10270.2
. (a) Blanket insurance is that form of insurance providing
coverage for specified circumstances and insuring by description all
or nearly all persons within a class of persons defined in a policy
issued to a master policyholder, and not by specifically naming the
persons covered, by certificate or otherwise, although a statement of
the coverage provided may be given, or required by the policy to be
given, to eligible persons. The permitted types of blanket insurance
are those where the blanket policy is issued to any of the following:
(1) A volunteer or governmental fire department, emergency medical
services company, or similar volunteer or governmental organization
providing benefits to members or participants only in the event of
accident incurred while performing actions incident to an activity or
operation sponsored or supervised by the department, company, or
organization.
(2) A college, school, or other institution of learning, a school
district or districts or school jurisdictional unit, or to the head,
principal, or governing board of an educational unit who or which
shall be deemed the policyholder; providing benefits to students
without necessarily any restriction as to activity, time, or place,
or to teachers or employees while performing actions incident to
special duties, such as at camps, at summer playgrounds, or during
tours or excursions; and providing benefits to students, teachers, or
employees, and spouses and dependents of students, teachers, and
employees, for death or dismemberment resulting from accident, or for
hospital, medical, surgical, drug, or nursing expenses resulting
from accident or sickness.
(3) A sports team, camp, or sponsor, or proprietor thereof, who
shall be deemed the policyholder, providing benefits to sports team
participants, campers, employees, officials, supervisors, or persons
responsible for their support, for death or dismemberment resulting
from accident or for hospital, medical, surgical, or nursing expenses
resulting from accident, to those participants, campers, employees,
officials, supervisors, or persons responsible for their support, or
arising out of sickness of those participants, campers, employees,
officials, supervisors, or persons responsible for their support,
provided the accident or the first manifestation of sickness occurs
while those participants, campers, employees, officials, supervisors,
or persons responsible for their support are in or on the buildings
or premises of the sports team or camp, or being transported between
their homes and the sports team or camp, or while at any other place
as an incident to sports team- or camp-sponsored activities or while
being transported to, from, or between those places.
(4) (A) A newspaper, farm paper, magazine, or other periodical
publication, which shall be deemed the policyholder, providing
benefits for independent contractors, such as carriers, newsboys,
dealers, distributors, wholesalers, or others engaged in the sale,
distribution, collecting for, or other activities pertaining to the
marketing and delivery of the publication, including attendance at a
coaching school or participation as a member of a trip organized,
supervised, and sponsored as a reward for meritorious service, on
account of loss resulting from accident or sickness, the benefit to
be payable to the independent contractors or to their parents,
guardians, or other persons responsible for their support.
(B) When the premium for the insurance is paid by the person
insured, he or she may, upon request, obtain from the insurer in
certificate form a copy of the policy.
(5) Any religious, charitable, recreational, educational,
athletic, or civic organization, or branch thereof, which shall be
deemed the policyholder, providing benefits to any group of members,
employees, or participants for death or dismemberment or for
hospital, medical, surgical, or nursing expenses resulting from
accident incurred incident to specific hazards pertaining to any
activity or activities or operations sponsored or supervised by, or
on the premises of, the policyholder.
(6) An employer, a majority of the employees in this state of an
employer, or both, upon application, to pay the benefits afforded by
a voluntary plan of unemployment compensation disability insurance.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 10113, the policy may
incorporate by reference any of the appropriate provisions of Part 2
(commencing with Section 2601) of Division 1 of the Unemployment
Insurance Code and the authorized regulations of the Director of
Employment Development.
(7) An employer, who shall be deemed the policyholder, providing
benefits to any group of workers, dependents, or guests, limited by
reference to specified hazards incident to activities or operations
of the policyholder, for death or dismemberment, or for hospital,
medical, surgical, or nursing expenses, resulting from accident. When
the premium for the insurance is paid by the person insured, he or
she may, upon request, obtain from the insurer in certificate form a
copy of the policy.
(8) Any common carrier or any operator, owner, or lessor of a
means of transportation, who shall be deemed the policyholder,
providing benefits to any group of persons who may become lessees or
passengers, limited by reference to their travel status on that
common carrier or that means of transportation, for death or
dismemberment, or for hospital, medical, surgical, or nursing
expenses, resulting from accident. When the premium for the insurance
is paid by the person insured, he or she may, upon request, obtain
from the insurer in certificate form a copy of the policy.
