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Article 7.5. Underwriting Practices of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 2. >> Chapter 2.2. >> Article 7.5.

(a) The director shall not approve any plan contract unless the director finds that the application conforms to both of the following requirements:
  (1) All applications for coverage which include health-related questions shall contain clear and unambiguous questions designed to ascertain the health condition or history of the applicant.
  (2) The application questions related to an applicant's health shall be based on medical information that is reasonable and necessary for medical underwriting purposes. The application shall include a prominently displayed notice that shall read: "California law prohibits an HIV test from being required or used by health care service plans as a condition of obtaining coverage."
  (b) Nothing in this section shall authorize the director to establish or require a single or standard application form for application questions.
At the request of the director, a health care service plan shall provide a written statement of the actuarial basis for any medical underwriting decision on any application form, or contract issued or delivered to, or denied a resident of this state.
(a) A health care service plan shall not rescind a plan contract, or limit any provisions of a plan contract, once an enrollee is covered under the contract unless the plan can demonstrate that the enrollee has performed an act or practice constituting fraud or made an intentional misrepresentation of material fact as prohibited by the terms of the contract.
  (b) If a plan intends to rescind a plan contract pursuant to subdivision (a), the plan shall send a notice to the enrollee or subscriber via regular certified mail at least 30 days prior to the effective date of the rescission explaining the reasons for the intended rescission and notifying the enrollee or subscriber of his or her right to appeal that decision to the director pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1365.
  (c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), Section 1365 or any other provision of law, after 24 months following the issuance of a health care service plan contract, a plan shall not rescind the plan contract for any reason, and shall not cancel the plan contract, limit any of the provisions of the plan contract, or raise premiums on the plan contract due to any omissions, misrepresentations, or inaccuracies in the application form, whether willful or not. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to alter existing law that otherwise applies to a health care service plan within the first 24 months following the issuance of a health care service plan contract.
(a) (1) This section shall apply only to a full service health care service plan offering health coverage in the individual market in California and shall not apply to a specialized health care service plan, a health care service plan contract in the Medi-Cal program (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code), a health care service plan conversion contract offered pursuant to Section 1373.6, a health care service plan contract in the Healthy Families Program (Part 6.2 (commencing with Section 12693) of Division 2 of the Insurance Code), or a health care service plan contract offered to a federally eligible defined individual under Article 4.6 (commencing with Section 1366.35).
  (2) A local initiative, as defined in subdivision (v) of Section 53810 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, that is awarded a contract by the State Department of Health Care Services pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 53800 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, shall not be subject to this section unless the plan offers coverage in the individual market to persons not covered by Medi-Cal or the Healthy Families Program.
  (b) (1) No change in the premium rate or coverage for an individual plan contract shall become effective unless the plan has delivered a written notice of the change at least 15 days prior to the start of the annual enrollment period applicable to the contract or 60 days prior to the effective date of the contract renewal, whichever occurs earlier in the calendar year.
  (2) The written notice required pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be delivered to the individual contractholder at his or her last address known to the plan. The notice shall state in italics and in 12-point type the actual dollar amount of the premium rate increase and the specific percentage by which the current premium will be increased. The notice shall describe in plain, understandable English any changes in the plan design or any changes in benefits, including a reduction in benefits or changes to waivers, exclusions, or conditions, and highlight this information by printing it in italics. The notice shall specify in a minimum of 10-point bold typeface, the reason for a premium rate change or a change to the plan design or benefits.
  (c) If a plan rejects a dependent of a subscriber applying to be added to the subscriber's individual grandfathered health plan, rejects an applicant for a Medicare supplement plan contract due to the applicant having end-stage renal disease, or offers an individual grandfathered health plan to an applicant at a rate that is higher than the standard rate, the plan shall inform the applicant about the California Major Risk Medical Insurance Program (MRMIP) (Part 6.5 (commencing with Section 12700) of Division 2 of the Insurance Code) and about the new coverage options, and the potential for subsidized coverage, through Covered California. The plan shall direct persons seeking more information to MRMIP, Covered California, plan or policy representatives, insurance agents, or an entity paid by Covered California to assist with health coverage enrollment, such as a navigator or an assister.
  (d) A notice provided pursuant to this section is a private and confidential communication and, at the time of application, the plan shall give the individual applicant the opportunity to designate the address for receipt of the written notice in order to protect the confidentiality of any personal or privileged information.
