§ 4080b - Nongroup health benefit plans
§ 4080b. Nongroup health benefit plans
(a) As used in this section:
(1) "Individual" means a person who is not eligible for coverage by group health insurance as defined by section 4079 of this title.
(2) "Nongroup plan" means a health insurance policy, a nonprofit hospital or medical service corporation service contract or a health maintenance organization health benefit plan offered or issued to an individual, including but not limited to common health care plans approved by the commissioner under subsection (e) of this section. The term does not include disability insurance policies, accident indemnity or expense policies, long-term care insurance policies, student or athletic expense or indemnity policies, Medicare supplemental policies, and dental policies. The term also does not include hospital indemnity policies or specified disease indemnity or expense policies, provided such policies are sold only as supplemental coverage when a common health care plan or other comprehensive health care policy is in effect. By July 1, 1993, the commissioner shall review and approve or disapprove, according to the provisions of section 4062 of this title, any supplemental health insurance policy form offered or issued to an individual within the state of Vermont.
(3) "Registered nongroup carrier" means any person, except an insurance agent, broker, appraiser or adjuster, who issues a nongroup plan and who has a registration in effect with the commissioner as required by this section.
(b) No person may provide a nongroup plan unless the plan complies with the provisions of this section.
(c) No person may provide a nongroup plan unless such person is a registered nongroup carrier. The commissioner, by rule, shall establish the minimum financial, marketing, service and other requirements for registration. Registration under this section shall be effective upon approval by the commissioner and shall remain in effect until revoked or suspended by the commissioner for cause or until withdrawn by the carrier. A nongroup carrier may withdraw its registration upon at least six months' prior written notice to the commissioner. A registration filed with the commissioner shall be deemed to be approved unless it is disapproved by the commissioner within 30 days of filing.
(d)(1) A registered nongroup carrier shall guarantee acceptance of any individual for any nongroup plan offered by the carrier. A registered nongroup carrier shall also guarantee acceptance of each dependent of such individual for any nongroup plan it offers.
(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (1) of this subsection, a health maintenance organization shall not be required to cover:
(A) an individual who is not physically located in the health maintenance organization's approved service area; or
(B) an individual residing within the health maintenance organization's approved service area for which the health maintenance organization:
(i) is not providing coverage; and
(ii) reasonably anticipates, and demonstrates to the satisfaction of the commissioner, that it will not have the capacity within its network of providers to deliver adequate service because of its existing contract obligations, including contract obligations subject to the provisions of this section and any other group contract obligations.
(e) A registered nongroup carrier shall offer two or more common health care plans approved by the commissioner. The commissioner, by rule, shall adopt standards and a process for approval of common health care plans that ensure that consumers may compare the cost of plans offered by carriers. At least one plan shall be a low-cost common health care plan that may provide for deductibles, coinsurance arrangements, managed care, cost-containment provisions, and any other term, not inconsistent with the provisions of this title, deemed useful in making the plan affordable. A health maintenance organization may add limitations to a common health care plan if the commissioner finds that the limitations do not unreasonably restrict the insured from access to the benefits covered by the plans.
(f) A registered nongroup carrier shall offer a nongroup plan rate structure which at least differentiates between single-person, two-person and family rates.
(g) For a 12-month period from the effective date of coverage, a registered nongroup carrier may limit coverage of preexisting conditions which exist during the 12-month period before the effective date of coverage; provided that a registered nongroup carrier shall waive any preexisting condition provisions for all individuals, and their dependents, who produce evidence of continuous health benefit coverage during the previous nine months substantially equivalent to the common health care plan of the carrier approved by the commissioner. If an individual has a preexisting condition excluded under a subsequent policy, such exclusion shall not continue longer than the period required under the original contract, or 12 months, whichever is less. Credit shall be given for prior coverage that occurred without a break in coverage of 63 days or more. For an eligible individual, as such term is defined in Section 2741 of Title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act, a registered nongroup carrier shall not limit coverage of preexisting conditions.
(h)(1) A registered nongroup carrier shall use a community rating method acceptable to the commissioner for determining premiums for nongroup plans. Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, the following risk classification factors are prohibited from use in rating individuals and their dependents:
(A) demographic rating, including age and gender rating;
(B) geographic area rating;
(C) industry rating;
(D) medical underwriting and screening;
(E) experience rating;
(F) tier rating; or
(G) durational rating.
