§ 4085a. Rebates prohibited for group insurance policies

(a) As used in this section, "group insurance" means any policy described in section 4079 of this title, except that it shall not include any small group policy issued pursuant to section 4080a or 4080g of this title or to 33 V.S.A. § 1811.

(b) No insurer doing business in this State and no insurance agent or broker shall offer, promise, allow, give, set off, or pay, directly or indirectly, any rebate of or part of the premium payable on a group insurance policy, or on any group insurance policy or agent's commission thereon or earnings, profits, dividends, or other benefits founded, arising, accruing or to accrue thereon or therefrom, or any special advantage in date of policy or age of issue, or any paid employment or contract for services of any kind or any other valuable consideration or inducement to or for insurance on any risk in this State, now or hereafter to be written, or for or upon any renewal of any such insurance, which is not specified in the policy contract of insurance, or offer, promise, give, option, sell, purchase any stocks, bonds, securities, or property or any dividends or profits accruing or to accrue thereon, or other thing of value whatsoever as inducement to insurance or in connection therewith, or any renewal thereof, which is not specified in the policy.

(c) No insured person under a group insurance policy or party or applicant for group insurance shall directly or indirectly receive or accept or agree to receive or accept any rebate of premium or of any part thereof or all or any part of any agent's or broker's commission thereon, or any favor or advantage, or share in any benefit to accrue under any policy of insurance, or any valuable consideration or inducement, other than such as is specified in the policy.

(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting the payment of commission or other compensation to any duly licensed agent or broker; or as prohibiting any insurer from allowing or returning to its participating policyholders dividends, savings, or unused premium deposits; or as prohibiting any insurer from returning or otherwise abating, in full or in part, the premiums of its policyholders out of surplus accumulated from nonparticipating insurance, or as prohibiting the taking of a bona fide obligation, with interest not exceeding six percent per annum, in payment of any premium.

(e) An insurer that pays a commission, fee, or other compensation, directly or indirectly, to a licensed or unlicensed agent, broker, or other individual other than a bona fide employee of the insurer in connection with the sale of a group insurance policy shall clearly disclose to the purchaser of such group policy the amount of any such commission, fee, or compensation paid or to be paid. (Added 2011, No. 171 (Adj. Sess.), § 2f.)