  (e) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
  (1) "Covered California" means the California Health Benefit Exchange established pursuant to Section 100500 of the Government Code.
  (2) "Grandfathered health plan" has the same meaning as that term is defined in Section 1251 of PPACA.
  (3) "PPACA" means the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), as amended by the federal Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-152), and any rules, regulations, or guidance issued pursuant to that law.
No health care service plan shall engage in the practice of postclaims underwriting. For purposes of this section, "postclaims underwriting" means the rescinding, canceling, or limiting of a plan contract due to the plan's failure to complete medical underwriting and resolve all reasonable questions arising from written information submitted on or with an application before issuing the plan contract. This section shall not limit a plan's remedies described in subdivision (a) of Section 1389.21.
(a) A full service health care service plan that issues, renews, or amends individual health plan contracts shall be subject to this section.
  (b) A health care service plan subject to this section shall have written policies, procedures, or underwriting guidelines establishing the criteria and process whereby the plan makes its decision to provide or to deny coverage to individuals applying for coverage and sets the rate for that coverage. These guidelines, policies, or procedures shall ensure that the plan rating and underwriting criteria comply with Sections 1365.5 and 1389.1 and all other applicable provisions of state and federal law.
  (c) On or before June 1, 2006, and annually thereafter, every health care service plan shall file with the department a general description of the criteria, policies, procedures, or guidelines the plan uses for rating and underwriting decisions related to individual health plan contracts, which means automatic declinable health conditions, health conditions that may lead to a coverage decline, height and weight standards, health history, health care utilization, lifestyle, or behavior that might result in a decline for coverage or severely limit the plan products for which they would be eligible. A plan may comply with this section by submitting to the department underwriting materials or resource guides provided to plan solicitors or solicitor firms, provided that those materials include the information required to be submitted by this section.
  (d) Commencing January 1, 2011, the director shall post on the department's Internet Web site, in a manner accessible and understandable to consumers, general, noncompany specific information about rating and underwriting criteria and practices in the individual market and information about the California Major Risk Medical Insurance Program (Part 6.5 (commencing with Section 12700) of Division 2 of the Insurance Code) and the federal temporary high risk pool established pursuant to Part 6.6 (commencing with Section 12739.5) of Division 2 of the Insurance Code. The director shall develop the information for the Internet Web site in consultation with the Department of Insurance to enhance the consistency of information provided to consumers. Information about individual health coverage shall also include the following notification: "Please examine your options carefully before declining group coverage or continuation coverage, such as COBRA, that may be available to you. You should be aware that companies selling individual health insurance typically require a review of your medical history that could result in a higher premium or you could be denied coverage entirely."
  (e) This section does not authorize public disclosure of company specific rating and underwriting criteria and practices submitted to the director.
  (f) This section does not apply to a closed block of business, as defined in Section 1367.15.
  (g) (1) This section shall become inoperative on November 1, 2013, or the 91st calendar day following the adjournment of the 2013-14 First Extraordinary Session, whichever date is later.
  (2) If Section 5000A of the Internal Revenue Code, as added by Section 1501 of PPACA, is repealed or amended to no longer apply to the individual market, as defined in Section 2791 of the federal Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 300gg-91), this section shall become operative 12 months after the date of that repeal or amendment.
(a) A full service health care service plan that renews individual grandfathered health benefit plans shall be subject to this section.
  (b) A health care service plan subject to this section shall have written policies, procedures, or underwriting guidelines establishing the criteria and process whereby the plan makes its decision to provide or to deny coverage to dependents applying for an individual grandfathered health plan and sets the rate for that coverage. These guidelines, policies, or procedures shall ensure that the plan rating and underwriting criteria comply with Sections 1365.5 and 1389.1 and all other applicable provisions of state and federal law.
  (c) On or before the June 1 next following the operative date of this section, and annually thereafter, every health care service plan shall file with the department a general description of the criteria, policies, procedures, or guidelines the plan uses for rating and underwriting decisions related to individual grandfathered health plans, which means automatic declinable health conditions, health conditions that may lead to a coverage decline, height and weight standards, health history, health care utilization, lifestyle, or behavior that might result in a decline for coverage or severely limit the plan products for which they would be eligible. A plan may comply with this section by submitting to the department underwriting materials or resource guides provided to plan solicitors or solicitor firms, provided that those materials include the information required to be submitted by this section.
  (d) This section does not authorize public disclosure of company specific rating and underwriting criteria and practices submitted to the director.
  (e) For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
  (1) "PPACA" means the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), as amended by the federal Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-152), and any rules, regulations, or guidance issued pursuant to that law.
  (2) "Grandfathered health plan" has the same meaning as that term is defined in Section 1251 of PPACA.
  (f) (1) This section shall become operative on November 1, 2013, or the 91st calendar day following the adjournment of the 2013-14 First Extraordinary Session, whichever date is later.
  (2) If Section 5000A of the Internal Revenue Code, as added by Section 1501 of PPACA, is repealed or amended to no longer apply to the individual market, as defined in Section 2791 of the federal Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 300gg-91), this section shall become inoperative 12 months after the date of that repeal or amendment.
(a) This section applies to a health care service plan that provides coverage under an individual plan contract that is issued, amended, delivered, or renewed on or after January 1, 2007.
  (b) At least once each year, the health care service plan shall permit an individual who has been covered for at least 18 months under an individual plan contract to transfer, without medical underwriting, to any other individual plan contract offered by that same health care service plan that provides equal or lesser benefits, as determined by the plan. "Without medical underwriting" means that the health care service plan shall not decline to offer coverage to, or deny enrollment of, the individual or impose any preexisting condition exclusion on the individual who transfers to another individual plan contract pursuant to this section.
  (c) The plan shall establish, for the purposes of subdivision (b), a ranking of the individual plan contracts it offers to individual purchasers and post the ranking on its Internet Web site or make the ranking available upon request. The plan shall update the ranking whenever a new benefit design for individual purchasers is approved.
  (d) The plan shall notify in writing all enrollees of the right to transfer to another individual plan contract pursuant to this section, at a minimum, when the plan changes the enrollee's premium rate. Posting this information on the plan's Internet Web site shall not constitute notice for purposes of this subdivision. The notice shall adequately inform enrollees of the transfer rights provided under this section, including information on the process to obtain details about the individual plan contracts available to that enrollee and advising that the enrollee may be unable to return to his or her current individual plan contract if the enrollee transfers to another individual plan contract.
  (e) The requirements of this section do not apply to the following:
  (1) A federally eligible defined individual, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 1399.801, who is enrolled in an individual health benefit plan contract offered pursuant to Section 1366.35.
  (2) An individual offered conversion coverage pursuant to Section 1373.6.
  (3) Individual coverage under a specialized health care service plan contract.
  (4) An individual enrolled in the Medi-Cal program pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of Division 9 of Part 3 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
  (5) An individual enrolled in the Access for Infants and Mothers Program pursuant to Part 6.3 (commencing with Section 12695) of Division 2 of the Insurance Code.
  (6) An individual enrolled in the Healthy Families Program pursuant to Part 6.2 (commencing with Section 12693) of Division 2 of the Insurance Code.
  (f) It is the intent of the Legislature that individuals shall have more choice in their health coverage when health care service plans guarantee the right of an individual to transfer to another product based on the plan's own ranking system. The Legislature does not intend for the department to review or verify the plan's ranking for actuarial or other purposes.
  (g) (1) This section shall become inoperative January 1, 2014, or the 91st calendar day following the adjournment of the 2013-14 First Extraordinary Session, whichever date is later.
  (2) If Section 5000A of the Internal Revenue Code, as added by Section 1501 of PPACA, is repealed or amended to no longer apply to the individual market, as defined in Section 2791 of the federal Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 300gg-91), this section shall become operative 12 months after the date of that repeal or amendment.
Compensation of a person or entity employed by, or contracted with, a health care service plan shall not be based on, or related in any way to, the number of contracts that the person or entity has caused or recommended to be rescinded, canceled, or limited, or the resulting cost savings to the health plan. A health care service plan shall not set performance goals or quotas, or provide compensation to any person or entity employed by, or contracted with, the health care service plan, based on the number of persons whose coverage is rescinded or any financial savings to the health care service plan associated with rescission of coverage.
(a) Every health care service plan that offers, issues, or renews individual plan contracts shall offer to any individual, who was covered under an individual plan contract that was rescinded, a new individual plan contract, without medical underwriting, that provides equal benefits. A health care service plan may also permit an individual, who was covered under an individual plan contract that was rescinded, to remain covered under that individual plan contract, with a revised premium rate that reflects the number of persons remaining on the plan contract.
