SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1995        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 595

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Bruce E. Tarr

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to providing short term health care plans.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1995        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 595

By Mr. Tarr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 595) of Bruce E. Tarr for legislation relative to providing short term health care plans.  Financial Services.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 637 OF 2015-2016.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act relative to providing short term health care plans.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 111M as appearing in the 2014 official edition if hereby amended by inserting after section 5 the following new section:-

111M:6 SHORT TERM PLAN. 

(a) A short-term medical plan is health coverage pursuant to a contract with an issuer that has an expiration date specific in the contract, taking into account any extensions that may be elected by the policyholder without the issuer’s consent, that is less than 12 months after the original effective date of the contract.

(b) A person eligible for coverage under chapter 111M may be allowed to purchase coverage under an individual, nonrenewable short term medical plan.

(c) Short term medical plans may be sold or renewed consecutively up to a total policy duration of 24 months.

(d) Upon offering a short term medical plan, an insurer must provide written disclosure that the short term plan is not subject to the provisions of guaranteed renewal.  

(e) The termination of a short-term medical policy shall constitute a qualifying event and therefore an individual who has terminated a short term policy may enroll in an individual health insurance plan pursuant to the special election rules established by any other qualifying event.