58-51-80. Group accident and health insurance defined.

(a) Any policy or contract of insurance against death or injury resulting from accident or from accidental means which covers more than one person except blanket accident policies as defined in G.S. 58-51-75, shall be deemed a group accident insurance policy. Any policy or contract which insures against disablement, disease or sickness of the insured (excluding disablement which results from accident or from accidental means) and which covers more than one person, except blanket health insurance policies as defined in G.S. 58-51-75, shall be deemed a group health insurance policy or contract. Any policy or contract of insurance which combines the coverage of group accident insurance and of group health insurance shall be deemed a group accident and health insurance policy. No policy or contract of group accident, group health or group accident and health insurance, and no certificates thereunder, shall be delivered or issued for delivery in this State unless it conforms to the requirements of subsection (b).

(b) No policy or contract of group accident, group health or group accident and health insurance shall be delivered or issued for delivery in this State unless the group of persons thereby insured conforms to the requirements of the following subdivisions:

(1) Under a policy issued to an employer, principal, or to the trustee of a fund established by an employer or two or more employers in the same industry or kind of business, or by a principal or two or more principals in the same industry or kind of business, which employer, principal, or trustee shall be deemed the policyholder, covering, except as hereinafter provided, only employees, or agents, of any class or classes thereof determined by conditions pertaining to employment, or agency, for amounts of insurance based upon some plan which will preclude individual selection. The premium may be paid by the employer, by the employer and the employees jointly, or by the employee; and where the relationship of principal and agent exists, the premium may be paid by the principal, by the principal and agents, jointly, or by the agents. If the premium is paid by the employer and the employees jointly, or by the principal and agents jointly, or by the employees, or by the agents, the group shall be structured on an actuarially sound basis.

(1a) Under a policy issued to an association or to a trust or to the trustee or trustees of a fund established, created, or maintained for the benefit of members of one or more associations. The association or associations shall have at the outset a minimum of 500 persons and shall have been organized and maintained in good faith for purposes other than that of obtaining insurance; shall have been in active existence for at least five years; and shall have a constitution and bylaws that provide that (i) the association or associations hold regular meetings not less than annually to further purposes of the members; (ii) except for credit unions, the association or associations collect dues or solicit contributions from members; and (iii) the members, other than associate members, have voting privileges and representation on the governing board and committees. The policy is subject to the following requirements:

a. The policy may insure members of the association or associations, employees of the association or associations, or employees of members, or one or more of the preceding or all of any class or classes for the benefit of persons other than the employee's employer.

b. The premium for the policy shall be paid from funds contributed by the association or associations, or by employer members, or by both, or from funds contributed by the covered persons or from both the covered persons and the association, associations, or employer members. The premium rates for each association policy shall be developed, and applied to the certificates thereunder, on an actuarially sound basis.

c. Repealed by Session Laws 1997-259, s. 8.

(1b) Under a policy issued to a creditor as defined in G.S. 58-57-5 who shall be deemed the policyholder, to insure debtors as defined in G.S. 58-57-5 of the creditor to provide indemnity for payments becoming due on a specific loan or other credit transaction as defined in G.S. 58-51-100, with or without insurance against death by accident, subject to the following requirements:

a. The debtors eligible for insurance under the policy shall be all of the debtors of the creditor whose indebtedness is repayable in installments, or all of any class or classes thereof determined by conditions pertaining to the indebtedness or to the purchase giving rise to the indebtedness. The policy may provide that the term "debtors" shall include the debtors of one or more subsidiary corporations, and the debtors of one or more affiliated corporations, proprietors or partnerships if the business of the policyholder and of such affiliated corporations, proprietors or partnerships is under common control through stock ownership, contract or otherwise.

b. The premium for the policy shall be paid from the creditor's funds, from charges collected from the insured debtors, or from both. A policy on which part or all of the premium is to be derived from the collection from the insured debtors or identifiable charges not required of uninsured debtors shall not include, in the class or classes of debtors eligible for insurance, debtors under obligations outstanding at its date of issue without evidence of individual insurability unless the group is structured on an actuarially sound basis. A policy on which no part of the premium is to be derived from the collection of such identifiable charges must insure all eligible debtors, or all except any as to whom evidence of individual insurability is not satisfactory to the insurer.

c. The policy may be issued only if the group of eligible debtors is then receiving new entrants at the rate of at least 100 persons yearly, or may reasonably be expected to receive at least 100 new entrants during the first policy year, and only if the policy reserves to the insurer the right to require evidence of individual insurability if less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the new entrants become insured.

d. Premiums for this coverage shall be actuarially equivalent to the rates authorized under Article 57 of Chapter 58 of the General Statutes for credit accident and health insurance.

