupation,
Business and Directorships
|
||
Mr.
Edward A. Bennett
1998
|
63
|
Non-Executive
Chairman of the Board since June 2001; from 2000 to 2001, a Partner of
(212) Ventures, a venture capital firm dedicated to investing in
infrastructure and wireless internet services and technologies; from 1997
until 2002, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bennett Media
Collaborative, a new media, internet and technology consulting
company; President and Chief Executive Officer of Prodigy
Ventures, an internet/ technology investment firm, from June 1996 to June
1997, and President and Chief Executive Officer of Prodigy Services
Corporation, an internet services company, from April 1995 to June 1996;
prior to that, President and Chief Executive Officer at VH-1
Networks from 1989 to 1994, and Executive Vice President and Chief
Operating Officer at Viacom Cable from 1979 to 1989.
The
experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills that led the Board to
conclude that Mr. Bennett should serve as one of the Company’s directors
are described as follows:
Mr.
Bennett has extensive experience in the governance of technology companies
(relevant to the Company’s online ventures), in investments (relevant to
the Company’s investment strategy), in marketing and in growing successful
organizations with entrepreneurial company cultures.
|
||
Mr.
Edward Netter
2002
|
77
|
Chairman
of the Board and a Director of Independence Holding Company (“IHC”) since
December 1990; Chief Executive Officer of IHC from December 1990 until
January 2000; Chairman of the Board since February 1978 and a Director
since 1977 of Geneve Corporation (“Geneve”); since January 1998, a
Director of The Aristotle Corporation (“Aristotle”), a publicly held
company with its principal executive offices in Stamford, Connecticut,
which is a leading manufacturer and global distributor of educational,
health and agricultural products.
The
experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills that led the Board to
conclude that Mr. Netter should serve as one of the Company’s directors
are described as follows:
Mr.
Netter has extensive experience in diverse, complex businesses and
transactions, including involving public companies in the insurance
industry. In addition, Mr. Netter is the Chairman of the Board
of Directors of IHC, the Company’s majority stockholder and primary source
of business.
|
3
Director, Year First
Elected as Director
|
Age
|
Principal Occupation,
Business and Directorships
|
||
Mr.
Myron M. Picoult
2002
|
68
|
Since
April 2004, a self-employed independent insurance consultant; from July
2002 through April 2004, an advisor working exclusively for Lazard Freres
& Company, an investment bank located in New York, New York, with
regard to all facets of the insurance industry; from July 1996 through
July 2002, a Senior Advisor at Dresdner Klienwort Wasserstein, an
investment bank located in New York, New York; from August 1995 to July
1996, a Managing Director and Senior Insurance Analyst for First Manhattan
Company, an investment firm located in New York, New York; from June 1979
to June 1995, a Managing Director and Senior Insurance Analyst for
Oppenheimer & Company, Inc., an investment bank located in New York,
New York; from February 1971 through May 1979, a Limited Partner and
Senior Insurance Analyst for Bear, Stearns and Company, an investment bank
located in New York, New York.
The
experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills that led the Board to
conclude that Mr. Picoult should serve as one of the Company’s directors
are described as follows:
Mr.
Picoult has extensive experience in diverse, complex businesses and
transactions, including involving public companies in the insurance
industry.
|
||
Mr.
