(2) If the insurer fails to pay the proceeds of or make payment under the policy within 30 days after receipt of due proof of death and of the interest of the claimant, and if the beneficiary elects to receive a lump sum settlement, the insurer shall pay interest on any money due and unpaid after expiration of the 30-day period. The insurer shall compute the interest from the date of the insured’s death until the date of payment, at a rate not lower than that paid by the insurer on other withdrawable policy owner funds. At the end of the 30-day period, the insurer shall notify the named beneficiary or beneficiaries at their last-known address that interest at the applicable rate will be paid on the lump sum proceeds from the date of death of the insured.
(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to allow an insurer to withhold payment of money payable under a life insurance policy to any named beneficiary for a period longer than reasonably necessary to transmit the payment. [1967 c.359 §386; 1983 c.754 §2]