(a) If an insurer replaces a policy or certificate that it has previously issued, the insurer shall recognize past insured status by granting premium credits toward the premiums for the replacement policy or certificate. The premium credits shall equal five percent of the annual premium of the prior policy or certificate for each full year the prior policy or certificate was in force. The premium credit shall be applied toward all future premium payments for the replacement policy or certificate, but the cumulative credit allowed need not exceed 50 percent. No credit need be provided if a claim has been filed under the original policy or certificate.
(b) The cumulative credits allowed need not reduce the premium for the replacement policy or certificate to less than the premium of the original policy or certificate.
(c) This section shall not apply to life insurance policies that accelerate benefits for long-term care.
(Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 1067, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 1999.)