(2)(A) The commissioner shall, by rule, adopt standards and a process for permitting registered nongroup carriers to use one or more risk classifications in their community rating method, provided that the premium charged shall not deviate above or below the community rate filed by the carrier by more than 20 percent, and provided further that the commissioner's rules may not permit any medical underwriting and screening and shall give due consideration to the need for affordability and accessibility of health insurance.
(B) The commissioner's rules shall permit a carrier, including a hospital or medical service corporation and a health maintenance organization, to establish rewards, premium discounts, rebates, or otherwise waive or modify applicable co-payments, deductibles, or other cost-sharing amounts in return for adherence by a member or subscriber to programs of health promotion and disease prevention. The commissioner shall consult with the commissioner of health and the director of the office of Vermont health access in the development of health promotion and disease prevention rules. Such rules shall:
(i) limit any reward, discount, rebate, or waiver or modification of cost-sharing amounts to not more than a total of 15 percent of the cost of the premium for the applicable coverage tier, provided that the sum of any rate deviations under subdivision 4080a(2)(A) of this title does not exceed 30 percent;
(ii) be designed to promote good health or prevent disease for individuals in the program and not be used as a subterfuge for imposing higher costs on an individual based on a health factor;
(iii) provide that the reward under the program is available to all similarly situated individuals; and
(iv) provide a reasonable alternative standard to obtain the reward to any individual for whom it is unreasonably difficult due to a medical condition or other reasonable mitigating circumstance to satisfy the otherwise applicable standard for the discount and disclose in all plan materials that describe the discount program the availability of a reasonable alternative standard.
(C) The commissioner's rules shall include:
(i) standards and procedures for health promotion and disease prevention programs based on the best scientific, evidence-based medical practices as recommended by the commissioner of health;
(ii) standards and procedures for evaluating an individual's adherence to programs of health promotion and disease prevention; and
(iii) any other standards and procedures necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes of this subdivision (2).
(i) Notwithstanding subdivision (h)(2) of this section, the commissioner shall not grant rate increases, including increases for medical inflation, for individuals covered pursuant to the provisions of this section that exceed 20 percent in any one year; provided that the commissioner may grant an increase that exceeds 20 percent if the commissioner determines that the 20 percent limitation will have a substantial adverse effect on the financial safety and soundness of the insurer. In the event that this limitation prevents implementation of community rating to the full extent provided for in subsection (h) of this section, the commissioner may permit insurers to correspondingly limit community rating provisions from applying to individuals who would otherwise be entitled to rate reductions.
(j) A registered nongroup carrier shall file with the commissioner an annual certification by a member of the American Academy of Actuaries of the carrier's compliance with this section. The requirements for certification shall be as the commissioner by rule prescribes.
(k) A registered nongroup carrier shall guarantee the rates on a nongroup plan for a minimum of 12 months.
(l) Registered nongroup carriers, except nonprofit medical and hospital service organizations and nonprofit health maintenance organizations, shall form a reinsurance pool for the purpose of reinsuring nongroup risks. This pool shall not become operative until the commissioner has approved a plan of operation. The commissioner shall not approve any plan which he or she determines may be inconsistent with any other provision of this section. Failure or delay in the formation of a reinsurance pool under this subsection shall not delay implementation of this section. The participants in the plan of operation of the pool shall guarantee, without limitation, the solvency of the pool, and such guarantee shall constitute a permanent financial obligation of each participant, on a pro rata basis.
(m) The commissioner shall disapprove any rates filed by any registered nongroup carrier, whether initial or revised, for nongroup insurance policies unless the anticipated loss ratios for the entire period for which rates are computed are at least 70 percent. For the purpose of this section, "anticipated loss ratio" shall mean a comparison of earned premiums to losses incurred plus a factor for industry trend where the methodology for calculating trend shall be determined by the commissioner by rule.
(n) The commissioner shall ensure that any rates filed by any registered nongroup carrier, whether initial or revised, for nongroup insurance policies reflect the reduction in claims costs attributable to the nongroup market security trust established in section 4062d of this title. (Added 1991, No. 160 (Adj. Sess.), § 41, eff. July 1, 1993; amended 1993, No. 71, § 1; 1997, No. 24, § 4; 2005, No. 191 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 28, 51.)