(a) (1) An issuer shall not deny or condition the offering or effectiveness of any Medicare supplement contract available for sale in this state, nor discriminate in the pricing of a contract because of the health status, claims experience, receipt of health care, or medical condition of an applicant in the case of an application for a contract that is submitted prior to or during the six-month period beginning with the first day of the first month in which an individual is both 65 years of age or older and is enrolled for benefits under Medicare Part B. Each Medicare supplement contract currently available from an issuer shall be made available to all applicants who qualify under this subdivision and who are 65 years of age or older.
(2) (A) An issuer shall make available Medicare supplement benefit plans A, B, C, and F, if currently available, to an applicant who qualifies under this subdivision, who is 64 years of age or younger, and who does not have end-stage renal disease. An issuer shall also make available to those applicants Medicare supplement benefit plan K or L, if currently available, or Medicare supplement benefit plan M or N, if currently available. The selection between Medicare supplement benefit plan K or L and the selection between Medicare supplement benefit plan M or N shall be made at the issuer’s discretion.
(B) For contracts sold or issued on or after January 1, 2020, to newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1358.92, an issuer shall make available Medicare supplement benefit plans A, B, D, and G, if currently available, to applicants who qualify under this subdivision who are 64 years of age or younger and who do not have end-stage renal disease. An issuer shall also make available to those applicants Medicare supplement benefit plan K or L, if currently available, or Medicare supplement benefit plan M or N, if currently available. The selection between Medicare supplement benefit plan K or L and the selection between Medicare supplement benefit plan M or N shall be made at the issuer’s discretion.
(3) This section and Section 1358.12 do not prohibit an issuer in determining subscriber rates from treating applicants who are under 65 years of age and are eligible for Medicare Part B as a separate risk classification.
(b) (1) If an applicant qualifies under subdivision (a) and submits an application during the time period referenced in subdivision (a) and, as of the date of application, has had a continuous period of creditable coverage of at least six months, the issuer shall not exclude benefits based on a preexisting condition.
(2) If the applicant qualifies under subdivision (a) and submits an application during the time period referenced in subdivision (a) and, as of the date of application, has had a continuous period of creditable coverage that is less than six months, the issuer shall reduce the period of any preexisting condition exclusion by the aggregate of the period of creditable coverage applicable to the applicant as of the enrollment date. The manner of the reduction under this subdivision shall be as specified by the director.
(c) Except as provided in subdivision (b) and Section 1358.23, subdivision (a) does not prevent the exclusion of benefits under a contract, during the first six months, based on a preexisting condition for which the enrollee received treatment or was otherwise diagnosed during the six months before the coverage became effective.
(d) An individual enrolled in Medicare by reason of disability shall be entitled to open enrollment described in this section for six months after the date of their enrollment in Medicare Part B, or if notified retroactively of their eligibility for Medicare, for six months following notice of eligibility. Sales during the open enrollment period shall not be discouraged by any means, including the altering of the commission structure.
(e) (1) An individual enrolled in Medicare Part B is entitled to open enrollment described in this section for six months following:
(A) Receipt of a notice of termination or, if no notice is received, the effective date of termination from any employer-sponsored health plan including an employer-sponsored retiree health plan.
(B) Receipt of a notice of loss of eligibility due to the divorce or death of a spouse or, if no notice is received, the effective date of loss of eligibility due to the divorce or death of a spouse, from any employer-sponsored health plan including an employer-sponsored retiree health plan.
(C) Termination of health care services for a military retiree or the retiree’s Medicare eligible spouse or dependent as a result of a military base closure or loss of access to health care services because the base no longer offers services or because the individual relocates.
(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “employer-sponsored retiree health plan” includes any coverage for medical expenses, including coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) and the California Continuation Benefits Replacement Act (Cal-COBRA), that is directly or indirectly sponsored or established by an employer for employees or retirees, their spouses, dependents, or other included covered persons.
