Delaware Code Title 18 Sec. 2315 – Discrimination against individuals over 65 years of age
(a) No person shall fail to make available to an insured continued coverage for hospital and medical-surgical expenses in health insurance, group and blanket health insurance, or health service corporation contracts due to such insured’s attaining the age of 65.
Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 18 Sec. 2315
- Commissioner: shall mean the Commissioner of Insurance of this State. See Delaware Code Title 18 Sec. 2302
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Person: shall mean any individual, corporation, association, partnership, reciprocal exchange, interinsurer, Lloyds insurer, fraternal benefit society and other legal entity engaged in the business of insurance, including agents, brokers and adjusters. See Delaware Code Title 18 Sec. 2302
(b) No person shall knowingly permit or offer to make or make any contract of health insurance, group or blanket health insurance, or health service corporation service agreement with an individual 65 years of age or older unless such contract provides benefits equivalent to the benefits available to insureds under the age of 65 covered by such insurance company; except that such contracts may allow for reductions in coverage to reflect benefits available under governmentally sponsored health-care programs generally available to individuals over 65.
(c) Should any insurance company not have a contract available to insureds under the age of 65, the minimum benefits, if any, available to insureds over 65 must include partial or full coverage of appropriate hospital and surgical-medical expenses as determined by the Commissioner taking into account the prevailing medical practice in the community and the coverage available under governmentally sponsored programs generally available to individuals over 65.
(d) The application of subsections (a), (b) and (c) of this section shall not prohibit differential rates to be charged to any category of risk set forth in this section.