Chapter 632

632.79(3) (3) Liability of insurer or service organization for payment of claims. Under any group policy or plan subject to this section, the insurer or organization shall be liable for all valid claims for covered losses prior to the expiration of any grace period specified in the group policy or plan.

632.79(5) (5) Notice exception. The notice requirements of this section shall not apply if a group policy or plan providing coverage to employees or members is terminated and immediately replaced by another policy or plan providing similar coverage to such employees or members.

632.79 History History: 1975 c. 352; Stats. 1975 s. 204.324; 1975 c. 422 s. 106; Stats. 1975 s. 632.79; 1979 c. 32, 221.

632.79 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also s. Ins 6.51, Wis. adm. code.

632.793 632.793 Notice of loss of primary insurance coverage due to age.

632.793(1) (1) Notice to insured and employer. If an individual who is covered under a group disability insurance policy, as defined in s. 632.895 (1) (a), that is purchased by or on behalf of an employer to provide coverage for employees will lose primary coverage under the policy upon reaching age 65, the insurer issuing the policy shall provide written notice of the change in coverage status by regular mail to the individual and shall send a copy of the notice by regular mail to the employer. The insurer shall provide the notice not less than 30 nor more than 60 days before the individual becomes 65 years of age. The notice shall specify the date on which the insurance coverage will no longer be primary and shall inform the individual that he or she will be eligible for coverage under the federal medicare program at age 65.

632.793(2) (2) Applicability. Subsection (1) does not apply if the employer has at least 20 employees for each working day in at least 20 calendar weeks in the current year or the preceding year.

632.793 History History: 1993 a. 108.

632.795 632.795 Open enrollment upon liquidation.

632.795(1) (1) Definition. In this section, “liquidated insurer” means an insurer ordered liquidated under ch. 645 or under similar laws of another jurisdiction.

632.795(2) (2) Coverage for group members. Except as provided in sub. (5) and unless otherwise provided by rule or order of the commissioner, an insurer described in sub. (3) shall permit insureds or enrolled participants of a liquidated insurer’s group health care policy or plan to obtain coverage under a comprehensive group health care policy or plan offered by the insurer in the manner and under the terms required by sub. (4).

632.795(3) (3) Participating insurers. Subsection (2) applies to an insurer that participated in the most recent enrollment period in which the group members were able to choose among coverage offered by the liquidated insurer and coverage offered by one or more other insurers, if all of the following are satisfied:

632.795(3)(a) (a) Coverage under a comprehensive group health care policy or plan offered by the insurer was selected by one or more members of the group in the most recent enrollment period.

632.795(3)(b) (b) The most recent enrollment period occurred on or after July 1, 1989.

632.795(4) (4) Terms and offering of coverage.

632.795(4)(a) (a) An insurer subject to sub. (2) shall provide coverage under the same policy form and for the same premium as it originally offered in the most recent enrollment period, subject only to the medical underwriting used in that enrollment period. Unless otherwise prescribed by rule, the insurer may apply deductibles, preexisting condition limitations, waiting periods or other limits only to the extent that they would have been applicable had coverage been extended at the time of the most recent enrollment period and with credit for the satisfaction or partial satisfaction of similar provisions under the liquidated insurer’s policy or plan. The insurer may exclude coverage of claims that are payable by a solvent insurer under insolvency coverage required by the commissioner or by the insurance regulator of another jurisdiction. Coverage shall be effective on the date that the liquidated insurer’s coverage terminates.

632.795(4)(b) (b) An insurer subject to sub. (2) shall offer coverage to the group members, and the policyholder shall provide group members with the opportunity to obtain coverage, in the manner and within the time limits required by the commissioner by rule or order.

632.795(5) (5) Medical assistance enrollees. This section does not apply to persons enrolled in a health care plan offered by a liquidated insurer if the persons are enrolled in that plan under a contract between the department of health services and the liquidated insurer under s. 49.45 (2) (b) 2.

632.795 History History: 1989 a. 23; 1995 a. 27 s. 9126 (19); 2007 a. 20 s. 9121 (6) (a).

632.797 632.797 Disclosure of group health claims experience.

632.797(1) (1) 

632.797(1)(a) (a) Except as provided in subs. (2) and (3), an insurer shall provide the policyholder of a group or blanket disability insurance policy, or an employer that provides health care coverage to its employees through a multiple-employer trust, with the policyholder’s or the employer’s aggregate group health claims experience for the current policy period, and for up to 2 policy periods immediately preceding the current policy period if the insurer provided coverage during those periods, upon request from the policyholder or employer.

