Louisiana Revised Statutes 22:2098 – Prohibited advertisement of Louisiana Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association Law in insurance sales; notice to policyholders
Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 22:2098
- Association: means the Louisiana Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association created by Louisiana Revised Statutes 22:2084
- Commissioner: means the commissioner of insurance. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 22:2084
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Member insurer: means any insurer or health maintenance organization licensed or which holds a certificate of authority to transact in this state any kind of insurance or health maintenance organization business for which coverage is provided by Louisiana Revised Statutes 22:2084
- Person: means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, or voluntary organization. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 22:2084
A. No person, including a member insurer, agent, or affiliate of a member insurer shall make, publish, disseminate, circulate, or place before the public, or cause directly or indirectly, to be made, published, disseminated, circulated, or placed before the public, in any newspaper, magazine, or other publication, or in the form of a notice, circular, pamphlet, letter, or poster, or over any radio station or television station, or in any other way, any advertisement, announcement, or statement, written or oral, which uses the existence of the Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association of this state for the purpose of sales solicitation, or inducement to purchase any form of insurance or other coverage covered by the Louisiana Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association Law. This Section shall not apply to the Louisiana Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association or any other entity which does not sell or solicit insurance or coverage by a health maintenance organization.
B. Within one hundred eighty days of September 30, 1991, the association shall prepare a summary document describing the general purposes and current limitations of the Part and complying with La. Rev. Stat. 22:2092(C). This document shall be submitted to the commissioner for approval. Sixty days after receiving approval, no member insurer shall deliver a policy or contract described in La. Rev. Stat. 22:2083(B)(1) to a policy owner, contract owner, certificate holder, or enrollee unless the document is delivered to the policy owner, contract owner, certificate holder, or enrollee prior to or at the time of delivery of the policy or contract except if Subsection D of this Section applies. The document shall also be available upon request by a policyholder. The distribution, delivery, or contents or interpretation of this document shall not mean that either the policy or the contract or the policy owner, contract owner, certificate holder, or enrollee would be covered in the event of the impairment or insolvency of a member insurer. The description document shall be revised by the association as amendments to this Part may require. Failure to receive this document shall not give the policy owner, contract owner, certificate holder, enrollee, or insured any greater rights than those stated in this Part.
C. The document prepared pursuant to Subsection B of this Section shall contain a clear and conspicuous disclaimer on its face. The commissioner shall promulgate a rule establishing the form and content of the disclaimer. The disclaimer shall do all of the following:
(1) State the name and address of the association and the insurance department.
(2) Prominently warn the policy owner, contract owner, certificate holder, or enrollee that the association may not cover the policy or, if coverage is available, it will be subject to substantial limitations and exclusions, and conditioned on continued residence in the state.
(3) State that the insurer and its agents are prohibited by law from using the existence of the association for the purpose of sales, solicitation, or inducement to purchase any form of insurance.
(4) Emphasize that the policy or contract holder should not rely on coverage under the association when selecting an insurer.
(5) Provide other information as directed by the commissioner.
D. No insurer or agent may deliver a policy or contract described in La. Rev. Stat. 22:2083(B)(1) and excluded by La. Rev. Stat. 22:2083(B)(2) from coverage under this Part unless the insurer or agent, prior to or at the time of delivery gives the policy or contract holder a separate written notice which clearly and conspicuously discloses that the policy or contract is not covered by the association. The commissioner shall by rule specify the form and content of the notice.
Acts 1991, No. 998, §1, eff. Sept. 30, 1991; Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 92, §1; Redesignated from La. Rev. Stat. 22:1395.18 by Acts 2008, No. 415, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2009, No. 258, §1; Acts 2012, No. 271, §1; Acts 2014, No. 374, §1; Acts 2018, No. 97, §1.