Ronald I. Simon
1995
|
71
|
Chairman
of the Board from August 1997 until April 1999, Vice Chairman of the Board
from April 1999 to February 2001, Acting Chairman of the Board, Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer from February 2001 through
May 2001, Chairman of the Compensation Committee since January 2003, and a
member of the Audit Committee since January 2005; from May 1997 through
April 2000, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of
Western Water Company, and a Director of the company from September 1999
to September 2001; a Director of Collateral Therapeutics Inc., a developer
of non-surgical gene therapy procedures for the treatment of
cardiovascular diseases, from May 1999 through July 2002, when the company
was acquired by Schering, AG; from January 2006 through January
2009, a Director of Cardium Therapeutics, a company formed to
acquire and further develop the procedures originally developed by
Collateral Therapeutics; from August 2001 through June 2002, Chief
Financial Officer of Wingcast, Inc., a joint venture of Ford Motor Company
and Qualcomm, Inc.; from April 2003 through April 2005, Director of BDI
Investment Corp., a closely held regulated investment company; from March
2003 through February 2006, a Director of WFS Financial, Inc., one of the
nation’s largest independent automobile finance companies; since August
2007, a director and member of the audit committee of Ellington Financial,
LLC, a specialty finance company specializing in acquiring and managing
mortgage-related assets.
The
experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills that led the Board to
conclude that Mr. Simon should serve as one of the Company’s directors are
described as follows:
Mr.
Simon has extensive experience in finance, corporate governance, corporate
management and in growing successful organizations with entrepreneurial
company cultures.
|
4
Director, Year First
Elected as Director
|
Age
|
Principal Occupation,
Business and Directorships
|
||
Mr.
Roy T.K. Thung
2002
|
66
|
Since
November 2002, Chief Executive Officer and President; Chief Executive
Officer, President and a Director of IHC since January 2000; from July
1999 to December 1999, President, Chief Operating Officer and a Director
of IHC; from November 1993 to July 1999, Executive Vice President, Chief
Financial Officer, Treasurer and a Director of IHC; from October 1993 to
July 1999, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Geneve;
since July 1999, Executive Vice President of Geneve; since June 2002, a
Director of Aristotle.
The
experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills that led the Board to
conclude that Mr. Thung should serve as one of the Company’s directors are
described as follows:
Mr.
Thung has extensive experience in diverse, complex businesses and
transactions, including involving public companies in the insurance
industry. In addition, Mr. Thung is the Chief Executive Officer
and President of IHC, the Company’s majority stockholder and primary
source of business.
|
||
Mr.
Martin E. Winter
2002
|
|
56
|
|
Chairman
of the Audit Committee since December 2002; since September 2003, a
Managing Director of Alvarez & Marsal, a global diversified
professional services firm, which assists companies to solve problems and
unlock value; from 2002 to 2005, Chief Executive Officer of Independent
Board Advisory Services, located in New York, New York, which provides
clearly defined solutions and objective financial analysis to audit
committees and boards of directors of publicly held companies, and was
affiliated with Alvarez & Marsal; from 1988 to September 2002, a
principal (since 1994), Senior Vice President and Director, and Chief
Financial Officer and other positions at various times, with MD Sass
Investors Services, Inc. and affiliated companies, a privately held
investment management firm; for more than five years prior to 2000,
Secretary and Treasurer of Corporate Renaissance Group, Inc., a publicly
traded business development company.
The
experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills that led the Board to
conclude that Mr. Winter should serve as one of the Company’s directors
are described as follows:
Mr.
Winter has extensive executive experience in major organizations and has
valuable expertise with financial issues, risk management and
oversight.
|
5
Executive
Officers
Except
for Mr. Thung, who serves as (and is nominated to continue as) a director of
AMIC, set forth below is information about each executive officer of AMIC,
including such officer’s name, age, all positions and offices held with AMIC and
its subsidiaries and principal occupations and business experience during the
past five years. AMIC’s officers are elected by the Board, each to
serve until his or her successor is elected and has qualified, or until his or
her earlier resignation, removal from office or death.
Mr. Bernon R. Erickson, Jr.,
49
Chief
Health Actuary and Senior Vice President
Since
June 2007, Chief Health Actuary and Senior Vice President; since April 2007,
Chief Health Actuary and Senior Vice President of IHC; since April 2007, Chief
Executive Officer and President of Actuarial Management Corporation, a wholly
owned subsidiary of IHC; for more than five years prior to April 2007, President
and founder of Actuarial Management Corporation.
