Section 24: Life insurance policies; accidental death, disability benefits; approval
Section 24. Any life company, whether or not it is authorized to transact accident and health insurance under clause sixth of section forty-seven, may provide in its policies of life, group life or endowment insurance, issued in compliance with this chapter, for the payment of an accidental death benefit consisting of a larger amount if death is caused by accident than if it results from other causes, and may incorporate therein or in its annuity or pure endowment contracts, issued in like compliance, provisions for the waiver of premiums or for the granting of special benefits in the event that the insured, or either of them, or the holder, as the case may be, becomes totally and permanently disabled from any cause. Such provisions shall state the special benefits to be granted thereunder, the cost thereof to the insured or to the holder and shall define what shall constitute total and permanent disability. The consideration for any benefits granted under this section shall be stated separately in the policy or contract. For the purposes of this section, the word ''holder'' shall include any person other than the insured who is the owner of a policy insuring the life of a minor.
Any such company may, in conjunction with and supplementary to any policy of life, group life or endowment insurance or annuity or pure endowment contract, issue a separate policy providing solely for any or all of the benefits permitted by this section. No such separate policy shall be issued or delivered in the commonwealth until a copy of the form thereof has been on file for thirty days with the commissioner, unless before the expiration of said thirty days he shall have approved the form of the policy in writing; nor if the commissioner notifies the company in writing, within said thirty days, that in his opinion the form of the policy does not comply with the laws of the commonwealth, specifying his reasons therefor; provided that such action of the commissioner shall be subject to review by the supreme judicial court.
The provisions of section one hundred and eight shall not apply to any policy of life, group life or endowment insurance or annuity or pure endowment contract or separate policy or contract providing for any or all of the benefits permitted by this section.