(f) An individual enrolled in Medicare Part B is entitled to open enrollment described in this section if the individual was covered under a policy, certificate, or contract providing Medicare supplement coverage but that coverage terminated because the individual established residence at a location not served by the issuer.
(g) (1) An individual whose coverage was terminated by a Medicare Advantage plan shall be entitled to an additional 60-day open enrollment period to be added on to and run consecutively after any open enrollment period authorized by federal law or regulation, for any and all Medicare supplement coverage available on a guaranteed basis under state and federal law or regulations for persons terminated by their Medicare Advantage plan.
(2) Health plans that terminate Medicare enrollees shall notify those enrollees in the termination notice of the additional open enrollment period authorized by this subdivision. Health plan notices shall inform enrollees of the opportunity to secure advice and assistance from the HICAP in their area, along with the toll-free telephone number for HICAP.
(h) (1) An individual shall be entitled to an annual open enrollment period lasting 60 days or more, commencing with the individual’s birthday, during which time that person may purchase any Medicare supplement coverage that offers benefits equal to or lesser than those provided by the previous coverage. During this open enrollment period, an issuer that falls under this paragraph shall not deny or condition the issuance or effectiveness of Medicare supplement coverage, nor discriminate in the pricing of coverage, because of health status, claims experience, receipt of health care, or medical condition of the individual if, at the time of the open enrollment period, the individual is covered under another Medicare supplement policy, certificate, or contract. An issuer that offers Medicare supplement contracts shall notify an enrollee of their rights under this subdivision at least 30 and no more than 60 days before the beginning of the open enrollment period, and on any notice related to a benefit modification or premium adjustment.
(2) For purposes of this subdivision, the following provisions apply:
(A) A 1990 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan A shall be deemed to offer benefits equal to those provided by a 2010 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan A.
(B) A 1990 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan B shall be deemed to offer benefits equal to those provided by a 2010 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan B.
(C) A 1990 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan C shall be deemed to offer benefits equal to those provided by a 2010 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan C.
(D) A 1990 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan D shall be deemed to offer benefits equal to those provided by a 2010 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan D.
(E) A 1990 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan E shall be deemed to offer benefits equal to those provided by a 2010 standardized Medicare benefit plan D.
(F) (i) A 1990 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan F shall be deemed to offer benefits equal to those provided by a 2010 standardized Medicare benefit plan F.
(ii) A 1990 standardized Medicare supplement benefit high deductible plan F shall be deemed to offer benefits equal to those provided by a 2010 standardized Medicare supplement benefit high deductible plan F.
(G) A 1990 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan G shall be deemed to offer benefits equal to those provided by a 2010 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan G.
(H) A 1990 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan H shall be deemed to offer benefits equal to those provided by a 2010 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan D.
(I) A 1990 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan I shall be deemed to offer benefits equal to those provided by a 2010 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan G.
(J) (i) A 1990 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan J shall be deemed to offer benefits equal to those provided by a 2010 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan F.
(ii) A 1990 standardized Medicare supplement benefit high deductible plan J shall be deemed to offer benefits equal to those provided by a 2010 standardized Medicare supplement benefit high deductible plan F.
(K) A 1990 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan K shall be deemed to offer benefits equal to those provided by a 2010 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan K.
(L) A 1990 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan L shall be deemed to offer benefits equal to those provided by a 2010 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan L.
(M) New or innovative benefits, as described in subdivision (f) of Section 1358.9 and subdivision (f) of Section 1358.91, shall not be included when determining whether benefits are equal to or lesser than those provided by the previous coverage.
(i) An individual enrolled in Medicare Part B is entitled to open enrollment described in this section upon being notified that, because of an increase in the individual’s income or assets, they meet one of the following requirements:
(1) They are no longer eligible for Medi-Cal benefits.
(2) They are only eligible for Medi-Cal benefits with a share of cost and certifies at the time of application that they have not met the share of cost.
(Amended (as amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 157, Sec. 3) by Stats. 2019, Ch. 549, Sec. 2. (SB 407) Effective January 1, 2020.)