(9) An entertainment production company, who shall be deemed the
policyholder, providing benefits to any group of participants,
volunteers, audience members, contestants, or workers for death or
dismemberment, or for hospital, medical, surgical, or nursing
expenses, resulting from accident while engaged in any activity or
operation of the policyholder. When the premium for the insurance is
paid by the person insured, he or she may, upon request, obtain from
the insurer in certificate form a copy of the policy.
(b) A "blanket policy" is any disability policy of the nature
herein described sold to any of the entities described in paragraphs
(1) to (9), inclusive, of subdivision (a) that provides coverage for
any group of persons within permitted categories defined in the
policy. Policies referred to in paragraph (6) of subdivision (a)
shall comply with the provisions of this section specifically
referring thereto. Policies referred to in paragraphs (1) to (5),
inclusive, or (7) to (9), inclusive, of subdivision (a) may provide
that the cost of the insurance coverage shall be borne by either the
policyholder, or the individuals insured or their parents or
guardians, payable through the policyholder. In the absence of a
policy provision excluding coverage for otherwise covered individuals
who have not individually enrolled with the policyholder and
undertaken to pay all or a specified portion of the premium allocable
to the individual, the policy shall provide the described insurance
for all who fall within the categories of covered individuals defined
in the policy. The policy may, but is not required to, contain
provisions requiring a minimum number of participating persons or a
minimum percentage of participation before the policy is effective.
In the absence of such a provision, coverage shall not be denied any
individual otherwise eligible on those grounds.
(c) A policy described in paragraphs (1) to (5), inclusive, or (7)
to (9), inclusive, of subdivision (a) shall not be issued until
approved as to substance and form by the commissioner. The
commissioner may, after notice and hearing, promulgate reasonable
rules and regulations relating to the substance, form, and issuance
of the policies that are necessary or desirable to preserve, insofar
as applicable, standards of substance, form, and issuance comparable
to the standards prescribed by this chapter that are applicable to
other types of disability policies, and to further the purposes for
which the policies are issued.
(d) A policy described in paragraph (6) of subdivision (a) shall
not be issued until approved as to form by the commissioner. The
commissioner may, after notice and hearing, promulgate reasonable
rules and regulations relating to the form and issuance of the
policies that do not affect the substance of the coverage, and that
are necessary or desirable to preserve, insofar as applicable,
standards of form and issuance comparable to the standards prescribed
by this chapter that are applicable to other types of disability
policies, and to further the purposes for which the policies are
issued. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 10113, the policy
may incorporate by reference any of the appropriate provisions of
Part 2 (commencing with Section 2601) of Division 1 of the
Unemployment Insurance Code and the authorized regulations of the
Director of Employment Development.
(e) A policy described in this section shall not constitute
workers' compensation insurance, as defined in Section 109. A policy
described in paragraphs (3),(5), (7), (8), or (9) of subdivision (a)
shall not be marketed or sold as a substitute for health insurance
coverage compliant with the requirements of the federal Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), as amended
by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public
Law 111-152).
(f) (1) An insurer that intends to issue a policy of blanket
insurance authorized by the amendments to this section pursuant to
the act adding this subdivision, or authorized pursuant to section
10270.2.5, using a policy form previously approved by the
commissioner, where the only new language in the policy is the
specification of the policyholder, covered persons, or the hazards or
activities insured, shall file that new language with the
commissioner prior to issuance of the policy. Submissions of
documents containing variable text or blanks shall include complete
lists of the variable wording or accurate descriptions of the
material to be inserted in lieu of the variable wording or in the
blanks of these documents.
(2) A policy using the new language shall not be issued until
either 30 days expires without notice from the commissioner after the
new language is filed, or the commissioner gives his or her written
approval prior to that time. If the commissioner at any time notifies
the insurer, in writing and specifying the reasons for his or her
opinion, that the filed new language does not comply with the
requirements of law, the insurer shall not issue any policy
containing that language.
(3) Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to provide
separate authority for the commissioner to reopen review of
previously approved policy forms.