Policy practices and provisions

1. Renewability. The terms "guaranteed renewable" and "noncancelable" may not be used in any individual long-term care insurance policy without further explanatory language in accordance with the disclosure requirements of section 45-06-04-05. a. No such policy issued to an individual may contain renewal provisions less favorable to the insured than "guaranteed renewable" or "noncancelable". b. The term "guaranteed renewable" may be used only when the insured has the right to continue the long-term care insurance in force by the timely payment of premiums and when the insurer has no unilateral right to make any change in any provision of the policy or rider while the insurance is in force, and cannot decline to renew, except that rates may be revised by the insurer on a class basis. c. The term "noncancelable" may be used only when the insured has the right to continue the long-term care insurance in force by the timely payment of premiums during which period the insurer has no right to unilaterally make any change in any provision of the insurance or in the premium rate. 2. Limitations and exclusions. No policy may be delivered or issued for delivery in this state as long-term care insurance if such policy limits or excludes coverage by type of illness, treatment, medical condition, or accident, except as follows: a. Preexisting conditions or diseases; b. Mental or nervous disorders; however, this does not permit exclusion or limitation of benefits on the basis of alzheimer's disease; c. Alcoholism and drug addiction; d. Illness, treatment, or medical condition arising out of: (1) War or act of war (whether declared or undeclared); (2) Participation in a felony, riot, or insurrection; (3) Service in the armed forces or units auxiliary thereto; (4) Suicide (sane or insane), attempted suicide, or intentionally self-inflicted injury; or (5) Aviation (this exclusion applies only to nonfare paying passenger). e. Treatment provided in a government facility (unless otherwise required by law), services for which benefits are available under Medicare or other governmental program (except Medicaid), any state or federal workers' compensation, employer's liability or occupational disease law, or any motor vehicle no-fault law, services provided by a member of the covered person's immediate family and services for which no charge is normally made in the absence of insurance. f. This subsection is not intended to prohibit exclusions and limitations by type of provider or territorial limitations. 3. Extension of benefits. Termination of long-term care insurance shall be without prejudice to any benefits payable for institutionalization if such institutionalization began while the long-term care insurance was in force and continues without interruption after termination. Such extension of benefits beyond the period the long-term care insurance was in force may be limited to the duration of the benefit period, if any, or to payment of the maximum benefits and may be subject to any policy waiting period, and all other applicable provisions of the policy. 4. Continuation or conversion. a. Group long-term care insurance issued in this state on or after October 1, 1989, shall provide covered individuals with a basis for continuation or conversion of coverage. b. For the purposes of this section, "a basis for continuation of coverage" means a policy provision which maintains coverage under the existing group policy when such coverage would otherwise terminate and which is subject only to the continued timely payment of premium when due. Group policies that restrict provision of benefits and services to, or contain incentives to use, certain providers or facilities may provide continuation benefits that are substantially equivalent to the benefits of the existing group policy. The commissioner shall make a determination as to the substantial equivalency of benefits, and in doing so, shall take into consideration the differences between managed and nonmanaged plans, including provider system arrangements, service availability, benefit levels, and administrative complexity. c. For the purposes of this section, "a basis for conversion of coverage" means a policy provision that an individual whose coverage under the group policy would otherwise terminate or has been terminated for any reason, including discontinuance of the group policy in its entirety or with respect to an insurance class, and who has been continuously insured under the group policy (and any group policy which it replaced), for at least six months immediately prior to termination, shall be entitled to the issuance of a converted policy by the insurer under whose group policy he or she is covered, without evidence of insurability. d. For the purposes of this section, "converted policy" means an individual policy of long-term care insurance providing benefits identical to or benefits determined by the commissioner to be substantially equivalent to or in excess of those provided under the group policy from which conversion is made. Where the group policy from which conversion is made restricts the provision of benefits and services to, or contains incentives to use, certain providers or facilities the commissioner, in making a determination as to the substantial equivalency of benefits, shall take into consideration the differences between managed and nonmanaged plans, including, but not limited to, provider system arrangements, service availability, benefit levels, and administrative complexity. e. Written application for the converted policy must be made and the first premium due, if any, must be paid as directed by the insurer not later than thirty-one days after termination of coverage under the group policy. The converted policy must be issued effective on the day following the termination of coverage under the group policy, and must be renewable annually. f. Unless the group policy from which conversion is made replaced previous group coverage, the premium for the converted policy must be calculated on the basis of the insured's age at inception of coverage under the group policy from which the conversion is made. Where the group policy from which conversion is made replaced previous group coverage, the premium for the converted policy must be calculated on the basis of the insured's age at inception of coverage under the group policy replaced. g. Continuation of coverage or issuance of a converted policy shall be mandatory, except where: (1) Termination of group coverage resulted from an individual's failure to make any required payment of premium or contribution when due; or (2) The terminating coverage is replaced not later than thirty-one days after termination by group coverage effective on the day following the termination of coverage: (a) Providing benefits identical to or benefits determined by the commissioner to be substantially equivalent to or in excess of those provided by the terminating coverage; and (b) The premium for which is calculated in a manner consistent with the requirements of subdivision f. h. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a converted policy issued to an individual who at the time of conversion is covered by another long-term care insurance policy which provides benefits on the basis of incurred expenses, may contain a provision which results in a reduction of benefits payable if the benefits provided under the additional coverage, together with the full benefits provided by the converted policy, would result in payment of more than one hundred percent of incurred expenses. Such provision shall only be included in the converted policy if the converted policy also provides for a premium decrease or refund which reflects the reduction in benefits payable. i. The converted policy may provide that the benefits payable under the converted policy, together with the benefits payable under the group policy from which conversion is made, shall not exceed those that would have been payable had the individual's coverage under the group policy remained in force and effect. j. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, any insured individual whose eligibility for group long-term care coverage is based upon his or her relationship to another person shall be entitled to continuation of coverage under the group policy upon termination of the qualifying relationship by death or dissolution of marriage. 5. Discontinuance and replacement. If a group long-term care policy is replaced by another group long-term care policy issued to the same policyholder, the succeeding insurer shall offer coverage to all persons covered under the previous group policy on its date of termination. Coverage provided or offered to individuals by the insurer and premiums charged to persons under the new group policy: a. May not result in any exclusion for preexisting conditions that would have been covered under the group policy being replaced; and b. May not vary or otherwise depend on the individual's health or disability status, claim experience, or use of long-term care services. 6. The premiums charged to an insured for long-term care insurance may not increase due to either: a. The increasing age of the insured at ages beyond sixty-five; or b. The duration the insured has been covered under the policy.