Title 27
Insurance

Chapter 4
Life Insurance Policies and Reserves

R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-4-6.2

§ 27-4-6.2. Individual life insurance policy standard provisions.

(a) All individual life insurance policies, except as otherwise stated herein, delivered or issued for delivery in this state on or after January 1, 2008 shall contain in substance the following provisions, or provisions which the director deems to be more favorable to policyholders.

(1) Grace period. A provision that, after payment of the first premium, the policyholder is entitled to a grace period of thirty-one (31) days or of one month following any subsequent premium due date within which to make payment of the premium then due, during which grace period the policy shall continue in full force, and the policy shall further provide that if the death of the insured occurs within the grace period provided in the policy, the insurer may deduct from the policy proceeds the portion of any unpaid premium applicable to the period ending with the last day of the policy month in which such death occurred, and if the death of the insured occurs during a period for which the premium has been paid, the insurer shall add to the policy proceeds a refund of any premium actually paid for any period beyond the end of the policy month in which such death occurred, provided such premium was not waived under any policy provision for waiver of premiums benefit. This subsection shall not apply to single premium or paid-up policies.

(2) Incontestability. A provision that the policy shall be incontestable after being in force during the lifetime of the insured for a period of two (2) years from its date of issue, and that, if the policy provides that the death benefit provided by the policy may be increased, or other policy provisions changed, upon the application of the policyholder and the production of evidence of insurability, the policy with respect to each such increase or change shall be incontestable after two (2) years from the effective date of such increase or change, except in each case for nonpayment of premiums. At the option of the insurer, provisions relating to benefits for total and permanent disability and additional benefits for accidental death may be excepted.

(b) Individual life insurance policies delivered or issued for delivery in this state on or after January 1, 2008 may contain in substance the following provision, or a provision which the director deems to be more favorable to policyholders: Suicide — a provision that excludes death from suicide, sane or insane. The suicide exclusion period for the initial coverage shall not exceed two (2) years from the date of issue of the policy. The policy may allow a separate suicide period, no greater than two (2) years from the date of any increase, for any increase in specified amount that was requested by the owner and subject to evidence of insurability. The suicide limitation shall be limited to the amount of the increase. At a minimum, a refund of all premiums paid, less dividends paid, any indebtedness and any partial withdrawals, shall be paid by the company in the event of death by suicide during the initial suicide exclusion period. For each increase in specified amount, the settlement for suicide shall be the return of all premium paid, reduced as specified above for the initial coverage, applicable to the increased amount.

History of Section.
P.L. 2007, ch. 134, § 3; P.L. 2007, ch. 210, § 3; P.L. 2008, ch. 240, § 2; P.L. 2008, ch. 310, § 2.