Title 58, INSURANCE

Unless otherwise specified, nothing in this chapter requires a carrier to change any of its rates or rating methodologies for any business other than the small employer business subject to the provisions of this chapter. Source: SL 1995, ch 281 , § 7.

Premium rates for health benefit plans subject to this chapter are subject to the following provisions: (1) Adjustments in rates for claim experience, health status, and duration of coverage may not be charged to individual employees or dependents. Any such adjustments shall be a…

The premium rates for an individual covered in a small employer plan may not exceed the premium rate for any other individual covered under the same small employer carrier because of age alone by a factor of 3:1. A small employer carrier may not require any individual to pay any …

The director may promulgate rules pursuant to chapter 1-26 to implement the provisions of §§ 58-18B-1 to 58-18B-3 , inclusive, § 58-18B-7 , §§ 58-18B-15 to 58-18B-18 , inclusive, and to assure that rating practices used by small employer carriers are consistent with the purposes …

This chapter is applicable to any health benefit plan which provides coverage to two or more employees of a small employer and policies which meet the following criteria: (1) Any portion of the premium or benefits is paid by or on behalf of the small employer; or (2) The health b…

A small employer carrier shall issue health benefit plans to any small employer that applies for a plan and agrees to make the required premium payments and to satisfy the other reasonable provisions of the health benefit plan not inconsistent with this chapter. If, on the first …

Except as provided in § 58-18B-26 , requirements used by a small employer carrier in determining whether to provide coverage to a small employer, including requirements for minimum participation of eligible employees and minimum employer contributions, shall be applied uniformly …

A small employer carrier may vary application of minimum participation requirements and minimum employer contribution requirements only by the size of the small employer group or by the class of business. Source: SL 1995, ch 281 , § 18.

In applying minimum participation requirements with respect to a small employer, a small employer carrier may consider employees or dependents who have creditable coverage in determining whether the applicable percentage of participation is met. If any employee or dependent with …

No small employer carrier may increase any requirement for minimum employee participation or any requirement for minimum employer contribution applicable to a small employer at any time after the small employer has been accepted for coverage. Source: SL 1995, ch 281 , § 20.

No small employer carrier may modify a health benefit plan with respect to a small employer or any eligible employee or dependent through riders, endorsements, or otherwise, to restrict or exclude coverage for certain diseases or medical conditions otherwise covered by the health…

A health benefit plan of a small employer carrier that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state may not exclude the payment of benefits for injuries sustained by an insured person because the insured was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, as defined by § …

No small employer carrier may be required to provide coverage to small employers pursuant to § 58-18B-20 , for any period of time for which the director determines that requiring the acceptance of small employers in accordance with the provisions of § 58-18B-20 , would place the …

Premium rates for health benefit plans subject to this chapter are subject to the following provisions: (1) The index rate for a rating period for any class of business may not exceed the index rate for any other class of business by more than twenty percent unless: (a) The class…

No small employer carrier may increase its small employer base rates unless the small employer carrier has filed the base rate increase with the director for review at least thirty days prior to the implementation of the rate increase. The base rates are deemed approved at the ex…

The director shall promulgate rules pursuant to chapter 1-26 regulating the solicitation and sale of multiple employer trusts and multiple employer welfare arrangements. In considering the promulgation of rules pursuant to this section, the director shall take into consideration,…

The director shall promulgate rules pursuant to chapter 1-26 to provide for the implementation and administration of this chapter. The rules shall cover: (1) Terms of renewability; (2) Initial and subsequent conditions of eligibility; (3) Probationary periods; (4) Benefit limitat…

Each small employer carrier shall actively market health benefit plan coverage, to eligible small employers in the state. A small employer carrier may not deny coverage to a small employer on the basis of the health status or claims experience of the small employer or its employe…

No small employer carrier or insurance producer may, directly or indirectly, engage in the following activities: (1) Encouraging or directing small employers to refrain from filing an application for coverage with the small employer carrier because of the health status, claims ex…

The provisions of § 58-18B-38 do not apply with respect to information provided by a small employer carrier or insurance producer to a small employer regarding a restricted network provision of a small employer carrier. Source: SL 1995, ch 281 , § 34; SL 2001, ch 286 , § 124.

