(a) An issuer shall not advertise, solicit, or issue for delivery a policy or certificate to a resident of this state unless the policy form or certificate form has been filed with and approved by the commissioner in accordance with filing requirements and procedures prescribed by the commissioner. Master policies issued outside California shall be filed for informational purposes along with the certificates. Until January 1, 2001, or 90 days after approval of Medicare supplement policies or certificates submitted for approval pursuant to this section, whichever is later, issuers may continue to offer and market previously approved Medicare supplement policies or certificates.

(b) An issuer shall file any riders or amendments to policy or certificate forms to delete outpatient prescription drug benefits, as required by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-173), only with the commissioner in the state where the policy or certificate was issued.

(c) (1) An issuer shall not use or change premium rates for a Medicare supplement policy or certificate unless the rates, rating schedule, and supporting documentation have been filed with and approved by the commissioner in accordance with the filing requirements and procedures prescribed by the commissioner.

(2) Paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 10290 shall not apply to Medicare supplement insurance forms or rates. However, the commissioner may authorize in writing, for good cause only, the limited use of a form or rates after that form or the rates have been filed with the commissioner for 60 days and have not otherwise been acted upon.

(d) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), an issuer shall not file for approval more than one form of a policy or certificate of each type for each standard Medicare supplement benefit plan.

(2) An issuer may offer, with the approval of the commissioner, up to four additional policy forms or certificate forms of the same type for the same standard Medicare supplement benefit plan, one for each of the following cases:

(A) The inclusion of new or innovative benefits.

(B) The addition of either direct response or agent marketing methods.

(C) The addition of either guaranteed issue or underwritten coverage.

(D) The offering of coverage to individuals eligible for Medicare by reason of disability.

(3) For the purposes of this section, a “type” means an individual policy, a group policy, an individual Medicare Select policy, or a group Medicare Select policy.

(e) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (a), an issuer shall continue to make available for purchase any policy form or certificate form issued after January 1, 2001, that has been approved by the commissioner. A policy form or certificate form shall not be considered to be available for purchase unless the issuer has actively offered it for sale in the previous 12 months.

(A) An issuer may discontinue the availability of a policy form or certificate form if the issuer provides to the commissioner in writing its decision at least 60 days prior to discontinuing the availability of the form of the policy or certificate. After receipt of the notice by the commissioner, the issuer shall no longer offer for sale the policy form or certificate form in this state.

(B) An issuer that discontinues the availability of a policy form or certificate form pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall not file for approval a new policy form or certificate form of the same type for the same standard Medicare supplement benefit plan as the discontinued form for a period of five years after the issuer provides notice to the commissioner of the discontinuance. The period of discontinuance may be reduced if the commissioner determines that a shorter period is appropriate.

(2) The sale or other transfer of Medicare supplement business to another issuer shall be considered a discontinuance for the purposes of this subdivision.

(3) A change in the rating structure or methodology shall be considered a discontinuance under paragraph (1) unless the issuer complies with the following requirements:

(A) The issuer provides an actuarial memorandum, in a form and manner prescribed by the commissioner, describing the manner in which the revised rating methodology and resultant rates differ from the existing rating methodology and existing rates. The commissioner may approve the change if it is in the public interest.

(B) The issuer does not subsequently put into effect a change of rates or rating factors that would cause the percentage differential between the discontinued and subsequent rates as described in the actuarial memorandum to change. The commissioner may approve a change to the differential that is in the public interest. The commissioner may approve a change to the differential if it is in the public interest.

(f) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the experience of all policy forms or certificate forms of the same type in a standard Medicare supplement benefit plan shall be combined for purposes of the refund or credit calculation prescribed in Section 10192.14.

(2) Forms assumed under an assumption reinsurance agreement shall not be combined with the experience of other forms for purposes of the refund or credit calculation.

(Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 206, Sec. 27. Effective January 1, 2006.)