Ms. Teresa A. Herbert, age
48
Chief
Financial Officer and Senior Vice President
Since
November 2002, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President; since March
2005, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of IHC; since March
2001, Vice President of Geneve Corporation.
Mr. David T. Kettig, age
51
Chief
Operating Officer and Senior Vice President
Since
April 2009, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President; from June 2007 to
April 2009, Co-Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President; from November
2002 to June 2007, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President; since
December 1, 2006, President and a director of Independence American Insurance
Company (“Independence American”), a wholly owned subsidiary of AMIC; since
April 2009, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of IHC; from
January 2006 to April 2009, Co-Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President
of IHC.
Mr. Jeffrey C. Smedsrud,
51
Chief
Marketing and Strategy Officer and Senior Vice President
Since
June 2007, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer and Senior Vice President; since
April 2008, Chief Executive Officer of Independent Producers of
America, LLC, a subsidiary of AMIC; since March 2006, Chief Marketing and
Strategy Officer and Senior Vice President of IHC; since March 2006, Chief
Executive Officer and President of IHC Health Solutions, Inc., a wholly owned
subsidiary of IHC; for more than five years prior thereto, president and founder
of CA Marketing and Management Services, LLC, the corporate predecessor to IHC
Health Solutions, Inc.; prior thereto, managing partner of CORE
Marketing.
Mr. Henry B. Spencer, age
70
Vice
President — Investments
Since
March 2005, Vice President — Investments; since March 2005, Vice President –
Investments of IHC; for more than five years prior thereto, Chief Investment
Officer of Head Asset Management, an investment advisory affiliate of Head &
Co, merchant bankers in the insurance industry, located in New York, New York;
for eleven years prior thereto, Senior Vice President — Investments for Guardian
Life Insurance Company, located in New York, New York.
Mr. Adam C. Vandervoort, age
35
Vice
President, General Counsel and Secretary
Since
September 2006, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary; since September
2006, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of IHC; for more than five
years prior to September 2006, attorney in private practice. Mr.
Vandervoort is licensed to practice law in the states of California, Connecticut
and New York.
6
CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE MATTERS
Corporate
Governance Documents
In
furtherance of its longstanding goals of providing effective governance of
American Independence Corp.’s (AMIC’s) business and affairs for the long-term
benefit of stockholders and promoting a culture and reputation of the highest
ethics, integrity and reliability, the Board has adopted:
|
·
|
a
Code of Business Ethics that applies to AMIC’s President and Chief
Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, principal accounting officers
or controller and other Company employees performing similar functions
(the “Code of Ethics”);
|
|
·
|
a
Corporate Code of Conduct that applies to all employees, officers and
directors of AMIC and its subsidiaries and affiliates (the “Code of
Conduct”); and
|
|
·
|
written
charters for its audit and compensation committees (the
“Charters”).
|
The Code
of Ethics, Code of Conduct, and the Charters can be found on AMIC’s website at
www.americanindependencecorp.com, and are also available in print to any
stockholder who requests them. The information on AMIC’s website,
however, is not incorporated by reference in, and does not form part of, this
document. The Board does not anticipate modifying the Code of Ethics
or the Code of Conduct, or granting any waivers to either, but were any such
waiver or modification to occur, it would promptly be disclosed on AMIC’s
website.
Director
Independence
As a
company listed on the NASDAQ Global Market, AMIC adopts and uses as its
definition of independence the standards for independence set forth in the rules
applicable to companies listed on the NASDAQ Global Market (the “NASDAQ
Rules”). The Board has determined that four directors (Messrs.
Bennett, Picoult, Simon and Winter, collectively “Independent Members”) meet
such definition of independence. The remaining directors, Messrs.
Netter and Thung, were nominated by IHC pursuant to that certain Stock
Agreement, dated as of July 30, 2002, among AMIC, IHC and a subsidiary of IHC
pursuant to which, IHC is entitled to nominate at least two directors. Messrs.
