33-29-2
Code Resources
Georgia Resources
Georgia Website
Georgia Governor
Georgia Legislature
Georgia Courts
Search this Code
in Google Scholar
on the Web
Google Web Search
MSN Web Search
Yahoo! Web Search
in the News
Google News Search
Google News Archive Search
Yahoo! News Search
in the Blogs
BlawgSearch.com Search
Google Blog Search
Technorati Blog Search
in other Databases
Google Book Search
33-29-2.
(a)
No policy of accident and sickness insurance shall be delivered or issued for
delivery in this state unless it meets the following requirements:
(1)
The entire money and other considerations for the policy are expressed in such
policy;
(2)
The time at which the insurance takes effect and terminates is expressed in such
policy;
(3)
It purports to insure only one person, provided that a policy may insure,
originally or by subsequent amendment upon the application of an adult member of
a family who shall be deemed the policyholder, any two or more eligible members
of that family, including husband, wife, dependent children, or any children,
under a specified age which shall not exceed 19 years, and any other person
dependent upon the policyholder; provided, further, that, if a policy purports
to insure a dependent child of the policyholder, the child shall continue to be
insured up to and including age 25 so long as the policy continues in effect,
the child remains a dependent of the policyholder, and the child, in each
calendar year since reaching the age specified in the policy for termination of
benefits as a dependent of the policyholder, has been enrolled for five calendar
months or more as a full-time student in a postsecondary institution of higher
learning or, if not so enrolled, would have been eligible to be so enrolled and
was prevented from being so enrolled due to illness or injury;
(4)
The style, arrangement, and overall appearance of the policy gives no undue
prominence to any portion of the text and every printed portion of the text of
the policy and of any endorsements or attached papers is plainly printed in
lightfaced type of a style in general use, the size of which shall be uniform
and not less than ten-point with a lower case unspaced alphabet length not less
than 120 point. The text shall include all printed matter except the name and
address of the insurer, name or title of the policy, the brief description, if
any, and captions and subcaptions. When a policy is renewable only at the
option of the insurer, such fact shall be made known in prominent lettering on
the face of the policy;
(5)
The exceptions and reductions of indemnity are set forth in the policy and,
except those which are set forth in Code Sections 33-29-3 and 33-29-4, are
printed, at the
insureŕs
option, either with the benefit provisions to which they apply or under an
appropriate caption such as 'exceptions,' or 'exceptions and reductions,'
provided that, if an exception or reduction specifically applies only to a
particular benefit of the policy, a statement of such exception or reduction
shall be included with the benefit provision to which it applies;
(6)
Each form, including riders and endorsements, shall be identified by a form
number in the lower left-hand corner of the first page thereof;
(7)
It contains no provision purporting to make any portion of the charter, rules,
constitution, or bylaws of the insurer a part of the policy unless such portion
is set forth in full in the policy, except in the case of the incorporation of,
or reference to, a statement of rates or classification of risks or short-rate
table filed with the Commissioner;
(8)
It contains no provision purporting to exclude or reduce coverage provided an
otherwise insurable person solely for the reason that the person is eligible for
or receiving medical assistance, as defined in Code Section 49-4-141. Any such
provision appearing in an individual accident and sickness insurance policy,
subsequent to July 1, 1978, shall be null and void; and
(9)
It contains no provision relating to insurance with other insurers, provided
that group conversion policies and major medical policies may contain provisions
relating to other insurance benefits payable under group or blanket accident and
sickness insurance policies.
(b)
Individual major medical policies, including franchise and conversion policies,
shall make available to each applicant for such coverage optional cash
deductible amounts up to at least $5,000.00. No such policy shall contain any
provision in which the length of the cash deductible accumulation period is not
reasonable in relation to the amount of the cash deductibles. An insurer may
offer higher optional deductibles to existing policyholders as a means of
reducing the cost of such policies or to offset premium increases.
(c)
This Code section shall also apply to policies issued by a hospital service
nonprofit corporation or a nonprofit medical service corporation.
(d)
This Code section shall not be construed so as to impair the obligation of any
contract in existence prior to January 1, 1979.