Regl. 7747, art. L-18
Requirements for Application Forms and Replacement Coverage
Length: 1,702 wordsOfficial source
Cite as Reglamento Núm. 7747, Art. L-18
A.
Application forms shall include the following questions designed to elicit
information as to whether, as of the date of the application, the applicant
has another Medicare supplement or other health insurance policy or
certificate in force or whether a Medicare supplement policy or certificate
is intended to replace any other accident and sickness policy or certificate
presently in force. A supplementary application or other form to be
signed by the applicant and agent containing such questions and
statements may be used.
[Statements]
(1)
You do not need more than one Medicare supplement policy.
(2) If you purchase this policy, you may want to evaluate your existing
health coverage and decide if you need multiple coverages.
(3)
You may be eligible for benefits under Medicaid and may not need a
Medicare supplement policy.
(4) If, after purchasing this policy, you become eligible for Medicaid, the
benefits and premiums under your Medicare supplement policy can
be suspended, if requested, during your entitlement to benefits
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under Medicaid for 24 months. You must request this suspension
within 90 days of becoming eligible for Medicaid. If you are no
longer entitled to Medicaid, your suspended Medicare supplement
policy (or, if that is no longer available, a substantially equivalent
policy) will be reinstituted if requested within 90 days of losing
Medicaid eligibility. If the Medicare supplement policy provided
coverage for outpatient prescription drugs and you enrolled in
Medicare Part D while your policy was suspended, the reinstituted
policy will not have outpatient prescription drug coverage, but will
otherwise be substantially equivalent to your coverage before the
date of the suspension.
(5)
If you are eligible for, and have enrolled in a Medicare supplement
policy by reason of disability and you later become covered by an
employer or union-based group health plan, the benefits and
premiums under your Medicare supplement policy can be
suspended, if requested, while you are covered under the employer
or union-based group health plan. If you suspend your Medicare
supplement policy under these circumstances, and later lose your
employer or union-based group health plan, your suspended
Medicare supplement policy (or, if that is no longer available, a
substantially equivalent policy) will be reinstituted if requested
within 90 days of losing your employer or union-based group
health plan. If the Medicare supplement policy provided coverage
for outpatient prescription drugs and you enrolled in Medicare art
D while your policy was suspended, the reinstituted policy will not
have outpatient prescription drug coverage, but will otherwise be
substantially equivalent to your coverage before the date of the
suspension.
(6) Counseling services may be available in Puerto Rico to provide
advice concerning your purchase of Medicare supplement insurance
and concerning medical assistant through the state Medicaid
program, including benefits as a Qualified Medicare Beneficiary
(QMB) and a Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB).
[Questions]
If you lost or are losing other health insurance coverage and received a
notice from your prior insurer saying you were eligible for guaranteed
issue of a Medicare supplement insurance policy, or that you had certain
rights to buy such a policy, you may be guaranteed acceptance in one or
more of our Medicare supplement plans. Please include a copy of the
notice from your prior insurer with your application. PLEASE ANSWER
ALL QUESTIONS.
[Please mark Yes or No below with an "X"]
To the best of your knowledge.
(1)
(a)
Did you turn age 65 in the last 6 months?
Yes
No
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(b)
Did you enroll in Medicare Part B in the last 6 months?
Yes
No
(c)
If yes, what is the effective date?
(2)
Are you covered for medical assistance through the state Medicaid
program?
[NOTE TO APPLICANT: If you are participating in a "Spend-
Down Program" and have not met your "Share of Cost," please
answer NO to this question.]
Yes
No
If yes,
(a)
Will Medicaid pays your premiums for this Medicare
supplement policy?
Yes
No
(b)
Do you receive any benefits from Medicaid OTHER THAN
payments toward your Medicare Part B premium?
Yes
No
(3)
(a)
If you had coverage from any Medicare plans other than
original Medicare within the past 63 days (for example, a
Medicare Advantage plan, or a Medicare HMO or PPO), fill
in your start and end dates below. If you are still covered
under this plan, leave "END" blank.
START / / END / /
(b)
If you are still covered under the Medicare plan, do you
intend to replace your current coverage with this new
Medicare supplement policy?
Yes
No
(c)
Was this your first time in this type of Medicare plan?
Yes
No
(d)
Did you drop a Medicare supplement policy to enroll in the
Medicare plan?
Yes
No
(4)
(a)
Do you have another Medicare supplement policy in force?
Yes
No
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(b)
If so, with what company, and what plan do you have
[optional for Direct Mailers]?
(c)
If so, do you intend to replace your current Medicare
supplement policy with this policy?