Netter and Thung are not independent. Since a majority of the Board is comprised
of Independent Members, AMIC meets the independence standards in the NASDAQ
Rules. For each independent director, after reasonable investigations
and in reliance on representations made by such independent director to AMIC,
AMIC believes there is no transaction, relationship, or arrangement not
otherwise disclosed.
Board
Leadership Structure
The Board
understands that there is no single, generally accepted approach to providing
Board leadership and that given the dynamic and competitive environment in which
we operate, the right Board leadership structure may vary as circumstances
warrant. To this end, the Board has no policy mandating the combination or
separation of the roles of Chairman and CEO and believes the matter should be
discussed and considered from time to time as circumstances change. Currently,
the Company maintains a separate Chairman and CEO. This leadership structure is
appropriate for the Company at this time as it permits our CEO, Mr. Roy T.K.
Thung, to focus on management of the Company’s day-to-day operations, while
allowing our Chairman, Mr. Edward A. Bennett, to lead the Board in its
fundamental role of providing advice to and independent oversight of
management.
Board
Role in Risk Oversight; Audit Committee
The Board
administers its risk oversight function directly and through its Audit
Committee. The Board and the Audit Committee regularly discuss with management,
and the Company’s independent auditors and internal auditor, our major risk
exposures, their potential financial impact on the Company, and the steps we
take to manage these risks.
In
general, management is responsible for the day-to-day management of the risks
the Company faces, while the Board, acting as a whole and through the Audit
Committee, has responsibility for the oversight of risk management. In its risk
oversight role, the Board has the responsibility to satisfy itself that the risk
management processes designed and implemented by management are adequate and
functioning as designed. Senior management attends the regular
quarterly meetings of the Board and is available to address questions and
concerns raised by the Board on risk management-related and other
matters.
7
The Audit
Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities with
respect to risk management in the areas of financial reporting, internal
controls and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. In addition, the
Audit Committee discusses policies with respect to risk assessment and risk
management with management, internal audit and the independent
auditors.
The Audit
Committee assists the Board with oversight of risk management by reviewing the
Company’s financial statements and meeting with the Company’s independent
auditors and internal auditor at regularly scheduled meetings of the Audit
Committee to review their reports on the adequacy and effectiveness of our
internal audit and internal control systems and discusses with management the
Company’s major financial risks and exposures and the steps management has taken
to monitor and control such risks and exposures.
Audit
Committee Financial Expert
The Board
has determined that at least two members of the Board’s Audit Committee, Messrs.
Winter and Simon, qualify as “audit committee financial experts” as such term is
defined in Item 401(h)(2) of Regulation S-K, promulgated by the
SEC.
Executive
Sessions of Independent Members
Independent
Members meet at least twice annually at regularly scheduled executive sessions,
in connection with regularly scheduled Board meetings. At least once
a year, such meetings include only the independent members of the
Board. Mr. Winter presides over meetings of the non-employee and
independent directors.
Communications
with Directors
You may
communicate directly with any member or committee of the Board by writing
to: AMIC Board of Directors, c/o Corporate Secretary, 485 Madison
Avenue, 14th Floor,
New York, New York 10022. Please specify to whom your letter should
be directed. The Corporate Secretary of AMIC will review all such
correspondence and regularly forward to the Board a summary of all such
correspondence and copies of all correspondence that, in his opinion, deals with
the functions of the Board or its committees or that he otherwise determines
requires the attention of any member, group or committee of the
Board. Board members may, at any time, review a log of all
correspondence received by AMIC that is addressed to Board members and request
copies of any such correspondence.
Interested
parties who wish to communicate with non-management AMIC directors, or with the
presiding director of the Board’s executive sessions, may do so by writing to
AMIC Board of Directors, c/o Corporate Secretary, Attn: Non-management Directors
(or the Presiding Director for executive sessions, as applicable), 485 Madison
Avenue, 14th Floor,
New York, New York 10022. All such mail received will
first be opened and screened for security purposes.
