General Assembly Committee Bill No. 6619
January Session, 2017 LCO No. 4791
*04791HB06619INS*
Referred to Committee on INSURANCE AND REAL ESTATE
Introduced by:
(INS)
General Assembly
Committee Bill No. 6619
January Session, 2017
LCO No. 4791
*04791HB06619INS*
Referred to Committee on INSURANCE AND REAL ESTATE
Introduced by:
(INS)
AN ACT CONCERNING COVERAGE OF PREVIOUSLY USED WHEELCHAIRS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2018) (a) Each insurer, health care center, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation, fraternal benefit society or other entity that delivers, issues for delivery, renews, amends or continues in this state an individual or group health insurance policy providing coverage of the type specified in subdivisions (1), (2), (4), (11) and (12) of section 38a-469 of the general statutes that provides coverage for wheelchairs shall:
(1) Not later than the date on which a wheelchair is delivered to an insured as a covered benefit under such policy, disclose, in writing, to the insured (A) whether the wheelchair delivered to the insured is new or has been previously used, and (B) if the wheelchair has been previously used, that the insured may return the wheelchair to the insurer, health care center, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation, fraternal benefit society or entity, at no cost to the insured, not later than seven days following the date on which the wheelchair was delivered to the insured;
(2) Provide coverage for the cost of repairing or replacing a wheelchair that is defective or sustains damage before the wheelchair is delivered to an insured as a covered benefit under such policy; and
(3) Promptly process any claim to repair or replace a wheelchair that is defective or sustains damage before the wheelchair is delivered to an insured as a covered benefit under such policy.
(b) Each insurer, health care center, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation, fraternal benefit society or entity that makes the disclosure required under subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section shall make such disclosure on a form and in the manner prescribed by the Insurance Commissioner.
(c) Nothing in this section shall preclude an insurer, health care center, hospital service corporation, medical service corporation, fraternal benefit society or entity from seeking restitution or commencing suit to recover damages, costs and expenses from any person liable to such insurer, center, corporation, society or entity for costs incurred by such insurer, center, corporation, society or entity under subdivision (2) or (3) of subsection (a) of this section.
(d) The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54 of the general statutes, to implement this section.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 January 1, 2018 New section
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
January 1, 2018
New section
Statement of Purpose:
To require health carriers to: (1) Notify each insured who receives a previously used wheelchair as a covered benefit that the insured has received a previously used wheelchair and may return such wheelchair to the carrier; (2) cover the cost of repairing or replacing a damaged or defective wheelchair; and (3) process claims to repair or replace a damaged or defective wheelchair.
[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.]
Co-Sponsors: REP. CURREY, 11th Dist.
Co-Sponsors:
REP. CURREY, 11th Dist.
H.B. 6619