(a) No insurer, health care center, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation or other entity delivering, issuing for delivery, renewing, continuing or amending any group health insurance policy in this state on or after January 1, 2008, shall deliver or issue for delivery in this state any policy providing limited coverage to any employer as a replacement for a comprehensive health insurance plan for its employees.
(b) Each group health insurance policy, subscriber contract or certificate of coverage delivered or issued for delivery in this state on or after January 1, 2008, that provides limited coverage, and any marketing material, application for coverage and enrollment material relative to such policy, contract or certificate, shall include the following statement printed in capital letters in not less than twelve-point boldface type and located in a conspicuous manner on such document:
“THIS LIMITED HEALTH BENEFITS PLAN DOES NOT PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL COVERAGE. IT IS A BASIC OR LIMITED BENEFITS POLICY AND IS NOT INTENDED TO COVER ALL MEDICAL EXPENSES. THIS PLAN IS NOT DESIGNED TO COVER THE COSTS OF SERIOUS OR CHRONIC ILLNESS. IT CONTAINS SPECIFIC DOLLAR LIMITS THAT WILL BE PAID FOR MEDICAL SERVICES WHICH MAY NOT BE EXCEEDED. IF THE COST OF SERVICES EXCEEDS THOSE LIMITS, THE BENEFICIARY AND NOT THE INSURER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT OF THE EXCESS AMOUNTS. THE SPECIFIC DOLLAR LIMITS ARE AS FOLLOWS: (INSURER TO SPECIFY SUCH AMOUNTS).”
(c) For the purposes of this section, “limited coverage” means an insurance policy providing coverage of the type specified in subdivisions (1), (2), (4), (11) and (12) of section 38a-469 that contains an annual maximum benefit of less than one hundred thousand dollars or fixed dollar benefits of less than twenty thousand dollars on any core services. For the purpose of this section, “core services” means medical, surgical and hospital services, including inpatient and outpatient physician, laboratory and imaging services.
(P.A. 07-96, S. 2; P.A. 08-147, S. 12.)
History: P.A. 07-96 effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 08-147 redefined “limited coverage” in Subsec. (c) to specify fixed dollar benefits of less than $20,000 on any core services.
See Sec. 38a-482b for similar provisions re individual policies.