2020 Regular Session ENROLLED SENATE BILL NO. 174 BY SENATOR BERNARD 1 AN ACT 2 To amend and reenact R.S. 22:1063(C), 1068(B)(2), 1074(B)(2), 1091(B)(9), 1092(I), and 3 the introductory paragraph of R.S. 22:2401, relative to health insurance; to make 4 technical changes in references to federal law; and to provide for related matters. 5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana: 6 Section 1. R.S. 22:1063(C), 1068(B)(2), 1074(B)(2), 1091(B)(9), 1092(I), and the 7 introductory paragraph of R.S. 22:2401 are hereby amended and reenacted to read as 8 follows: 9 §1063. Prohibiting discrimination against individual participants and beneficiaries 10 based on health status 11 * * * 12 C. A health insurance issuer offering group health insurance coverage shall 13 not rescind such coverage with respect to an enrollee or insured once the enrollee or 14 insured is covered under such coverage involved, except that this Subsection shall 15 not apply to an enrollee or insured who has performed an act or practice that 16 constitutes fraud or makes an intentional misrepresentation of material fact. Such 17 coverage may not be cancelled except with prior notice to the enrollee or insured, 18 and only as permitted by shall comply with any applicable federal law or regulation 19 pursuant to 42 U.S.C.A. Section 300gg-12, (Public Health Services Act). The 20 provisions of this Subsection shall not apply to limited benefit health insurance 21 policies or contracts, disability income, long-term care, nursing home care, home 22 health care, community based care, dental or vision benefits, Medicare supplement, 23 specified disease or illness, hospital indemnity or other fixed indemnity insurance, 24 workers' compensation or similar insurance. Page 1 of 4 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 174 ENROLLED 1 * * * 2 §1068. Guaranteed renewability of coverage for employers in the group market 3 * * * 4 B. A health insurance issuer may non-renew or discontinue health insurance 5 coverage offered in connection with a group health plan in the small or large group 6 market based only on one or more of the following: 7 * * * 8 (2) The plan sponsor has performed an act or practice that constitutes fraud 9 or made an intentional misrepresentation of material fact. Such health insurance 10 coverage may not be cancelled except with prior notice to the enrollee or insured, 11 and only as permitted by shall comply with any applicable federal law or regulation 12 pursuant to 42 U.S.C. A. Section 300gg-12, (Public Health Services Act). The 13 provisions of this Paragraph shall not apply to limited benefit health insurance 14 policies or contracts authorized to be issued in this state. The provisions of this 15 Subsection shall not apply to limited benefit health insurance policies or contracts, 16 disability income, long-term care, nursing home care, home health care, community 17 based care, dental or vision benefits, Medicare supplement, specified disease or 18 illness, hospital indemnity or other fixed indemnity insurance, workers' 19 compensation or similar insurance. 20 * * * 21 §1074. Guaranteed renewability of individual health insurance coverage 22 * * * 23 B. A health insurance issuer may non-renew or discontinue health insurance 24 coverage of an individual in the individual market based only on one or more of the 25 following: 26 * * * 27 (2) The individual has performed an act or practice that constitutes fraud or 28 made an intentional misrepresentation of material fact. Such health insurance 29 coverage may not be cancelled except with prior notice to the enrollee or insured, 30 and only as permitted by shall comply with any applicable federal law or regulation Page 2 of 4 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 174 ENROLLED 1 pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Section 300gg-12, (Public Health Services Act). The 2 provisions of this Paragraph shall not apply to limited benefit health insurance 3 policies or contracts authorized to be issued in this state. The provisions of this 4 Subsection shall not apply to limited benefit health insurance policies or contracts, 5 disability income, long-term care, nursing home care, home health care, community 6 based care, dental or vision benefits, Medicare supplement, specified disease or 7 illness, hospital indemnity or other fixed indemnity insurance, workers' 8 compensation or similar insurance. 9 * * * 10 §1091. Health insurance plans subject to rate review 11 * * * 12 B. As used in this Subpart, the following terms shall have the meanings 13 ascribed to them in this Section: 14 * * * 15 (9) "Index rate" means the average rate resulting from the estimated 16 combined claims experience for all Essential Health Benefits, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 17 18022, Section 1302(b) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, of all 18 nontransitional and nongrandfathered health plan coverage within a health insurance 19 issuer's single, statewide risk pool in the individual market and within a health 20 insurance issuer's single, statewide risk pool in the small group market, with a 21 separate index rate being calculated for each market. Health insurance issuers may 22 make any market-wide and plan- or product-specific adjustments to an index rate as 23 permitted or as required by federal law, rules, or regulations. In the event this rate 24 cannot be determined by reference to 42 U.S.C. 18022, Section 1302(b) of the 25 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the commissioner of insurance 26 shall promulgate rules pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, R.S. 27 49:950 et seq., to define a substantially similar alternative. 28 * * * 29 §1092. Health insurance issuers; rate filings and rate increases 30 * * * Page 3 of 4 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 174 ENROLLED 1 I. For any rate increase that meets or exceeds the federal review threshold, 2 the department shall post a notice of final determination on its website and undertake 3 any other actions necessary pursuant to Section 2794 of the Public Health Service 4 Act federal law. 5 * * * 6 §2401. Requirements of federal laws and regulations; minimum requirements 7 Health insurance issuers shall implement effective processes for appeals of 8 coverage determinations and claims pursuant to Section 2719 of the Public Health 9 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg-19) and any federal regulations promulgated pursuant 10 thereto by the United States Department of Labor and the United States Department 11 of Health and Human Services. The processes shall comply with any applicable 12 federal law or regulation. Under such processes, a health insurance issuer shall, at 13 a minimum: 14 * * * PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA APPROVED: Page 4 of 4 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions.