58-50-5. Application.

(a) On and after January 1, 1956, each individual or family accident, health, hospitalization policy, certificate or service plan of hospitalization and medical and/or dental service corporations shall be issued only on application in writing signed by the insured or the head of the household or guardian. Any application or enrollment form that is taken by a resident agent shall also contain the certificate of the agent that he has truly and accurately recorded on the application or enrollment form the information supplied by the insured. Every policy subject to the provisions of this section shall contain as a part of such policy the original or a reproduction of the application required by this section. This section shall not apply to travel or dread disease policies or to policies issued pursuant to a group insurance conversion privilege. If any such policy delivered or issued for delivery to any person in this State shall be reinstated or renewed, and the insured or the beneficiary or assignee of such policy shall make written request to the insurer for a copy of the application, if any, for such reinstatement or renewal, the insurer shall within 15 days after the receipt of such request at his home office or any branch office of the insurer, deliver or mail to the person making such request, a copy of such application. If such copy shall not be so delivered or mailed, the insurer shall be precluded from introducing such application as evidence in any action or proceeding based upon or involving such policy or its reinstatement or renewal.

(b) No alteration of any written application for any such policy shall be made by any person other than the applicant without his written consent, except that insertions may be made by the insurer, for administrative purposes only, in such manner as to indicate clearly that such insertions are not to be ascribed to the applicant.

(c) The falsity of any statement in the application for any policy covered by Articles 50 through 55 of this Chapter may not bar the right to recover thereunder unless such false statement materially affected either the acceptance of the risk or the hazard assumed by the insurer.