Nomination
of Director Candidates
The
NASDAQ Rules allow that, in
lieu of an independent nominating committee, director nominees may be
selected by a majority of a company’s independent directors. Given the
relatively small size of the Board and the Stock Agreement’s requirements, AMIC
believes that it is not necessary or appropriate to form a separate nominating
committee and has elected instead to have the Independent Members fulfill these
duties. In
selecting candidates for nomination to serve on the Board, the Independent
Members begin by determining whether the incumbent directors desire and are
qualified to continue their service on the Board. The Board is of the view that
the continuing service of qualified incumbents promotes stability and continuity
in the board room, giving AMIC the benefit of the familiarity and insight into
AMIC’s affairs that its directors have accumulated during their tenure, while
contributing to the Board’s ability to work as a collective body. Accordingly,
it is the policy of the Independent Members, absent special circumstances, to
nominate qualified incumbent directors who continue to satisfy AMIC’s criteria
for membership on the Board, who the Independent Members believe will continue
to make important contributions to the Board and who consent to stand for
reelection and, if reelected, to continue their service on the Board. If there
are Board positions for which the Independent Members will not be re-nominating
a qualified incumbent, the Independent Members will solicit recommendations for
nominees from persons whom the Independent Members believe are likely to be
familiar with qualified candidates, including members of the Board and senior
management. The Independent Members will review and evaluate each candidate whom
they believe merits serious consideration, taking into account all available
information concerning the candidate, the qualifications for Board membership
established by AMIC, the existing composition and mix of talent and expertise on
the Board and other factors that they deem relevant. In conducting their review
and evaluation, the Independent Members may solicit the views of management and
other members of the Board and may, if deemed helpful, conduct interviews of
proposed candidates.
8
The Board
does not have a formal policy with respect to diversity. However, the Board
seeks to have a Board that reflects an appropriate balance of knowledge,
experience, skills, expertise and diversity, as applicable to our industry. The
Board assesses its achievement of diversity through the review of Board
composition as part of the Board’s annual self-assessment process.
By
resolution adopted by the Board, AMIC requires that all candidates for director
be persons of integrity and sound ethical character, be able to represent all
stockholders fairly, have no interests that materially conflict with those of
AMIC and its stockholders, have demonstrated professional achievement, have
meaningful management, advisory or policy making experience, have a general
appreciation of the major business issues facing AMIC, and have adequate time to
devote to service on the Board. Additionally, AMIC requires that (subject to
vacancies) a majority of directors be independent as defined under the NASDAQ
Rules, that at least three of the directors have the financial literacy
necessary for service on the audit committee and at least one of these directors
qualify as an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined by applicable SEC
rules.
The
Independent Members will consider recommendations for director nominations
submitted by stockholders entitled to vote in the election of directors.
However, the Independent Members will only consider candidates who satisfy the
minimum qualifications for director outlined above. In considering a stockholder
recommendation, the Independent Members will take into account, among other
factors, the size and duration of the recommending stockholder’s ownership
interest in AMIC and whether the stockholder intends to continue holding that
interest through the annual meeting date. Stockholders should be aware, as
discussed above, that it is the general policy of AMIC to re-nominate qualified
incumbent directors; and that, absent special circumstances, the Independent
Members will not consider other candidates when a qualified incumbent consents
to stand for reelection. See “Stockholder Proposals” for procedures to forward
stockholder nominations to the Independent Members.
Meetings
During
2009, the Board and its committees held nine meetings. Each director
attended at least 75% of the aggregate of: (i) the total number of meetings of
the Board; and (ii) the total number of meetings held by all committees of the
Board on which he served.