(2), (3) Repealed by Session Laws 1997-259, s. 8.

(c) The term "employees" as used in this section shall be deemed to include, for the purposes of insurance hereunder, employees of a single employer, the officers, managers, and employees of the employer and of subsidiary or affiliated corporations of a corporation employer, and the individual proprietors, partners, and employees of individuals and firms of which the business is controlled by the insured employer through stock ownership, contract or otherwise. With the exception of disability income insurance, employees shall be added to the group coverage no later than 90 days after their first day of employment. Employment shall be considered continuous and not be considered broken except for unexcused absences from work for reasons other than illness or injury. The term "employee" is defined as a nonseasonal person who works on a full-time basis, with a normal work week of 30 or more hours and who is otherwise eligible for coverage, but does not include a person who works on a part-time, temporary, or substitute basis. The term "employer" as used herein may be deemed to include the State of North Carolina, any county, municipality or corporation, or the proper officers, as such, of any unincorporated municipality or any department or subdivision of the State, county, such corporation, or municipality determined by conditions pertaining to the employment. When determining employee eligibility for a large employer, as defined in G.S. 58-68-25(10), an individual proprietor, owner, or operator shall be defined as an "employee" for the purpose of obtaining coverage under the employee group health plan and shall not be held to a minimum workweek requirement as imposed on other eligible employees.

(d) The term "agents" as used in this section shall be deemed to include, for the purposes of insurance hereunder, agents of a single principal who are under contract to devote all, or substantially all, of their time in rendering personal services for such principal, for a commission or other fixed or ascertainable compensation.

(e) The benefits payable under any policy or contract of group accident, group health and group accident and health insurance shall be payable to the employees, or agents, or to some beneficiary or beneficiaries designated by the employee or agent, other than the employer or principal, but if there is no designated beneficiary as to all or any part of the insurance at the death of the employee or agent, then the amount of insurance payable for which there is no designated beneficiary shall be payable to the estate of the employee or agent, except that the insurer may in such case, at its option, pay such insurance to any one or more of the following surviving relatives of the employee or agent: wife, husband, mother, father, child, or children, brothers or sisters; and except that payment of benefits for expenses incurred on account of hospitalization or medical or surgical aid, as provided in subsection (f), may be made by the insurer to the hospital or other person or persons furnishing such aid. Payment so made shall discharge the insurer's obligation with respect to the amount of insurance so paid.

(f) Any policy or contract of group accident, group health or group accident and health insurance may include provisions for the payment by the insurer of benefits to the employee or agent of the insured group, on account of hospitalization or medical or surgical aid for himself, his spouse, his child or children, or other persons chiefly dependent upon him for support and maintenance.

(g) Any policy or contract of group accident, group health or group accident and health insurance may provide for readjustment of the rate of premium based on the experience thereunder at the end of the first year, or at any time during any subsequent year based upon at least 12 months of experience: Provided that any such readjustment after the first year shall not be made any more frequently than once every six months. Any rate adjustment must be preceded by a 45-day notice to the contract holder before the effective date of any rate increase or any policy benefit revision. A notice of nonrenewal shall be given to the contract holder 45 days prior to termination. Any refund under any plan for readjustment of the rate of premium based on the experience under group policies and any dividend paid under the policies may be used to reduce the employer's or principal's contribution to group insurance for the employees of the employer, or the agents of the principal, and the excess over the contribution by the employer, or principal, shall be applied by the employer, or principal, for the sole benefit of the employees or agents.

(h) Nothing contained in this section applies to any contract issued by any corporation defined in Article 65 of this Chapter.