48.44.057 - Insolvency -- Commissioner's duties -- Participants' options -- Allocation of coverage. - Washington Statutes

Insolvency — Commissioner's duties — Participants' options — Allocation of coverage.

(1)(a) In the event of insolvency of a health services contractor or health maintenance organization and upon order of the commissioner, all other carriers then having active enrolled participants under a group plan with the affected agreement holder that participated in the enrollment process with the insolvent health services contractor or health maintenance organization at a group's last regular enrollment period shall offer the eligible enrolled participants of the insolvent health services contractor or health maintenance organization the opportunity to enroll in an existing group plan without medical underwriting during a thirty-day open enrollment period, commencing on the date of the insolvency. Eligible enrolled participants shall not be subject to preexisting condition limitations except to the extent that a waiting period for a preexisting condition has not been satisfied under the insolvent carrier's group plan. An open enrollment shall not be required where the agreement holder participates in a self-insured, self-funded, or other health plan exempt from commissioner rule, unless the plan administrator and agreement holder voluntarily agree to offer a simultaneous open enrollment and extend coverage under the same enrollment terms and conditions as are applicable to carriers under this title and rules adopted under this title. If an exempt plan was offered during the last regular open enrollment period, then the carrier may offer the agreement holder the same coverage as any self-insured plan or plans offered by the agreement holder without regard to coverage, benefit, or provider requirements mandated by this title for the duration of the current agreement period.

     (b) For purposes of this subsection only, the term "carrier" means a health maintenance organization or a health care services contractor. In the event of insolvency of a carrier and if no other carrier has active enrolled participants under a group plan with the affected agreement holder, or if the commissioner determines that the other carriers lack sufficient health care delivery resources to assure that health services will be available or accessible to all of the group enrollees of the insolvent carrier, then the commissioner shall allocate equitably the insolvent carrier's group agreements for these groups among all carriers that operate within a portion of the insolvent carrier's area, taking into consideration the health care delivery resources of each carrier. Each carrier to which a group or groups are allocated shall offer the agreement holder, without medical underwriting, the carrier's existing coverage that is most similar to each group's coverage with the insolvent carrier at rates determined in accordance with the successor carrier's existing rating methodology. The eligible enrolled participants shall not be subject to preexisting condition limitations except to the extent that a waiting period for a preexisting condition has not been satisfied under the insolvent carrier's group plan. No offering by a carrier shall be required where the agreement holder participates in a self-insured, self-funded, or other health plan exempt from commissioner rule. The carrier may offer the agreement holder the same coverage as any self-insured plan or plans offered by the agreement holder without regard to coverage, benefit, or provider requirements mandated by this title for the duration of the current agreement period.

     (2) The commissioner shall also allocate equitably the insolvent carrier's nongroup enrolled participants who are unable to obtain coverage among all carriers that operate within a portion of the insolvent carrier's service area, taking into consideration the health care delivery resources of the carrier. Each carrier to which nongroup enrolled participants are allocated shall offer the nongroup enrolled participants the carrier's existing comprehensive conversion plan, without additional medical underwriting, at rates determined in accordance with the successor carrier's existing rating methodology. The eligible enrolled participants shall not be subject to preexisting condition limitations except to the extent that a waiting period for a preexisting condition has not been satisfied under the insolvent carrier's plan.

     (3) Any agreements covering participants allocated pursuant to subsections (1)(b) and (2) of this section to carriers pursuant to this section may be rerated after ninety days of coverage.

     (4) A limited health care service contractor shall not be required to offer services other than its one limited health care service to any enrolled participant of an insolvent carrier.

[1990 c 120 § 8.]