2015 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 22 - Insurance
RS 22:1798 - General rules

§1798. General rules

A.(1) A viatical settlement provider entering into a viatical settlement contract shall first obtain:

(a) If the viator is the insured, a written statement from a licensed attending physician that the viator is of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence to enter into a viatical settlement contract;

(b) If applicable, a witnessed document in which the viator represents that the insured is terminally ill or chronically ill and that the illness was diagnosed after the policy was issued; and

(c) A document in which the insured consents to the release of his or her medical records to a viatical settlement provider and the viatical settlement broker.

(2) Within twenty days after a viator executes documents necessary to transfer any rights under an insurance policy or within twenty days of entering any agreement, option, promise, or any other form of understanding, expressed or implied, to viaticate the policy, the viatical settlement provider shall give written notice to the insurer that issued that insurance policy that the policy has or will become a viaticated policy.

(3) The viatical provider or viatical settlement broker shall deliver a request for verification of coverage to the insurer that issued the life policy that is the subject of the viatical transaction. The NAIC's form for verification shall be used unless standards for verification are developed by the commissioner.

(4) The insurer shall respond to a request for verification of coverage submitted on an approved form by a viatical settlement provider or viatical settlement broker within thirty calendar days of the date the request is received and shall indicate whether, based on the medical evidence and documents provided, the insurer intends to pursue an investigation at this time regarding the validity of the insurance contract.

(5) Prior to or at the time of execution of the viatical settlement contract, the viatical settlement provider shall obtain a witnessed document in which the viator consents to the viatical settlement contract, represents that the viator has a full and complete understanding of the viatical settlement contract, that he or she has a full and complete understanding of the benefits of the life insurance policy, acknowledges that he or she is entering into the viatical settlement contract freely and voluntarily, and, for persons with a terminal or chronic illness or condition, acknowledges that the insured has a terminal or chronic illness and that the terminal or chronic illness or condition was diagnosed after the life insurance policy was issued.

(6) If a viatical settlement broker performs any of these activities required of the viatical settlement provider, the provider is deemed to have fulfilled the requirements of this Section.

B. All medical information solicited or obtained by any licensee shall be subject to the applicable provisions of state law relating to confidentiality of medical information.

C. All viatical settlement contracts entered into in this state shall provide the viator with an unconditional right to rescind the contract for at least fifteen calendar days from the receipt of the viatical settlement proceeds. If the insured dies during the rescission period, the viatical settlement contract shall be deemed to have been rescinded, subject to repayment to the viatical settlement provider or purchaser of all viatical settlement proceeds and any premiums, loans, and loan interest that have been paid by the viatical settlement provider or purchaser.

D. The purchaser shall have the right to rescind a viatical settlement purchase agreement within three days after the disclosures mandated by R.S. 22:1797(D) and (E) are received by the purchaser.

E. The viatical settlement provider shall instruct the viator to send the executed documents required to effect the change in ownership, assignment, or change in beneficiary directly to the independent escrow agent. Within three business days after the date the escrow agent receives the document (or from the date the viatical settlement provider receives the documents, if the viator erroneously provides the documents directly to the provider), the provider shall pay or transfer the proceeds of the viatical settlement into an escrow or trust account maintained in a state or federally chartered financial institution whose deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Upon payment of the settlement proceeds into the escrow account, the escrow agent shall deliver the original change in ownership, assignment, or change in beneficiary forms to the viatical settlement provider or related provider trust. Upon the escrow agent's receipt of the acknowledgment of the properly completed transfer of ownership, assignment, or designation of beneficiary from the insurance company, the escrow agent shall pay the settlement proceeds to the viator.

F. Failure to tender consideration to the viator for the viatical settlement contract within the time disclosed pursuant to R.S. 22:1797(A)(6) renders the viatical settlement contract voidable by the viator for lack of consideration until the time consideration is tendered to and accepted by the viator.

G. Contacts with the insured for the purpose of determining the health status of the insured by the viatical settlement provider or viatical settlement broker after the viatical settlement has occurred shall only be made by the viatical settlement provider or broker licensed in this state or its authorized representatives and shall be limited to once every three months for insureds with a life expectancy of more than one year, and to no more than once per month for insureds with a life expectancy of one year or less. The provider or broker shall explain the procedure for these contacts at the time the viatical settlement contract is entered into. The limitations set forth in this Subsection shall not apply to any contacts with an insured for reasons other than determining the insured's health status. Viatical settlement providers and viatical settlement brokers shall be responsible for the actions of their authorized representatives.

Acts 2003, No. 343, §1; Redesignated from R.S. 22:194.1 by Acts 2008, No. 415, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009.