2017 Delaware Code
Title 18 - Insurance Code
CHAPTER 75. DELAWARE VIATICAL SETTLEMENTS ACT
§ 7511. Prohibited practices.

(a) It is a violation of this Act for any person to enter into a viatical settlement contract at any time prior to the application or issuance of a policy which is the subject of viatical settlement contract or within a 5-year period commencing with the date of issuance of the insurance policy or certificate unless the viator certifies to the viatical settlement provider that 1 or more of the following conditions have been met within the 5-year period:

(1) The policy was issued upon the viator's exercise of conversion rights arising out of a group or individual policy, if the total of the time covered under the conversion policy plus the time covered under the prior policy is at least 60 months. The time covered under a group policy must be calculated without regard to any change in insurance carriers, if the coverage has been continuous and under the same group sponsorship.

(2) The viator submits independent evidence to the viatical settlement provider that 1 or more of the following conditions have been met within the 5-year period:

a. The viator or insured is terminally or chronically ill.

b. The viator's spouse dies.

c. The viator divorces his or her spouse.

d. The viator retires from full-time employment.

e. The viator becomes physically or mentally disabled and a physician determines that the disability prevents the viator from maintaining full-time employment.

f. A final order, judgment, or decree is entered by a court of competent jurisdiction, on the application of a creditor of the viator, adjudicating the viator bankrupt or insolvent, or approving a petition seeking reorganization of the viator or appointing a receiver, trustee, or liquidator to all or a substantial part of the viator's assets.

(3) The viator enters into a viatical settlement contract more than 2 years after the date of issuance of a policy and, with respect to the policy, at all times prior to the date that is 2 years after policy issuance, the following conditions are met:

a. Policy premiums have been funded exclusively with unencumbered assets, including an interest in the life insurance policy being financed only to the extent of its net cash surrender value, provided by, or fully recourse liability incurred by, the insured or a person described in § 7502(14)c.5. of this title.

b. There is no agreement or understanding with any other person to guarantee any such liability or to purchase, or stand ready to purchase, the policy, including through an assumption or forgiveness of the loan.

c. Neither the insured nor the policy has been evaluated for settlement.

(b) Copies of the independent evidence described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section and documents required by § 7510(a) of this title must be submitted to the insurer when the viatical settlement provider or other party entering into a viatical settlement contract with a viator submits a request to the insurer for verification of coverage. The copies must be accompanied by a letter of attestation from the viatical settlement provider that the copies are true and correct copies of the documents received by the viatical settlement provider.

(c) If the viatical settlement provider submits to the insurer a copy of the owner or insured's certification described in § 7511(a) of this title and the independent evidence required by paragraph (a)(2) of this section when the provider submits a request to the insurer to effect the transfer of the policy or certificate to the viatical settlement provider, the copy conclusively establishes that the viatical settlement contract satisfies the requirements of this subsection and the insurer shall timely respond to the request.

(d) No insurer may, as a condition of responding to a request for verification of coverage or effecting the transfer of a policy pursuant to a viatical settlement contract, require that the viator, insured, viatical settlement provider, or viatical settlement broker sign any form, disclosure, consent, or waiver form that has not been expressly approved by the Commissioner for use in connection with viatical settlement contracts in this State.

(e) Upon receipt of a properly completed request for change of ownership or beneficiary of a policy, the insurer shall respond in writing within 30 calendar days with written acknowledgement confirming that the change has been effected or specifying the reasons why the requested change cannot be processed. The insurer may not unreasonably delay effecting change of ownership or beneficiary and may not otherwise seek to interfere with any viatical settlement contract lawfully entered into in this State.

81 Del. Laws, c. 172, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;