(A) Except as provided in this section, if a health insurance issuer offers health insurance coverage in the small or large group market in connection with a group health plan, the issuer must renew or continue in force such coverage for all eligible employees and dependents at the option of the plan sponsor of the plan.

(B) A health insurance issuer may nonrenew or discontinue health insurance coverage offered in connection with a group health plan in the small or large group market based only on one or more of the following:

(1) The plan sponsor has failed to pay premiums or contributions in accordance with the terms of the health insurance coverage or the issuer has not received timely premium payments.

(2) The plan sponsor has performed an act or practice that constitutes fraud or made an intentional misrepresentation of material fact under the terms of the coverage or, with respect to coverage of an insured individual, fraud, or intentional misrepresentation by the insured individual or the individual's representative. If the fraud or intentional misrepresentation is made by a person with respect to any person's prior health condition, the insurer has the right also to deny coverage to that person or to impose as a condition of continued coverage the exclusion of the condition misrepresented.

(3) The plan sponsor has failed to comply with a material plan provision relating to employer contribution or group participation rules as permitted under Section 38-71-1360(A)(4) in the case of the small group market or pursuant to applicable state law in the large group market.

(4) The issuer is ceasing to offer coverage in such market in accordance with subsection (C) and applicable state law.

(5) In the case of a health insurance issuer that offers health insurance coverage in the market through a network plan, there is no longer any enrollee in connection with such plan who lives, resides, or works in the service area of the issuer or in the area for which the issuer is authorized to do business and, in the case of the small group market, the issuer would deny enrollment with respect to such plan under Section 38-71-1360(C)(1).

(6) In the case of health insurance coverage that is made available in the small or large group market only through one or more bona fide associations, the membership of an employer in the association, on the basis of which the coverage is provided, ceases but only if such coverage is terminated under this item uniformly without regard to any health status-related factor relating to any covered individual.

(C)(1) In any case in which an issuer decides to discontinue offering a particular type of group health insurance coverage offered in the small or large group market, coverage of such type may be discontinued by the issuer in accordance with applicable state law in such market only if the issuer:

(a) provides notice to each plan sponsor provided coverage of this type in such market, and participants and beneficiaries covered under the coverage, of the discontinuation at least ninety days before to the date of the discontinuation of the coverage;

(b) offers to each plan sponsor provided coverage of this type in the market, the option to purchase all or, in the case of the large group market, any other health insurance coverage currently being offered by the issuer to a group health plan in such market; and

(c) in exercising the option to discontinue coverage of this type and in offering the option of coverage under subitem (b), the issuer acts uniformly without regard to the claims experience of those sponsors or any health status-related factor relating to any participants or beneficiaries covered or new participants or beneficiaries who may become eligible for the coverage.

(2)(a) In any case in which a health insurance issuer elects to discontinue offering all health insurance coverage in the small group market or the large group market, or both markets, in this State, health insurance coverage may be discontinued by the issuer only in accordance with applicable state law and if:

(i) the issuer provides notice to the Director of Insurance and to each plan sponsor, and participants and beneficiaries covered under the coverage, of the discontinuation at least one hundred eighty days before the date of the discontinuation of the coverage; and

(ii) all health insurance coverage issued or delivered for issuance in the State in such market is discontinued and coverage under the health insurance coverage in the market is not renewed.

(b) In the case of a discontinuation under subitem (a) in a market, the issuer may not provide for the issuance of any health insurance coverage in the market in this State during the five-year period beginning on the date of the discontinuation of the last health insurance coverage not so renewed.

(D) At the time of coverage renewal, a health insurance issuer may modify the health insurance coverage for a product offered to a group health plan in the:

(1) large group market; or

(2) small group market if, for coverage that is available in the market other than only through one or more bona fide associations, the modification is consistent with state law and effective on a uniform basis among group health plans with that product.

(E) In applying this section in the case of health insurance coverage that is made available by a health insurance issuer in the small or large group market to employers only through one or more associations, a reference to "plan sponsor" is deemed, with respect to coverage provided to an employer member of the association, to include a reference to such employer.

HISTORY: 1997 Act No. 5, Section 3.