632.797(1)(b) (b) The insurer shall provide the information under par. (a) no later than 30 days after receiving a request for that information from the policyholder or employer.

632.797(1)(c) (c) The insurer may not charge the policyholder or the employer for providing the information under par. (a) one time in a 12-month period.

632.797(1)(d) (d) Except for charging a fee under par. (c), an insurer may not change the rating methodology between community rating and experience rating or otherwise penalize a policyholder or employer for requesting the information under par. (a).

632.797(2) (2) An insurer is not required to provide the information under sub. (1) unless the policyholder or employer requesting the information provides coverage under the policy for at least 50 individuals, exclusive of individuals who have coverage under the policy as a dependent of another individual.

632.797(3) (3) Notwithstanding sub. (1), an insurer is not required to provide health claims experience under sub. (1) for any period of time that is before 18 months before the date on which the information is requested.

632.797(4) (4) Subsection (1) does not require that an insurer provide the policyholder of a group or blanket disability insurance policy, or an employer that provides health care coverage to its employees through a multiple-employer trust, with the health claims experience of an individual employee or insured.

632.797(5) (5) An insurer is not required under sub. (1) to provide information that identifies an individual or that is confidential under s. 146.82.

632.797(6) (6) An insurer that provides aggregate health claims experience information in compliance with this section is immune from civil liability for its acts or omissions in providing such information.

632.797 History History: 1993 a. 448; 2011 a. 32.

632.798 632.798 Out-of-pocket costs.

632.798(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

632.798(1)(a) (a) “Disability insurance policy” has the meaning given in s. 632.895 (1) (a).

632.798(1)(b) (b) “Health care provider” has the meaning given in s. 146.903 (1) (c) and includes a hospital, as defined in s. 50.33 (2).

632.798(1)(c) (c) “Insured” includes an enrollee under a self-insured health plan and a representative or designee of an insured or enrollee.

632.798(1)(d) (d) “Self-insured health plan” means a self-insured health plan of the state or a county, city, village, town, or school district.

632.798(2) (2) Provide estimate.

632.798(2)(a) (a) A self-insured health plan or an insurer that provides coverage under a disability insurance policy shall, at the request of an insured, provide to the insured a good faith estimate, as of the date of the request and assuming no medical complications or modifications in the insured’s treatment plan, of the insured’s total out-of-pocket cost according to the insured’s benefit terms for a specified health care service in the geographic region in which the health care service will be provided.

632.798(2)(b) (b) An estimate provided by an insurer or self-insured health plan under this section is not a legally binding estimate of the out-of-pocket cost.

632.798(2)(c) (c) An insurer or self-insured health plan may not charge an insured for providing the information under this section.

632.798(2)(d) (d) Before providing the information requested under par. (a), the insurer or self-insured health plan may require the insured to provide in writing any of the following information:

632.798(2)(d)1. 1. The name of the health care provider providing the service.

632.798(2)(d)2. 2. The facility at which the service will be provided.

632.798(2)(d)3. 3. The date the service will be provided.

632.798(2)(d)4. 4. The health care provider’s estimate of the charge for the service.

632.798(2)(d)5. 5. The codes for the service under the Current Procedural Terminology of the American Medical Association or under the Current Dental Terminology of the American Dental Association.

632.798(2)(e) (e) The requirement to provide the information requested under par. (a) does not apply if the health care provider providing the health care service is any of the following:

632.798(2)(e)1. 1. A health care provider that practices individually or in association with not more than 2 other individual health care providers.

632.798(2)(e)2. 2. A health care provider that is an association of 3 or fewer individual health care providers.

632.798 History History: 2009 a. 146.

632.80 632.80 Restrictions on medical payments insurance. The provisions of this subchapter do not apply to medical payments insurance when it is a part of or supplemental to liability, steam boiler, elevator, automobile or other insurance covering loss of or damage to property, provided the loss, damage or expense arises out of a hazard directly related to such other insurance.

632.80 History History: 1975 c. 375.

632.81 632.81 Minimum standards for certain disability policies. The commissioner may by rule establish minimum standards for benefits, claims payments, marketing practices, compensation arrangements and reporting practices for medicare supplement policies, medicare replacement policies and long-term care insurance policies. The commissioner may by rule exempt from the minimum standards certain types of coverage, if the commissioner finds the exemption is not adverse to the interests of policyholders and certificate holders.

