(1) As used in this section:
(a) “Carrier” means an insurer authorized to issue a policy of health insurance in this state. “Carrier” does not include a multiple employer welfare arrangement.
(b)(A) “Eligible individual” means an individual who:
(i) Has left coverage that was continuously in effect for a period of 180 days or more under one or more Oregon group health benefit plans, has applied for portability coverage not later than the 63rd day after termination of group coverage issued by an Oregon carrier and is an Oregon resident at the time of such application; or
(ii) On or after January 1, 1998, meets the eligibility requirements of 42 U.S.C. 300gg-41, as amended and in effect on January 1, 1998, has applied for portability coverage not later than the 63rd day after termination of group coverage issued by an Oregon carrier and is an Oregon resident at the time of such application.
(B) Except as provided in subsection (12) of this section, “eligible individual” does not include an individual who remains eligible for the individual’s prior group coverage or would remain eligible for prior group coverage in a plan under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, were it not for action by the plan sponsor relating to the actual or expected health condition of the individual, or who is covered under another health benefit plan at the time that portability coverage would commence or is eligible for the federal Medicare program.
(c) “Portability health benefit plans” and “portability plans” mean health benefit plans for eligible individuals that are required to be offered by all carriers offering group health benefit plans and that have been approved by the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services in accordance with this section.
(2)(a) In order to improve the availability and affordability of health benefit plans for individuals leaving coverage under group health benefit plans, the Health Insurance Reform Advisory Committee created under ORS 743.745 shall submit to the director two portability health benefit plans pursuant to ORS 743.745. One plan shall be in the form of insurance and the second plan shall be consistent with the type of coverage provided by health maintenance organizations. For each type of portability plan, the committee shall design and submit to the director:
(A) A prevailing benefit plan, which shall reflect the benefit coverages that are prevalent in the group health insurance market; and
(B) A low cost benefit plan, which shall emphasize affordability for eligible individuals.
(b) Except as provided in ORS 743.730 to 743.773, no law requiring the coverage or the offer of coverage of a health care service or benefit shall apply to portability health benefit plans.
(3) The director shall approve the portability health benefit plans if the director determines that the plans provide for appropriate accessibility and affordability of needed health care services and comply with all other provisions of this section.
(4) After the director’s approval of the portability plans submitted by the committee under this section, each carrier offering group health benefit plans shall submit to the director the policy form or forms containing at least one low cost benefit and one prevailing benefit portability plan offered by the carrier that meets the required standards. Each policy form must be submitted as prescribed by the director and is subject to review and approval pursuant to ORS 742.003.
(5) Within 180 days after approval by the director of the portability plans submitted by the committee, as a condition of transacting group health insurance in this state, each carrier offering group health benefit plans shall make available to eligible individuals the prevailing benefit and low cost benefit portability plans that have been submitted by the carrier and approved by the director under subsection (4) of this section.
(6) A carrier offering group health benefit plans shall issue to an eligible individual who is leaving or has left group coverage provided by that carrier any portability plan offered by the carrier if the eligible individual applies for the plan within 63 days of termination of prior coverage and agrees to make the required premium payments and to satisfy the other provisions of the portability plan.
(7) Premium rates for portability plans shall be subject to the following provisions:
(a) Each carrier must file the geographic average rate for each of its portability health benefit plans for a rating period with the director on or before March 15 of each year.
(b) The premium rates charged during the rating period for each portability health benefit plan shall not vary from the geographic average rate, except that the premium rate may be adjusted to reflect differences in benefit design, family composition and age. Adjustments for age shall comply with the following:
(A) For each plan, the variation between the lowest premium rate and the highest premium rate shall not exceed 100 percent of the lowest premium rate.
(B) Premium variations shall be determined by applying uniformly the carrier’s schedule of age adjustments for portability plans as approved by the director.
(c) Premium variations between the portability plans and the rest of the carrier’s group plans must be based solely on objective differences in plan design or coverage and must not include differences based on the actual or expected health status of individuals who select portability health benefit plans. For purposes of determining the premium variations under this paragraph, a carrier may:
(A) Pool all portability plans with all group health benefit plans; or
(B) Pool all portability plans for eligible individuals leaving small employer group health benefit plan coverage with all plans offered to small employers and pool all portability plans for eligible individuals leaving other group health benefit plan coverage with all health benefit plans offered to such other groups.
(d) A carrier may not increase the rates of a portability plan issued to an enrollee more than once in any 12-month period. Annual rate increases shall be effective on the anniversary date of the plan issued to the enrollee. The percentage increase in the premium rate charged to an enrollee for a new rating period may not exceed the average increase in the rest of the carrier’s applicable group health benefit plans plus an adjustment for age.
(8) No portability plans under this section may contain preexisting conditions provisions, exclusion periods, waiting periods or other similar limitations on coverage.
(9) Portability health benefit plans shall be renewable with respect to all enrollees at the option of the enrollee, except:
(a) For nonpayment of the required premiums by the policyholder;
(b) For fraud or misrepresentation by the policyholder;
(c) When the carrier elects to discontinue offering all of its group health benefit plans in accordance with ORS 743.737 and 743.754; or
(d) When the director orders the carrier to discontinue coverage in accordance with procedures specified or approved by the director upon finding that the continuation of the coverage would:
(A) Not be in the best interests of the enrollees; or
(B) Impair the carrier’s ability to meet its contractual obligations.
(10)(a) Each carrier offering group health benefit plans shall maintain at its principal place of business a complete and detailed description of its rating practices and renewal underwriting practices relating to its portability plans, including information and documentation that demonstrate that its rating methods and practices are based upon commonly accepted actuarial practices and are in accordance with sound actuarial principles.
(b) Each such carrier shall file with the director annually on or before March 15 an actuarial certification that the carrier is in compliance with this section and that its rating methods are actuarially sound. Each such certification shall be in a form and manner and shall contain such information as specified by the director. A copy of such certification shall be retained by the carrier at its principal place of business.
(c) Each such carrier shall make the information and documentation described in paragraph (a) of this subsection available to the director upon request. Except as provided in ORS 743.018 and except in cases of violations of the Insurance Code, the information is proprietary and trade secret information and shall not be subject to disclosure by the director to persons outside the Department of Consumer and Business Services except as agreed to by the carrier or as ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction.
(11) A carrier offering group health benefit plans shall not provide any financial or other incentive to any insurance producer that would encourage the insurance producer to market and sell portability plans of the carrier on the basis of an eligible individual’s anticipated claims experience.
(12) An individual who is eligible to obtain a portability plan in accordance with this section may obtain such a plan regardless of whether the eligible individual qualifies for a period of continuation coverage under federal law or under ORS 743.600 or 743.610. However, an individual who has elected such continuation coverage is not eligible to obtain a portability plan until the continuation coverage has been discontinued by the individual or has been exhausted. [1995 c.603 §18; 1997 c.716 §25; 1999 c.987 §14; 2003 c.364 §115; 2007 c.391 §3]
Section: Previous 743.753 743.754 743.755 743.756 743.757 743.758 743.759 743.760 743.761 743.762 743.763 743.765 743.766 743.767 743.768 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008