Z-0408.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5611
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State of Washington 56th Legislature 1999 Regular Session
By Senators Thibaudeau, Kline, Prentice, Winsley and Costa; by request of Insurance Commissioner
Read first time 01/29/1999. Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.
AN ACT Relating to medicare supplement insurance; and amending RCW 48.66.045.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 48.66.045 and 1995 c 85 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
Every issuer of a medicare supplement insurance policy or certificate providing coverage to a resident of this state issued on or after January 1, 1996, shall:
(1)
Issue coverage under its standardized benefit plans B, C, D, E, F, and G
without evidence of insurability to any resident of this state who is eligible
for both medicare hospital and physician services by reason of age or by reason
of disability or end-stage renal disease, if the medicare supplement policy
replaces another ((medicare supplement standardized)) benefit plan,
policy, or certificate ((B, C, D, E, F, or G,)) or other ((more
comprehensive)) coverage ((than the replaced policy)). The
replacing issuer shall waive any time periods applicable to preexisting
conditions in the medicare supplement contract for similar benefits to the
extent that similar exclusions have been satisfied under the original coverage;
and
(2)
((Issue coverage under its standardized plans A, H, I, and J without
evidence of insurability to any resident of this state who is eligible for both
medicare hospital and physician services by reason of age or by reason of
disability or end-stage renal disease, if the medicare supplement policy
replaces another medicare supplement policy or certificate which is the same
standardized plan as the replaced policy; and
(3))) Set
rates only on a community-rated basis. Premiums shall be equal for all
policyholders and certificate holders under a standardized medicare supplement
benefit plan form, except that an issuer may develop no more than two rating
pools that distinguish between an insured's eligibility for medicare by reason
of:
(a) Age; or
(b) Disability or end-stage renal disease.
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