No small employer carrier may, directly or indirectly, enter into any contract, agreement, or arrangement with an insurance producer that provides for or results in the compensation paid to an agent for the sale of a health benefit plan to be varied because of the health status, …

The provisions of § 58-18B-40 do not apply with respect to a compensation arrangement that provides compensation to an insurance producer on the basis of percentage of premium, if the percentage does not vary because of the health status, claims experience, industry, occupation, …

No small employer carrier may terminate, fail to renew, or limit its contract or agreement of representation with an insurance producer for any reason related to the health status, claims experience, occupation, or geographic location of the small employers placed by the agent wi…

No small employer carrier or agent may induce or otherwise encourage a small employer to separate or otherwise exclude an employee from health coverage or benefits provided in connection with the employee's employment. Source: SL 1995, ch 281 , § 39.

If a small employer carrier denies an application for coverage from a small employer, the denial shall be in writing and shall state the reason or reasons for the denial. Source: SL 1995, ch 281 , § 40.

The director may promulgate rules pursuant to chapter 1-26 setting forth additional standards to provide for the fair marketing and broad availability of health benefit plans to small employers in the state. Any violation of §§ 58-18B-37 to 58-18B-48 , inclusive, by a small emplo…

If a small employer carrier enters into a contract, agreement, or other arrangement with a third - party administrator to provide administrative, marketing, or other services related to the offering of health benefit plans to small employers in the state, the third - party admini…

Unless the carrier otherwise subjects itself to this chapter, this chapter does not apply to any bona fide association insurance plan or to the insurance carrier underwriting the group plan if the bona fide association meets the following criteria: (1) The association has been ac…

The director may establish a payment mechanism to adjust for the amount of risk covered by each small employer carrier. The director may appoint an advisory committee composed of individuals that have risk adjustment and actuarial expertise to help establish the risk adjusters. S…

If a health benefit plan of a small employer carrier that is issued or renewed on or after July 1, 1996, provides maternity coverage, the plan shall provide coverage for a minimum of forty - eight hours of inpatient care following a vaginal delivery and a minimum of ninety - six …

Source: SL 1996, ch 292 , § 7; SL 1998, ch 290 , § 3. 58-18B-51 . Shorter hospital stay permitted--Follow - up visit within forty - eight hours required. If the treating physician determines that the mother and the newborn meet medical criteria contained in Guidelines for Perinat…

The small employer carrier shall provide notice to employees regarding the coverage required by §§ 58-18B-50 and 58-18B-51 in accordance with rules adopted by the director of the Division of Insurance pursuant to chapter 1-26 . The notice shall be in writing and prominently posit…

Every small employer health benefit plan that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state, except for policies that provide coverage for specified disease or other limited benefit coverage, shall provide, in writing, coverage for the treatment and diagnosis of bio…

The provisions of § 58-18B-53 do not apply to any plan, policy, or contract that provides coverage only for: (1) Specified disease; (2) Hospital indemnity; (3) Fixed indemnity; (4) Accident - only; (5) Credit; (6) Dental; (7) Vision; (8) Prescription drug; (9) Medicare supplement…

Any policy or certificate of specified disease, short - term hospital - surgical care of six months or less duration, hospital confinement indemnity, limited benefit health insurance, or other policy or certificate that provide benefits less than that of a major medical plan that…

Every small employer health benefit plan delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state, except for policies that provide coverage for specified disease or other limited benefit coverage, shall provide, in writing, coverage for equipment, supplies, and self - management…

The provisions of § 58-18B-56 do not apply to any plan, policy, or contract that provides coverage only for: (1) Specified disease; (2) Hospital indemnity; (3) Fixed indemnity; (4) Accident - only; (5) Credit; (6) Dental; (7) Vision; (8) Prescription drug; (9) Medicare supplement…

Every health benefit plan of a small employer carrier that covers a male and that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state shall provide the following coverage for diagnostic screening for prostate cancer: (1) An annual medically recognized diagnostic examinati…

Each small employer carrier shall make reasonable disclosure in solicitation and sales materials provided to small employers of the following: (1) The extent to which premium rates for a specific small employer are established or adjusted due to the claim experience, health statu…

Any qualified health plan issued on or after January 1, 2015, that offers coverage for professional audiology services shall include coverage for medically necessary physician services appropriate for the treatment of hearing impairment to a person under the age of nineteen. This…

Each small employer carrier shall maintain at the carrier's principal place of business a complete and detailed description of the carrier's rating practices and renewal underwriting practices, including information and documentation which demonstrate that the carrier's rating me…

The director may suspend all or any part of the premium rate requirements of § 58-18B-3 applicable to one or more small employers for one or more rating periods upon a filing by the small employer carrier and a finding by the director that either the suspension is reasonable in l…

The provisions of this chapter apply to each health benefit plan for a small employer that is delivered, issued for delivery, renewed or continued in this state after July 1, 1992. The date a plan is continued is the first rating period which commences after July 1, 1992. Source:…