CHAPTER 214
2000-H 7909A am
Enacted 7/13/2000


A  N     A   C   T

RELATING TO HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE -- TERMINATION OF CHILDREN'S BENEFITS

Introduced By:  Representatives Long, Amaral, Garabedian, Scott and Savage Date Introduced:   February 17, 2000

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 27-18 of the General Laws entitled "Accident and Sickness Insurance Policies" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

27-18-59. Termination of children's benefits. -- Every individual or group health insurance contract, plan, or policy delivered, issued for delivery or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2001, which provides medical coverage that includes coverage for physician services in a physician's office and every policy which provides major medical or similar comprehensive type coverage, except for supplemental policies which only provide coverage for specified diseases and other supplemental policies, shall include a provision that policyholders shall receive no less than thirty (30) days notice from the accident and sickness insurer that a child covered as a dependent by such policy holder is about to lose his or her coverage as a result of reaching the maximum age for a dependent child and that said child will only continue to be covered upon documentation being provided of current college enrollment or that said child may purchase a conversion policy if he or she is not a college student. Nothing in this section shall prohibit an accident and sickness insurer from requiring a policyholder to annually provide proof of a child's current college enrollment in order to maintain such child's coverage. Provided further, nothing herein shall require coverage inconsistent with the membership criteria in effect under the policyholder's health benefits coverage.

Provided, however, that this section shall not apply to insurance coverage providing benefits for:

(1) hospital confinement indemnity;

(2) disability income;

(3) accident only;

(4) long term care;

(5) medicare supplement;

(6) limited benefit health;

(7) specified diseased indemnity;

(8) other limited benefit policies.

SECTION 2. Chapter 27-19 of the General Laws entitled "Nonprofit Hospital Service Corporations" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

27-19-50. Termination of children's benefits. -- Every individual or group health insurance contract, plan, or policy delivered, issued for delivery or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2001, which provides medical coverage that includes coverage for physician services in a physician's office and every policy which provides major medical or similar comprehensive type coverage, except for supplemental policies which only provide coverage for specified diseases and other supplemental policies, shall include a provision that policyholders shall receive no less than thirty (30) days notice from the nonprofit hospital service corporation that a child covered as a dependent by such policyholder is about to lose his or her coverage as a result of reaching the maximum age for a dependent child and that said child will only continue to be covered upon documentation being provided of current college enrollment or that said child may purchase a conversion policy if he or she is not a college student.

Nothing in this section shall prohibit a nonprofit hospital service corporation from requiring a policyholder to annually provide proof of a child's current college enrollment in order to maintain such child's coverage. Provided further, nothing herein shall require coverage inconsistent with the membership criteria in effect under the policyholder's health benefits coverage.

SECTION 3. Chapter 27-20 of the General Laws entitled "Nonprofit Medical Service Corporations" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

27-20-45. Termination of children's benefits. -- Every individual or group health insurance contract, plan, or policy delivered, issued for delivery or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2001, which provides medical coverage that includes coverage for physician services in a physician's office and every policy which provides major medical or similar comprehensive type coverage, except for supplemental policies which only provide coverage for specified diseases and other supplemental policies, shall include a provision that policyholders shall receive no less than thirty (30) days notice from the nonprofit medical service corporation that a child covered as a dependent by such policyholder is about to lose his or her coverage as a result of reaching the maximum age for a dependent child and that said child will only continue to be covered upon documentation being provided of current college enrollment or that said child may purchase a conversion policy if he or she is not a college student.

Nothing in this section shall prohibit a nonprofit medical service corporation from requiring a policyholder to annually provide proof of a child's current college enrollment in order to maintain such child's coverage. Provided further, nothing herein shall require coverage inconsistent with the membership criteria in effect under the policyholder's health benefits coverage.

SECTION 4. Chapter 27-20.1 of the General Laws entitled "Nonprofit Dental Service Corporations" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

27-20.1-17. Termination of children's benefits. -- Every individual or group health insurance contract, plan, or policy delivered, issued for delivery or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2001, which provides medical coverage that includes coverage for physician services in a physician's office and every policy which provides major medical or similar comprehensive type coverage, except for supplemental policies which only provide coverage for specified diseases and other supplemental policies, shall include a provision that policyholders shall receive no less than thirty (30) days notice from the nonprofit dental service corporation that a child covered as a dependent by such policyholder is about to lose his or her coverage as a result of reaching the maximum age for a dependent child and that said child will only continue to be covered upon documentation being provided of current college enrollment or that said child may purchase a conversion policy if he or she is not a college student.

Nothing in this section shall prohibit a nonprofit dental service corporation from requiring a policyholder to annually provide proof of a child's current college enrollment in order to maintain such child's coverage. Provided further, nothing herein shall require coverage inconsistent with the membership criteria in effect under the policyholder's health benefits coverage.

SECTION 5. Chapter 27-20.2 of the General Laws entitled "Nonprofit Optometric Service Corporations" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

27-20.2-14. Termination of children's benefits. -- Every individual or group health insurance contract, plan, or policy delivered, issued for delivery or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2001, which provides medical coverage that includes coverage for physician services in a physician's office and every policy which provides major medical or similar comprehensive type coverage, except for supplemental policies which only provide coverage for specified diseases and other supplemental policies, shall include a provision that policyholders shall receive thirty (30) days notice from the nonprofit optometric service corporation that a child covered as a dependent by such policyholder is about to lose his or her coverage as a result of reaching the maximum age for a dependent child and that said child will only continue to be covered upon documentation being provided of current college enrollment or that said child may purchase a conversion policy if he or she is not a college student.

Nothing in this section shall prohibit a nonprofit optometric service corporation from requiring a policyholder to annually provide proof of a child's current college enrollment in order to maintain such child's coverage. Provided further, nothing herein shall require coverage inconsistent with the membership criteria in effect under the policyholder's health benefits coverage.

SECTION 6. Chapter 27-41 of the General Laws entitled "Health Maintenance Organizations" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

27-41-61. Termination of children's benefits. -- Every individual or group health insurance contract, plan, or policy delivered, issued for delivery or renewed in this state on or after January 1, 2001, which provides medical coverage that includes coverage for physician services in a physician's office and every policy which provides major medical or similar comprehensive type coverage, except for supplemental policies which only provide coverage for specified diseases and other supplemental policies, shall include a provision that policyholders shall receive no less than thirty (30) days notice from the health maintenance organization that a child is about to lose his or her coverage as a result of reaching the maximum age for a dependent child and that said child will only continue to be covered upon documentation being provided of current college enrollment or that said child may purchase a conversion policy if he or she is not a college student.

Nothing in this section shall prohibit a nonprofit Health Maintenance Organizations from requiring a policyholder to annually provide proof of a child's current college enrollment in order to maintain such child's coverage. Provided further, nothing herein shall require coverage inconsistent with the membership criteria in effect under the policyholder's health benefits coverage.

SECTION 7. This act shall take effect upon passage.


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