Ohio Code 1751.18 – Cancelling or failing to renew coverage
(A)(1) No health insuring corporation shall cancel or fail to renew the coverage of a subscriber or enrollee because of any health status-related factor in relation to the subscriber or enrollee, the subscriber’s or enrollee’s requirements for health care services, or for any other reason designated under rules adopted by the superintendent of insurance.
Terms Used In Ohio Code 1751.18
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- 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.
- Corporation: means a corporation formed under Chapter 1701. See Ohio Code 1751.01
- Enrollee: means any natural person who is entitled to receive health care benefits provided by a health insuring corporation. See Ohio Code 1751.01
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
- Health care facility: means any facility, except a health care practitioner's office, that provides preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, acute convalescent, rehabilitation, mental health, intellectual disability, intermediate care, or skilled nursing services. See Ohio Code 1751.01
- Health care services: means basic, supplemental, and specialty health care services. See Ohio Code 1751.01
- Health insuring corporation: means a corporation, as defined in division (H) of this section, that, pursuant to a policy, contract, certificate, or agreement, pays for, reimburses, or provides, delivers, arranges for, or otherwise makes available, basic health care services, supplemental health care services, or specialty health care services, or a combination of basic health care services and either supplemental health care services or specialty health care services, through either an open panel plan or a closed panel plan. See Ohio Code 1751.01
- Provider: means any natural person or partnership of natural persons who are licensed, certified, accredited, or otherwise authorized in this state to furnish health care services, or any professional association organized under Chapter 1785 of the Revised Code, provided that nothing in this chapter or other provisions of law shall be construed to preclude a health insuring corporation, health care practitioner, or organized health care group associated with a health insuring corporation from employing certified nurse practitioners, certified nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse-midwives, pharmacists, dietitians, physician assistants, dental assistants, dental hygienists, optometric technicians, or other allied health personnel who are licensed, certified, accredited, or otherwise authorized in this state to furnish health care services. See Ohio Code 1751.01
- state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Subscriber: means a person who is responsible for making payments to a health insuring corporation for participation in a health care plan, or an enrollee whose employment or other status is the basis of eligibility for enrollment in a health insuring corporation. See Ohio Code 1751.01
(2) Unless otherwise required by state or federal law, no health insuring corporation, or health care facility or provider through which the health insuring corporation has made arrangements to provide health care services, shall discriminate against any individual with regard to enrollment, disenrollment, or the quality of health care services rendered, on the basis of the individual’s race, color, sex, age, religion, military status as defined in section 4112.01 of the Revised Code, or status as a recipient of medicare or medicaid, or any health status-related factor in relation to the individual. However, a health insuring corporation shall not be required to accept a recipient of medicare or medical assistance, if an agreement has not been reached on appropriate payment mechanisms between the health insuring corporation and the governmental agency administering these programs. Further, except for open enrollment coverage under sections 3923.58 and 3923.581 of the Revised Code and except as provided in section 1751.65 of the Revised Code, a health insuring corporation may reject an applicant for nongroup enrollment on the basis of any health status-related factor in relation to the applicant.
(B) A health insuring corporation may cancel or decide not to renew the coverage of an enrollee if the enrollee has performed an act or practice that constitutes fraud or intentional misrepresentation of material fact under the terms of the coverage and if the cancellation or nonrenewal is not based, either directly or indirectly, on any health status-related factor in relation to the enrollee.
(C) An enrollee may appeal any action or decision of a health insuring corporation taken pursuant to section 2742(b) to (e) of the “Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996,” Pub. L. No. 104-191, 110 Stat. 1955, 42 U.S.C.A. 300gg-42, as amended. To appeal, the enrollee may submit a written complaint to the health insuring corporation pursuant to section 1751.19 of the Revised Code. The enrollee may, within thirty days after receiving a written response from the health insuring corporation, appeal the health insuring corporation’s action or decision to the superintendent.
(D) As used in this section, “health status-related factor” means any of the following:
(1) Health status;
(2) Medical condition, including both physical and mental illnesses;
(3) Claims experience;
(4) Receipt of health care;
(5) Medical history;
(6) Genetic information;
(7) Evidence of insurability, including conditions arising out of acts of domestic violence;
(8) Disability.