Bill Text: CT HB05209 | 2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

Connecticut House Bill 5209 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: An Act Imposing A Surcharge On Certain Insurance Policies And Establishing The Healthy Homes Fund.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Passed) 2018-06-13 - Signed by the Governor [HB05209 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2018-HB05209-Introduced.html


General Assembly		*Raised Bill No. 5209*
*February Session, 2018*		LCO No. 597
		00597_______INS
Referred to Committee on INSURANCE AND REAL ESTATE
Introduced by:
(INS)

AN ACT CONCERNING LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE PREMIUM RATE INCREASES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 38a-501 of the 2018 supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2018):

(a) (1) As used in this section, "long-term care policy" means any individual health insurance policy delivered or issued for delivery to any resident of this state on or after July 1, 1986, that is designed to provide, within the terms and conditions of the policy, benefits on an expense-incurred, indemnity or prepaid basis for necessary care or treatment of an injury, illness or loss of functional capacity provided by a certified or licensed health care provider in a setting other than an acute care hospital, for at least one year after an elimination period (A) not to exceed one hundred days of confinement, or (B) of over one hundred days but not to exceed two years of confinement, provided such period is covered by an irrevocable trust in an amount estimated to be sufficient to furnish coverage to the grantor of the trust for the duration of the elimination period. Such trust shall create an unconditional duty to pay the full amount held in trust exclusively to cover the costs of confinement during the elimination period, subject only to taxes and any trustee's charges allowed by law. Payment shall be made directly to the provider. The duty of the trustee may be enforced by the state, the grantor or any person acting on behalf of the grantor. A long-term care policy shall provide benefits for confinement in a nursing home or confinement in the insured's own home or both. Any additional benefits provided shall be related to long-term treatment of an injury, illness or loss of functional capacity. "Long-term care policy" does not include any such policy that is offered primarily to provide basic Medicare supplement coverage, basic medical-surgical expense coverage, hospital confinement indemnity coverage, major medical expense coverage, disability income protection coverage, accident only coverage, specified accident coverage or limited benefit health coverage.

(2) (A) No insurance company, fraternal benefit society, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation or health care center delivering, issuing for delivery, renewing, continuing or amending any long-term care policy in this state may refuse to accept, or refuse to make reimbursement pursuant to, a claim for benefits submitted by or prepared with the assistance of a managed residential community, as defined in section 19a-693, in accordance with subdivision (7) of subsection (a) of section 19a-694, solely because such claim for benefits was submitted by or prepared with the assistance of a managed residential community.

(B) Each insurance company, fraternal benefit society, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation or health care center delivering, issuing for delivery, renewing, continuing or amending any long-term care policy in this state shall, upon receipt of a written authorization executed by the insured, (i) disclose information to a managed residential community for the purpose of determining such insured's eligibility for an insurance benefit or payment, and (ii) provide a copy of the initial acceptance or declination of a claim for benefits to the managed residential community at the same time such acceptance or declination is made to the insured.

(b) (1) No insurance company, fraternal benefit society, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation or health care center may deliver or issue for delivery any long-term care policy that has a loss ratio of less than sixty per cent for any individual long-term care policy. An issuer shall not use or change premium rates for a long-term care policy unless the rates have been filed with and approved by the Insurance Commissioner. Any rate filings or rate revisions shall demonstrate that anticipated claims in relation to premiums when combined with actual experience to date can be expected to comply with the loss ratio requirement of this section. A rate filing shall include the factors and methodology used to estimate irrevocable trust values if the policy includes an option for the elimination period specified in subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section.

(2) (A) Any insurance company, fraternal benefit society, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation or health care center that files a rate filing for an increase in premium rates for a long-term care policy that is for twenty per cent or more shall spread the increase over a period of not less than [three] five years. Such company, society, corporation or center shall use a periodic rate increase that is actuarially equivalent to a single rate increase and a current interest rate for the period chosen.

(B) Prior to implementing a premium rate increase, each such company, society, corporation or center shall:

(i) Notify its policyholders of such premium rate increase and make available to such policyholders the additional choice of reducing the policy benefits to reduce the premium rate. Such notice shall include a description of such policy benefit reductions. The premium rates for any benefit reductions shall be based on the new premium rate schedule;

(ii) Provide policyholders not less than thirty calendar days to elect a reduction in policy benefits; and

(iii) Include a statement in such notice that if a policyholder fails to elect a reduction in policy benefits by the end of the notice period and has not cancelled the policy, the policyholder will be deemed to have elected to retain the existing policy benefits.

Sec. 2. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 38a-528 of the 2018 supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2018):

(a) (1) As used in this section, "long-term care policy" means any group health insurance policy or certificate delivered or issued for delivery to any resident of this state on or after July 1, 1986, that is designed to provide, within the terms and conditions of the policy or certificate, benefits on an expense-incurred, indemnity or prepaid basis for necessary care or treatment of an injury, illness or loss of functional capacity provided by a certified or licensed health care provider in a setting other than an acute care hospital, for at least one year after a reasonable elimination period. A long-term care policy shall provide benefits for confinement in a nursing home or confinement in the insured's own home or both. Any additional benefits provided shall be related to long-term treatment of an injury, illness or loss of functional capacity. "Long-term care policy" does not include any such policy or certificate that is offered primarily to provide basic Medicare supplement coverage, basic medical-surgical expense coverage, hospital confinement indemnity coverage, major medical expense coverage, disability income protection coverage, accident only coverage, specified accident coverage or limited benefit health coverage.

(b) (1) No insurance company, fraternal benefit society, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation or health care center may deliver or issue for delivery any long-term care policy or certificate that has a loss ratio of less than sixty-five per cent for any group long-term care policy. An issuer shall not use or change premium rates for a long-term care policy or certificate unless the rates have been filed with the Insurance Commissioner. Deviations in rates to reflect policyholder experience shall be permitted, provided each policy form shall meet the loss ratio requirement of this section. Any rate filings or rate revisions shall demonstrate that anticipated claims in relation to premiums when combined with actual experience to date can be expected to comply with the loss ratio requirement of this section. On an annual basis, an insurer shall submit to the Insurance Commissioner an actuarial certification of the insurer's continuing compliance with the loss ratio requirement of this section. Any rate or rate revision may be disapproved if the commissioner determines that the loss ratio requirement will not be met over the lifetime of the policy form using reasonable assumptions.

(B) Prior to implementing a premium rate increase, each such company, society, corporation or center shall:

(i) Notify its certificate holders of such premium rate increase and make available to such certificate holders the additional choice of reducing the policy benefits to reduce the premium rate. Such notice shall include a description of such policy benefit reductions. The premium rates for any benefit reductions shall be based on the new premium rate schedule;

(ii) Provide certificate holders not less than thirty calendar days to elect a reduction in policy benefits; and

(iii) Include a statement in such notice that if a certificate holder fails to elect a reduction in policy benefits by the end of the notice period and has not cancelled the policy, the certificate holder will be deemed to have elected to retain the existing policy benefits.


This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	October 1, 2018	38a-501(a) and (b)
Sec. 2	October 1, 2018	38a-528(a) and (b)

Statement of Purpose:

To require insurers that file a rate increase of twenty per cent or more for an individual or a group long-term care insurance policy to spread such increase over not less than five years.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]