632.81 History History: 1981 c. 82; 1985 a. 29; 1989 a. 31, 332.

632.81 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ss. Ins 3.39, 3.455, and 3.46, Wis. adm. code.

632.82 632.82 Renewability of long-term care insurance policies. Notwithstanding s. 631.36 (2) to (5), the commissioner shall, by rule, require long-term care insurance policies that are issued on an individual basis to include a provision restricting the insurer’s ability to terminate or alter the long-term care insurance policy except for nonpayment of premium. The rule may specify exceptions to the restriction, including exceptions that allow insurers to do any of the following:

632.82(1) (1) Change the rates charged on a long-term care insurance policy if the rate change is made on a class basis.

632.82(2) (2) Refuse to renew a long-term care insurance policy if conditions specified in the rule are satisfied. The conditions shall, at a minimum, require all of the following:

632.82(2)(a) (a) That the nonrenewal be on other than an individual basis.

632.82(2)(b) (b) That the insurer demonstrate to the commissioner that renewal will affect the insurer’s solvency or loss experience as specified in the rule.

632.82 History History: 1989 a. 31.

632.825 632.825 Midterm termination of long-term care insurance policy by insured.

632.825(1) (1) Permitted cancellation and refund.

632.825(1)(a) (a) No insurer that provides coverage under a long-term care insurance policy may prohibit the insured under the policy from canceling the policy before the expiration of the agreed term.

632.825(1)(b) (b) If an insured under a long-term care insurance policy cancels the policy before the expiration of the agreed term, the insurer shall issue a prorated premium refund to the insured.

632.825(1)(c) (c) If an insured under a long-term care insurance policy dies during the term of the policy, the insurer shall issue a prorated premium refund to the insured’s estate.

632.825(2) (2) Policy provision. Every long-term care insurance policy shall contain a provision that apprises the insured of the insured’s right to cancel and the insurer’s premium refund responsibilities under sub. (1).

632.825 History History: 1993 a. 207.

632.825 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ss. Ins 3.455 and 3.46, Wis. adm. code.

632.83 632.83 Internal grievance procedure.

632.83(1) (1) In this section, “health benefit plan” has the meaning given in s. 632.745 (11), except that “health benefit plan” includes the coverage specified in s. 632.745 (11) (b) 10. and includes a policy, certificate or contract under s. 632.745 (11) (b) 9. that provides only limited-scope dental or vision benefits.

632.83(2) (2) Every insurer that issues a health benefit plan shall do all of the following:

632.83(2)(a) (a) Establish and use an internal grievance procedure that is approved by the commissioner and that complies with sub. (3) for the resolution of insureds’ grievances with the health benefit plan.

632.83(2)(b) (b) Provide insureds with complete and understandable information describing the internal grievance procedure under par. (a).

632.83(2)(c) (c) Submit an annual report to the commissioner describing the internal grievance procedure under par. (a) and summarizing the experience under the procedure for the year.

632.83(3) (3) The internal grievance procedure established under sub. (2) (a) shall include all of the following elements:

632.83(3)(a) (a) The opportunity for an insured to submit a written grievance in any form.

632.83(3)(b) (b) Establishment of a grievance panel for the investigation of each grievance submitted under par. (a), consisting of at least one individual authorized to take corrective action on the grievance and at least one insured other than the grievant, if an insured is available to serve on the grievance panel.

632.83(3)(c) (c) Prompt investigation of each grievance submitted under par. (a).

632.83(3)(d) (d) Notification to each grievant of the disposition of his or her grievance and of any corrective action taken on the grievance.

632.83(3)(e) (e) Retention of records pertaining to each grievance for at least 3 years after the date of notification under par. (d).

632.83 History History: 1999 a. 155 ss. 8 to 17; Stats. 1999 s. 632.83.

632.835 632.835 Independent review of coverage denial determinations.

632.835(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

632.835(1)(a) (a) “Adverse determination” means a determination by or on behalf of an insurer that issues a health benefit plan to which all of the following apply:

632.835(1)(a)1. 1. An admission to a health care facility, the availability of care, the continued stay or other treatment that is a covered benefit has been reviewed.

632.835(1)(a)2. 2. Based on the information provided, the treatment under subd. 1. does not meet the health benefit plan’s requirements for medical necessity, appropriateness, health care setting, level of care or effectiveness.

632.835(1)(a)3. 3. Based on the information provided, the insurer that issued the health benefit plan reduced, denied or terminated the treatment under subd. 1. or payment for the treatment under subd. 1.