(a) An insurer that is required to deliver a life insurance policy to the owner of the policy in order to start the period running during which the owner may exercise any statutory right to return a policy for cancellation, shall accomplish the delivery by:

(1) Registered or certified mail.

(2) Personal delivery, with a signed, written receipt of delivery.

(3) First-class mail, with a signed, written receipt of delivery.

(4) Other reasonable means, as determined by the commissioner.

(b) If an insurer does not deliver a policy by the means set forth in subdivision (a), the burden of proof shall be on the insurer to establish that the policy was delivered, in the event of a dispute with the owner of the policy.

(c) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), a policy shall be deemed to have been received six months after the date of issuance if premiums have been paid.

(d) An employer or corporate policy owner, or the plan trustee of an employer or corporate policy owner who controls 100 or more policies, shall have the option to request in writing from an insurer the delivery of a sample policy with one or more census pages in a form satisfactory to the employer, corporate policy owner, or plan trustee, as an alternative to the delivery requirements of subdivision (a). However, delivery of the sample policy and census page as provided in this subdivision shall be subject to the provisions of subdivisions (a) and (b). The insurer shall deliver all of the policies listed on the census page to the employer, corporate policy owner, or plan trustee within 30 days of demand for delivery. The delivery of the actual policies shall not institute a new “free look” period.

(Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 686, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1997.)