Committees
The Board
has an Audit Committee and a Compensation Committee (the “Compensation
Committee”). The Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee both consist
entirely of non-employee directors who satisfy the independence requirements in
the NASDAQ Rules and applicable SEC rules and regulations. AMIC does not have a
standing nominating committee, as explained above. Committee
memberships are as follows:
Audit Committee
|
Compensation Committee
|
|
Mr.
Martin E. Winter (Chairman)
|
Mr.
Ronald I. Simon (Chairman)
|
|
Mr.
Edward A. Bennett
|
Mr.
Myron M. Picoult
|
|
Mr.
Myron M. Picoult
|
Mr.
Martin E. Winter
|
|
Mr.
Ronald I. Simon
|
|
Audit
Committee. The principal functions of the Audit Committee are
to: (i) select an independent registered public accounting firm; (ii) review and
approve management’s plan for engaging AMIC’s independent registered public
accounting firm during the year to perform non-audit services, and consider what
effect these services will have on the independence of AMIC’s independent
registered public accounting firm; (iii) review AMIC’s annual financial
statements and other financial reports that require approval by the Board; (iv)
oversee the integrity of AMIC’s financial statements, AMIC’s systems of
disclosure controls and internal controls over financial reporting and AMIC’s
compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; (v) review the scope of audit
plans of AMIC’s internal audit function and independent registered public
accounting firm and the results of their audits; and (vi) evaluate the
performance of AMIC’s internal audit function and independent registered public
accounting firm.
The Audit
Committee met four times during 2009. The Audit Committee and the Board have
determined that each member of the Audit Committee is financially literate and
Messrs. Winter and Simon qualify as “audit committee financial experts,” as such
term is defined in Item 401(h)(2) of Regulation S-K, promulgated by the
SEC.
9
Compensation
Committee. The Compensation Committee assists the Board in
fulfilling its responsibilities with regard to compensation matters, is
responsible for determining the compensation of AMIC’s executive officers, and
administers AMIC’s 2009 Stock Incentive Plan (“2009 Stock Incentive
Plan”) and 1998 Stock Incentive Plan (“1998 Stock Incentive
Plan”). During 2009, no compensation was paid by AMIC to the Chief
Executive Officer or other executive officers. The Compensation
Committee met one time in 2009.
The
Compensation Committee exercises sole authority to determine and approve the
Chief Executive Officer’s compensation level. Management’s
recommendations as to the form and level of compensation of AMIC’s other
executive officers are subject to the approval of the Compensation Committee.
The Committee has not retained a compensation consultant.
Attendance
at Annual Meeting of Stockholders
Each AMIC
director is expected to be present at the Annual Meeting of
Stockholders. Were an AMIC director unable to attend the annual
meeting, AMIC would endeavor to arrange for the director’s participation by
teleconference. At last year’s annual meeting, every AMIC director
attended in person.
Section
16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section
16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires
directors and certain officers of AMIC and persons who own more than ten percent
of AMIC common stock to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”)
initial reports of beneficial ownership (Form 3) and reports of subsequent
changes in their beneficial ownership (Form 4 or Form 5) of AMIC’s common
stock. Such directors, officers and greater-than-ten-percent
stockholders are required to furnish AMIC with copies of the Section 16(a)
reports they file. The SEC has established specific due dates for
these reports, and AMIC is required to disclose in this document any late
filings or failures to file.
Based
solely upon a review of the copies of the Section 16(a) reports (and any
amendments thereto) furnished to AMIC and written representations from certain
reporting persons that no additional reports were required, AMIC believes that
its directors, reporting officers and greater-than-ten-percent stockholders
complied with all these filing requirements for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2009.
PART
IV
Item
15. Exhibits and Financial Statement
Schedules
(a)
Financial Statements and Schedules
(1)
|
Financial
Statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, and
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting
Firm
|
See Index
to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form
10-K.
