R.C.S.A. § 38a-495a-6a
Standard Medicare supplement benefit plans for 2010 standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan policies or certificates with an effective date for coverage on or after June 1, 2010.
Cite as Conn. Agencies Regs. § 38a-495a-6a
benefit plan policies or certificates with an effective date for coverage on or after
June 1, 2010.
(a) The following standards are applicable to all Medicare supplement policies or certificates
delivered or issued for delivery in this state with an effective date for coverage
on or after June 1, 2010. No policy or certificate may be advertised, solicited, delivered
or issued for delivery in this state as a Medicare supplement policy or certificate
on or after June 1, 2010 unless it complies with these benefit plan standards. Benefit
plan standards applicable to Medicare supplement policies and certificates with an
effective date for coverage on or after July 30, 1992, and before June 1, 2010, remain
subject to the requirements of sections 38a-495a-5 and 38a-495a-6 of the Regulations
of Connecticut State Agencies.
(1) (A) An issuer shall make available to each prospective policyholder and certificateholder
a policy form or certificate form containing only the basic core benefits, as defined
in section 38a-495a-5a of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.
(B) If an issuer makes available any of the additional benefits set forth in section 38a-495a-5a(c)
of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies or offers standardized benefit plan
K or L as set forth in this section, the issuer shall also make available to each
prospective policyholder and certificateholder standardized benefit plan C or F, as
set forth in this section, in addition to the basic core benefit plan required under
subparagraph (A) of this subdivision.
(b) No groups, packages or combinations of Medicare supplement benefits other than those
listed in this section and section 38a-495a-7 of the Regulations of Connecticut State
Agencies shall be offered for sale in this state.
(c) Benefit plans shall be uniform in structure, language, designation and format to the
standard benefit plans listed in this section and conform to the definitions in section
38a-495a-2 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. Each benefit shall be
structured in accordance with section 38a-495a-5a of the Regulations of Connecticut
State Agencies, or, in the case of plans K or L, this section, and list the benefits
in the order shown. For purposes of this section, "structure", "language", "designation"
and "format" means style, arrangement and overall content of a benefit.
(d) In addition to the benefit plan designation required in subsection (c) of this section,
an issuer may use other designations to the extent permitted by law.
(e) Make-up of 2010 standardized benefit plans:
(1) Standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan A shall include only the following:
The basic core benefit as set forth in section 38a-495a-5a(b) of the Regulations of
Connecticut State Agencies.
(2) Standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan B shall include only the following:
The basic core benefit as set forth in section 38a-495a-5a(b) of the Regulations of
Connecticut State Agencies, plus one hundred percent of the Medicare Part A deductible,
as set forth in section 38a-495a-5a(c)(1) of the Regulations of Connecticut State
Agencies.
(3) Standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan C shall include only the following:
The basic core benefit as set forth in section 38a-495a-5a(b) of the Regulations of
Connecticut State Agencies, plus one hundred percent of the Medicare Part A deductible,
skilled nursing facility care, one hundred percent of the Medicare Part B deductible,
and medically necessary emergency care in a foreign country, as set forth in section
38a-495a-5a(c) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.
(4) Standardized Medicare supplement benefit plan D shall include only the following:
The basic core benefit as set forth in section 38a-495a-5a(b) of the Regulations of
Connecticut State Agencies, plus one hundred percent of the Medicare Part A deductible,
skilled nursing facility care, and medically necessary emergency care in a foreign
country, as set forth in section 38a-495a-5a(c) of the Regulations of Connecticut
State Agencies.
(5) Standardized Medicare supplement plan F shall include only the following: The basic
core benefits as set forth in section 38a-495a-5a(b) of the Regulations of Connecticut
State Agencies, plus one hundred percent of the Medicare Part A deductible, the skilled
nursing facility care, one hundred percent of the Medicare Part B deductible, one
hundred percent of the Medicare Part B excess charges, and medically necessary emergency
care in a foreign country, as set forth in section 38a-495a-5a(c) of the Regulations
of Connecticut State Agencies.
(6) Standardized Medicare supplement plan F with High Deductible shall include only the
following:
(A) The basic core benefit as set forth in section 38a-495a-5a(b) of the Regulations of
Connecticut State Agencies, plus one hundred percent of the Medicare Part A deductible,
skilled nursing facility care, one hundred percent of the Medicare Part B deductible,
one hundred percent of the Medicare Part B excess charges, and medically necessary
emergency care in a foreign country, as set forth in section 38a-495a-5a(c) of the
Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, plus one hundred percent of covered expenses
following payment of the annual deductible set forth in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision.
(B) The annual deductible in plan F with High Deductible shall consist of out-of-pocket
expenses, other than premiums, for services covered by plan F, and shall be in addition
to any other specific benefit deductibles. The basis for the deductible shall be $1500
and shall be adjusted annually from 1999 by the secretary to reflect the change in
the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers for the twelve month period ending
with August of the preceding year, and rounded to the nearest multiple of ten dollars.
(7) Standardized Medicare supplement plan G shall include only the following: The basic
core benefit as set forth in section 38a-495a-5a(b) of the Regulations of Connecticut
State Agencies, plus one hundred percent of the Medicare Part A deductible, skilled
nursing facility care, one hundred percent of the Medicare Part B excess charges,
and medically necessary emergency care in a foreign country, as set forth in section
38a-495a-5a(c) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. Effective January
1, 2020, the standardized benefit plans described in section 38a-495a-6b of the Regulations
of Connecticut State Agencies may be offered to any individual who was eligible for
Medicare prior to January 1, 2020.
