33-22-907. Disclosure standards -- informational brochure -- rules. (1) In order to provide for full and fair disclosure in the sale of medicare supplement policies and certificates, a medicare supplement policy may not be delivered or issued for delivery in this state and a certificate may not be delivered pursuant to a group medicare supplement policy delivered or issued for delivery in this state unless an outline of coverage is delivered to the applicant at the time that application is made. The outline of coverage must be filed with the commissioner as required by 33-1-501. The filing must be made at least 60 days in advance of the date that the outline of coverage is delivered to any resident of this state.
(2) (a) The commissioner shall prescribe the format and content of the outline of coverage required by subsection (1).
(b) For purposes of this section, "format" means style, arrangements, and overall appearance, including such items as the size, color, and prominence of type and the arrangement of text and captions.
(c) The outline of coverage must include:
(i) a description of the principal benefits and coverage provided in the policy or certificate;
(ii) a statement of the exceptions, reductions, and limitations contained in the policy or certificate;
(iii) a statement of the renewal provisions, including any reservation by the issuer of a right to change premiums and disclosure of the existence of any automatic renewal premium increases based on the policyholder's or certificate holder's age;
(iv) a statement that the outline of coverage is a summary of the policy or certificate issued or applied for and that the policy or certificate should be consulted to determine governing contractual provisions.
(3) The commissioner may prescribe by rule a standard form and the contents of an informational brochure for persons eligible for medicare, which is intended to improve the buyer's ability to select the most appropriate coverage and to improve the buyer's understanding of medicare. Except in the case of direct response insurance policies, the commissioner may require by rule that the information brochure be provided to any prospective insureds eligible for medicare at the same time that the outline of coverage is delivered. With respect to direct response insurance policies, the commissioner may require by rule that the prescribed brochure be provided upon request, but not later than the time of policy delivery, to any prospective insureds eligible for medicare.
(4) The commissioner may adopt reasonable rules for captions or notice requirements, determined to be in the public interest and designed to inform prospective insureds that particular insurance coverages are not medicare supplement coverages, for all accident and sickness insurance policies sold to persons eligible for medicare, other than:
(a) medicare supplement policies or certificates; or
(b) disability income policies.
(5) The commissioner may further adopt reasonable rules to govern the full and fair disclosure of the information in connection with the replacement of accident and sickness policies or certificates by persons eligible for medicare.
(6) As soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days before the annual effective date of a medicare benefit change, every entity providing medicare supplement insurance or benefits to a resident of this state shall notify its policyholders and certificate holders, in a format that the commissioner prescribes by rule, of the changes that it has made to the medicare supplement policy or certificate.
History: En. Sec. 7, Ch. 298, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 682, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 163, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 32, Ch. 531, L. 1997.