(2)
|
Financial
Statement Schedules*
|
|
Schedule
I – Summary of investments – other than investments in related
parties
|
76
|
|
Schedule
II – Financial information of Parent Company
|
77-79
|
|
Schedule
III – Supplementary insurance information
|
80
|
|
Schedule
V – Valuation and Qualifying Accounts
|
81
|
*All
other schedules have been omitted as they are not applicable or not required, or
the information is included in the Consolidated Financial Statements or Notes
thereto.
(3)
|
Exhibits - See Index to Exhibits
included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (numbered in accordance with
Item 601 of Regulation
S-K).
|
10
(b)
Exhibits
Exhibit
No.
|
Description of Document
|
|
2.1
|
Stock
Purchase Agreement, dated as of July 30, 2002, between Registrant, SSH
Corporation and Independence Holding Company. Incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.1 of the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K dated July 31,
2002.
|
|
3.1
|
Second
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant. Incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the registrant's Annual Report on form 10K for
the fiscal year ended September 30, 2002.
|
|
3.2
|
Amended
By-Laws of the Registrant. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the
registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
September 30, 2002.
|
|
4.1
|
Registration
Rights Agreement, dated as of July 30, 2002, between Registrant and
Madison Investors Corporation. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of
the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K dated July 31,
2002.
|
|
4.2
|
Stock
Agreement, dated as of July 30, 2002, between Registrant, Independence
Holding Company and Madison Investors Corporation. Incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K
dated July 31, 2002.
|
|
4.3
|
Rights
Agreement, dated as of July 30, 2002, between Registrant and Mellon
Investor Services LLC which includes the form of Certificate of
Designations of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of
Registrant as Exhibit A, the form of Right Certificate as Exhibit B and
the Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares as Exhibit C.
Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Registrant's Current
Report on Form 8-K dated July 31, 2002.
|
|
10.1
|
Services
Agreement, dated as of November 15, 2002, by and between American
Independence Corp. and Independence Holding Company. Incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K
dated November 14, 2002.
|
|
10.2
|
Agency
Agreement, dated February 22, 2006, between the Registrant and First
Integrated Health, Inc. Incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.2 of the
Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2005.
|
|
10.3
|
Registrant’s
1998 Stock Incentive Plan Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-8 dated May 10,
1999.
|
|
10.4
|
Registrant’s
1999 Supplemental Stock Incentive Plan. Incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 99.1 of the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-8 dated
June 8, 1999.
|
|
10.5
|
Contribution
Agreement dated April 15, 2008 by and among Independent Producers of
America, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Registrant, Insurance
Producers Group of America, Inc., Insurance Producers of America Agency,
Inc. and Independent Producers of America Agency, Inc. Incorporated by
reference to exhibit 10.1 of the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K
dated April 22, 2008.
|
|
10.6
|
Registrant’s
2009 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2009 Plan”), form of Restricted Share
Award Agreement under the 2009 Plan and form of Stock Option Award
Agreement under the 2009 Plan. (The 2009 Plan was filed as Appendix A to
the Proxy Statement for the Registrant’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders
held on June 19, 2009 and is incorporated herein by reference; the form of
restricted share award agreement was filed as Exhibit 4.4 to the
Registrant’s Form S-8 filed with the SEC on July 31, 2009 and is
incorporated herein by reference; and the form of stock option award
agreement was filed as Exhibit 4.5 to the Registrant’s Form S-8 filed with
the SEC on July 31, 2009 and is incorporated herein by
reference.)
|
|
10.7
|
Quota
Share Reinsurance Agreement between Madison National Life Insurance, Inc.
and Independence American Insurance Company, as
amended.**
|
|
10.8
|
Quota
Share Reinsurance Agreement between Standard Security Life Insurance
Company of New York and Independence American Insurance Company, as
amended.**
|
|
21.1
|
Subsidiaries
of the Registrant. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 21.1 of the
Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2009.
|
|
31.1
|
Certification
of President and Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.**
|
|
31.2
|
Certification
of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002.**
|
|
32.1
|
Certification
of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002.**
|
|
32.2
|
|
Certification
of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002.**
|
** Filed
herewith.