(8) Standardized Medicare supplement plan K shall include only the following:
(A) Part A hospital coinsurance 61st through 90th days: Coverage of one hundred percent of the Part A hospital coinsurance amount for
each day used from the 61st through the 90th day in any Medicare benefit period;
(B) Part A hospital coinsurance, 91st through 150th days: Coverage of one hundred percent of the Part A hospital coinsurance amount for
each Medicare lifetime inpatient reserve day used from the 91st through the 150th day in any Medicare benefit period;
(C) Part A hospitalization after 150 days: Upon exhaustion of the Medicare hospital inpatient
coverage, including the lifetime reserve days, coverage of one hundred percent of
the Medicare Part A eligible expenses for hospitalization paid at the applicable prospective
payment system (PPS) rate, or other appropriate Medicare standard of payment, subject
to a lifetime maximum benefit of an additional 365 days. The provider shall accept
issuer's payment as payment in full and may not bill the insured for any balance;
(D) Medicare Part A deductible: Coverage for fifty percent of the Medicare Part A inpatient
hospital deductible amount per benefit period until the out-of-pocket limitation is
met as set forth in subparagraph (J) of this subdivision;
(E) Skilled Nursing Facility Care: Coverage for fifty percent of the coinsurance amount
for each day used from the 21st day through the 100th day in a Medicare benefit period for post-hospital skilled nursing facility care
eligible under Medicare Part A until the out-of-pocket limitation is met as set forth
in subparagraph (J) of this subdivision;
(F) Hospice Coverage: Coverage for fifty percent of cost sharing for all Part A Medicare
eligible expenses and respite care until the out-of-pocket limitation is met as set
forth in subparagraph (J) of this subdivision;
(G) Blood: Coverage for fifty percent under Medicare Part A or B, of the reasonable cost
of the first three pints of blood, or equivalent quantities of packed red blood cells,
as defined under federal regulations, unless replaced in accordance with federal regulations
until the out-of-pocket limitation is met as set forth in subparagraph (J) of this
subdivision;
(H) Part B Cost Sharing: Except for coverage provided in subparagraph (I) of this subdivision,
coverage for fifty percent of the cost sharing otherwise applicable under Medicare
Part B after the policyholder pays the Part B deductible until the out-of-pocket limitation
is met as set forth in subparagraph (J) of this subdivision:
(I) Part B Preventive Services: Coverage of one hundred percent of the cost sharing for
Medicare Part B preventive services after the policyholder pays the Part B deductible;
and
(J) Cost Sharing After Out-Of-Pocket Limits: Coverage of one hundred percent of all cost
sharing under Medicare Parts A and B for the balance of the calendar year after the
individual has reached the out-of-pocket limitation on annual expenditures under Medicare
Parts A and B of $5,240 in 2018, indexed each year by the appropriate inflation adjustment
specified by the secretary.
(9) Standardized Medicare supplement plan L shall include only the following:
(A) The benefits set forth in subparagraphs (A), (B), (C) and (I) of subdivision (8) of
this subsection;
(B) The benefits set forth in subparagraphs (D), (E), (F) and (G) of subdivision (8) of
this subsection, but substituting seventy-five percent for fifty percent, and
(C) The benefit set forth in subparagraph (J) of subdivision (8) of this subsection, but
substituting $2,620 for $5,240.
(10) Standardized Medicare supplement plan M shall include only the following: The basic
core benefits as set forth in section 38a-495a-5a(b) of the Regulations of Connecticut
State Agencies, plus fifty percent of the Medicare Part A deductible, skilled nursing
facility care, and medically necessary emergency care in a foreign country, as set
forth in section 38a-495a-5a(c) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.
(11) Standardized Medicare supplement plan N shall include only the following: The basic
core benefits as set forth in section 38a-495a-5a(b) of the Regulations of Connecticut
State Agencies, plus one hundred percent of the Medicare Part A deductible, skilled
nursing facility care, and medically necessary emergency care in a foreign country,
as set forth in section 38a-495a-5a(c) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies
with copayments in the following amounts:
(A) the lesser of twenty dollars or the Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment for each
covered health care provider office visit, including visits to medical specialists;
and
(B) the lesser of fifty dollars or the Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment for each
covered emergency room visit, however, this copayment shall be waived if the insured
is admitted to any hospital and the emergency visit is subsequently covered as a Medicare
Part A expense.
(f) New or Innovative Benefits: An issuer may, with the prior approval of the commissioner,
offer new or innovative benefits in addition to the standardized benefits provided
in a policy or certificate that otherwise complies with the applicable standards.
The new or innovative benefits shall include only benefits that are appropriate to
Medicare supplement insurance, are new or innovative, are not otherwise available,
and are cost-effective. Approval of new or innovative benefits shall not adversely
impact the goal of Medicare supplement simplification. New or innovative benefits
shall not include an outpatient prescription drug benefit. New or innovative benefits
shall not be used to change or reduce benefits, including a change of any cost-sharing
provision, in any standardized plan.