316. Policies of insurance; policies not to lapse or be forfeited. 1. No policy which insures the life of a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, including the National Guard, who is called to active duty, or no policy which has been brought within the benefits of the federal "soldiers' and sailors' civil relief act" shall lapse or be forfeited for the nonpayment of premium during the period of such service, or during two years after the expiration of such period; provided that any such policy has not lapsed for the nonpayment of premium before the commencement of the period of military service of the insured, provided that in no case shall this prohibition extend for more than one year after this article ceases to be in force.
2. For the purposes of this section, the term "policy" shall include any contract of life insurance as defined in paragraph one of subsection (a) of section one thousand one hundred thirteen of the insurance law. It shall also include any benefit in the nature of life insurance arising out of membership in any fraternal benefit society as defined in subsection (a) of section four thousand five hundred one of the insurance law. In no case, however, shall the term "policy" include insurance exceeding a total face value of one hundred thousand dollars whether in one or more companies, but shall not include a policy insured under Servicemen's Group Life Insurance. The term "premium" shall include membership dues or assessments in such society, and the date of issuance of policy as herein limited shall refer to the date of admission to membership in such association; the term "insured" shall include any person who is the holder of a policy as defined in this section; the term "insurer" shall include any corporation, partnership, or other form of association which secures or provides insurance under any policy as defined herein.
3. No individual accident and health insurance policy, defined in paragraph three of subsection (a) of section one thousand one hundred thirteen of the insurance law, which policy insures a member of the organized militia of the state, and has not lapsed for the non-payment of premiums before the commencement of a period of active duty in the military service of the state of New York by such member, pursuant to an order of the governor issued under the authority of section six or seven of this chapter, shall lapse or be forfeited for the non-payment of premiums during a period of sixty days from the date that said member begins such active duty provided the insurer is furnished with written notice of said duty within thirty days after the commencement thereof. An insurer shall have the right to deduct the amount of due and unpaid premiums from any benefit that may become payable as a result of this subdivision.
Last modified: February 3, 2019