Prohibits any life insurance company, providing a policy with coverage up to $500,000, from denying or canceling the policy for an individual who has a pre-existing medical condition; excludes a terminal diagnosis and participation in high risk activities.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6559
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 11, 2019
___________
Introduced by M. of A. KOLB -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Insurance
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to eligibility for life
insurance based upon pre-existing medical conditions
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The insurance law is amended by adding a new section 3242
2 to read as follows:
3 § 3242. Eligibility for life insurance based upon pre-existing medical
4 conditions. (a) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary,
5 for any policy providing coverage up to five hundred thousand dollars,
6 no insurer or entity authorized to do the kinds of business specified in
7 paragraph one of subsection (a) of section one thousand one hundred
8 thirteen of this chapter shall include any pre-existing medical condi-
9 tions in determining premium rates for the insureds.
10 (b) No policy authorized by paragraph one of subsection (a) of section
11 one thousand one hundred thirteen of this chapter, providing coverage up
12 to five hundred thousand dollars, shall be denied or canceled by the
13 insurer, or the terms and conditions of such policy altered by the
14 insurer, solely on the basis of an individual having one or more pre-ex-
15 isting medical conditions.
16 (c) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a policy from being denied
17 or canceled by the insurer, or the terms and conditions of such policy
18 altered by the insurer, or the premium rates adjusted by the insurer, if
19 the individual has received a terminal diagnosis from a health care
20 provider or participates in high risk activities including, but not
21 limited to, smoking, vaping, tobacco use, bungee jumping, scuba diving,
22 parachuting, car racing, bike racing, boat racing, hang gliding, skiing,
23 snowboarding, surfing, whitewater rafting, hot air ballooning, rock
24 climbing, mountain climbing, or flying a private plane.
25 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10102-01-9