11
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section
13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized on January 7, 2011.
AMERICAN
INDEPENDENCE CORP.
Signature
|
||||
/S/
Teresa A. Herbert
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
|
|||
(Teresa
A. Herbert)
|
(Principal
Financial and Accounting Officer)
|
12
AMERICAN
INDEPENDENCE CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES
INDEX
TO EXHIBITS
Exhibit
No.
|
Description of Document
|
|
2.1
|
Stock
Purchase Agreement, dated as of July 30, 2002, between Registrant, SSH
Corporation and Independence Holding Company. Incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.1 of the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K dated July 31,
2002.
|
|
3.1
|
Second
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant. Incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the registrant's Annual Report on form 10K for
the fiscal year ended September 30, 2002.
|
|
3.2
|
Amended
By-Laws of the Registrant. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the
registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
September 30, 2002.
|
|
4.1
|
Registration
Rights Agreement, dated as of July 30, 2002, between Registrant and
Madison Investors Corporation. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of
the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K dated July 31,
2002.
|
|
4.2
|
Stock
Agreement, dated as of July 30, 2002, between Registrant, Independence
Holding Company and Madison Investors Corporation. Incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K
dated July 31, 2002.
|
|
4.3
|
Rights
Agreement, dated as of July 30, 2002, between Registrant and Mellon
Investor Services LLC which includes the form of Certificate of
Designations of the Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of
Registrant as Exhibit A, the form of Right Certificate as Exhibit B and
the Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares as Exhibit C.
Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Registrant's Current
Report on Form 8-K dated July 31, 2002.
|
|
10.1
|
Services
Agreement, dated as of November 15, 2002, by and between American
Independence Corp. and Independence Holding Company. Incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K
dated November 14, 2002.
|
|
10.2
|
Agency
Agreement, dated February 22, 2006, between the Registrant and First
Integrated Health, Inc. Incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.2 of the
Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2005.
|
|
10.3
|
Registrant’s
1998 Stock Incentive Plan Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of the
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-8 dated May 10,
1999.
|
|
10.4
|
Registrant’s
1999 Supplemental Stock Incentive Plan. Incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 99.1 of the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-8 dated
June 8, 1999.
|
|
10.5
|
Contribution
Agreement dated April 15, 2008 by and among Independent Producers of
America, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Registrant, Insurance
Producers Group of America, Inc., Insurance Producers of America Agency,
Inc. and Independent Producers of America Agency, Inc. Incorporated by
reference to exhibit 10.1 of the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K
dated April 22, 2008.
|
|
10.6
|
Registrant’s
2009 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2009 Plan”), form of Restricted Share
Award Agreement under the 2009 Plan and form of Stock Option Award
Agreement under the 2009 Plan. (The 2009 Plan was filed as Appendix A to
the Proxy Statement for the Registrant’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders
held on June 19, 2009 and is incorporated herein by reference; the form of
restricted share award agreement was filed as Exhibit 4.4 to the
Registrant’s Form S-8 filed with the SEC on July 31, 2009 and is
incorporated herein by reference; and the form of stock option award
agreement was filed as Exhibit 4.5 to the Registrant’s Form S-8 filed with
the SEC on July 31, 2009 and is incorporated herein by
reference.)
|
|
10.7
|
Quota
Share Reinsurance Agreement between Madison National Life Insurance, Inc.
and Independence American Insurance Company, as
amended.**
|
|
10.8
|
Quota
Share Reinsurance Agreement between Standard Security Life Insurance
Company of New York and Independence American Insurance Company, as
amended.**
|
|
21.1
|
Subsidiaries
of the Registrant. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 21.1 of the
Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2009.
|
|
31.1
|
Certification
of President and Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.**
|
|
31.2
|
Certification
of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002.**
|
|
32.1
|
|
Certification
of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002.**
|
** Filed
herewith.
13