  (b) "Without medical underwriting" means that the health care service plan shall not decline to offer coverage to, or deny enrollment of, the individual or impose any preexisting condition exclusion on the individual who is issued a new individual plan contract or remains covered under an individual plan contract pursuant to this section.
  (c) If a new individual plan contract is issued, the plan may revise the premium rate to reflect only the number of persons covered on the new individual plan contract.
  (d) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) and (b), if an individual was subject to a preexisting condition provision or a waiting or an affiliation period under the individual plan contract that was rescinded, the health care service plan may apply the same preexisting condition provision or waiting or affiliation period in the new individual plan contract. The time period in the new individual plan contract for the preexisting condition provision or waiting or affiliation period shall not be longer than the one in the individual plan contract that was rescinded and the health care service plan shall credit any time that the individual was covered under the rescinded individual plan contract.
  (e) The plan shall notify in writing all enrollees of the right to coverage under an individual plan contract pursuant to this section, at a minimum, when the plan rescinds the individual plan contract. The notice shall adequately inform enrollees of the right to coverage provided under this section.
  (f) The plan shall provide 60 days for enrollees to accept the offered new individual plan contract and this contract shall be effective as of the effective date of the original plan contract and there shall be no lapse in coverage.
  (g) This section does not apply to any individual whose information in the application for coverage and related communications led to the rescission.
  (h) (1) This section shall become inoperative on January 1, 2014, or the 91st calendar day following the adjournment of the 2013-14 First Extraordinary Session, whichever date is later.
  (2) If Section 5000A of the Internal Revenue Code, as added by Section 1501 of PPACA, is repealed or amended to no longer apply to the individual market, as defined in Section 2791 of the federal Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 300gg-91), this section shall become operative 12 months after the date of that repeal or amendment.
(a) Every health care service plan that offers, issues, or renews individual plan contracts shall offer to any individual, who was covered by the plan under an individual plan contract that was rescinded, a new individual plan contract that provides the most equivalent benefits.
  (b) A health care service plan that offers, issues, or renews individual plan contracts inside or outside the California Health Benefit Exchange may also permit an individual, who was covered by the plan under an individual plan contract that was rescinded, to remain covered under that individual plan contract, with a revised premium rate that reflects the number of persons remaining on the individual plan contract consistent with Section 1399.855.
  (c) The plan shall notify in writing all enrollees of the right to coverage under an individual plan contract pursuant to this section, at a minimum, when the plan rescinds the individual plan contract. The notice shall adequately inform enrollees of the right to coverage provided under this section.
  (d) The plan shall provide 60 days for enrollees to accept the offered new individual plan contract under subdivision (a), and this contract shall be effective as of the effective date of the original plan contract and there shall be no lapse in coverage.
  (e) This section does not apply to any individual whose information in the application for coverage and related communications led to the rescission.
  (f) This section applies notwithstanding subdivision (a) or (d) of Section 1399.849.
  (g) (1) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2014, or the 91st calendar day following the adjournment of the 2013-14 First Extraordinary Session, whichever date is later.
  (2) If Section 5000A of the Internal Revenue Code, as added by Section 1501 of PPACA, is repealed or amended to no longer apply to the individual market, as defined in Section 2791 of the federal Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 300gg-91), this section shall become inoperative 12 months after the date of that repeal or amendment.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an agent, broker, solicitor, solicitor firm, or representative who assists an applicant in submitting an application to a health care service plan has the duty to assist the applicant in providing answers to health questions accurately and completely.
  (b) An agent, broker, solicitor, solicitor firm, or representative who assists an applicant in submitting an application to a health care service plan shall attest on the written application to both of the following:
  (1) That to the best of his or her knowledge, the information on the application is complete and accurate.
  (2) That he or she explained to the applicant, in easy-to-understand language, the risk to the applicant of providing inaccurate information and that the applicant understood the explanation.
  (c) If, in an attestation required by subdivision (b), a declarant willfully states as true any material fact he or she knows to be false, that person shall, in addition to any applicable penalties or remedies available under current law, be subject to a civil penalty of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000). Any public prosecutor may bring a civil action to impose that civil penalty. These penalties shall be paid to the Managed Care Fund.
  (d) A health care service plan application shall include a statement advising declarants of the civil penalty authorized under this section.