Yes
No
(5)
Have you had coverage under any other health insurance within
the past 63 days? (For example, an employer, union, or individual
plan)
Yes
No
(a)
If so, with what company and what kind of policy?
(b)
What are your dates of coverage under the other policy?
START / / END / /
(If you are still covered under the other policy, leave "END" blank.)
B.
Agents shall list any other health insurance policies they have sold to the
applicant.
(1) List policies sold which are still in force.
(2) List policies sold in the past five (5) years which are no longer in
force.
C.
In the case of a response issuer, a copy of the application or supplemental
form, signed by the applicant, and acknowledged by the insurer, shall be
returned to the applicant by the insurer upon delivery of the policy.
D.
Upon determining that a sale will involve replacement, of Medicare
supplement coverage, any issuer, other than a direct response issuer, or its
agent, shall furnish the applicant, prior to issuance or delivery of the
Medicare supplement policy or certificate, a notice regarding
replacement of Medicare supplement coverage. One copy of such notice
signed by the applicant and the agent, except where the coverage is sold
without an agent, shall be provided to the applicant and an additional
signed copy shall be retained by the issuer. A direct response issuer shall
deliver to the applicant at the time of the issuance of the policy the notice
regarding replacement of Medicare supplement coverage.
E.
The notice required by Subsection D above for an issuer shall be provided
in substantially the following form in no less than ten (10) point type:
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NOTICE TO APPLICANT REGARDING REPLACEMENT
OF MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT INSURANCE
OR MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
[Insurance company's name and address]
SAVE THIS NOTICE! IT MAY BE IMPORTANT TO YOU IN THE FUTURE
According to (your application) (information you have furnished), you intend to
terminate existing Medicare Supplement insurance and replace it with a policy to
be issued by [Company Name] Insurance Company. Your new policy will
provide thirty (30) days within which you may decide without cost whether you
desire to keep the policy.
You should review this new coverage carefully. Compare it with all accident
and sickness coverage you now have. If, after due consideration, you find that
purchase of this Medicare supplement coverage is a wise decision, you should
terminate your present Medicare supplement coverage. You should evaluate the
need for other accident and sickness coverage you have that may duplicate this
policy.
STATEMENT TO APPLICANT BY ISSUER, AGENT [BROKER OR OTHER
REPRESENTATIVE]:
I have reviewed your current medical or health insurance coverage. To the best
of my knowledge, this Medicare supplement policy will not duplicate your
existing Medicare supplement or, if applicable, Medicare Advantage coverage
because you intend to terminate your existing Medicare supplements coverage or
leave your Medicare Advantage plan. The replacement policy is being purchased
for the following reason (check one):
Additional benefits.
No change in benefits, but lower premiums.
Fewer benefits and lower premiums.
My plan has outpatient prescription drug coverage and I am enrolling in
Part D
Disenrollment from a Medicare Advantage plans. Please explain reason
for disenrollment. [optional only for Direct Mailers. ]
Other. (please specify)
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1.
Note: If the issuer of the Medicare supplement policy being applied for
does not, or is otherwise prohibited from imposing pre-existing condition
limitations, please skip to statement 2 below. Health conditions that you
may presently have (preexisting conditions) may not be immediately or
fully covered under the new policy. This could result in denial or delay of
a claim for benefits under the new policy, whereas a similar claim might
have been payable under your present policy.
2.
State law provides that your replacement policy or certificate may not
contain new preexisting conditions, waiting periods, elimination periods
or probationary periods. The insurer will waive any time periods
applicable to preexisting conditions, waiting periods, elimination periods,
or probationary periods in the new policy (or coverage) for similar
benefits to the extent such time was spent (depleted) under the original
policy.
3.
If, you still wish to terminate your present policy and replace it with new
coverage, be certain to truthfully and completely answer all questions on
the application concerning your medical and health history. Failure to
include all material medical information on an application may provide a
basis for the company to deny any future claims and to refund your
premium as though your policy had never been in force. After the
application has been completed and before you sign it, review it carefully
to be certain that all information has been properly recorded. [If the policy
or certificate is guaranteed issue, this paragraph need not appear.]
Do not cancel your present policy until you have received your new policy and
are sure that you want to keep it.
(Signature of Agent, Broker or Other Representative)*
[Typed Name and Address of Issuer, Agent or Broker]
(Applicant's Signature)
(Date)
*Signature not required for direct response sales.
F.
Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the replacement notice (applicable to preexisting
conditions) may be deleted by an issuer if the replacement does not
involve
application of a new preexisting condition limitation.