Relating to electronic delivery of certain insurance notices and documents

This bill relates to electronic delivery of certain insurance notices and documents. The bill allows a sponsor or policyholder of a group health plan to consent to electronic delivery of notices and documents (documents), unless there is a federal requirement for a specific mode of delivery, on behalf of the sponsor’s or policyholder’s covered employees (employees) and covered persons (persons). “Covered employee” and “covered person” are defined in the bill. For the consent to be effective, the sponsor or policyholder must assign each employee an electronic mail address (email address) for employment-related purposes at which the employee may receive or access documents delivered by electronic means, or require each employee to provide an email address or a smart device number at which the employee may receive or access documents. “Smart device” is defined in the bill. The sponsor or policyholder must also require each person to provide an email address or smart device number at which the person may receive or access documents. Prior to beginning delivery by electronic means, the sponsor or policyholder must provide a notification in paper form to each employee and each person as detailed in the bill. The sponsor or policyholder must also provide notice to each employee and each person each time a document is posted on an internet site at which the employee or person can access the document. The notice must include the information as detailed in the bill. The bill provides that the issuer of a health insurance policy or contract (issuer) may provide a group or individual insurance policy or contract electronically to a party without the affirmative consent of the party if the issuer mails written notice to the party describing the requirements as detailed in the bill. The bill requires that an issuer that receives a request from a party for a paper form of a policy or contract must provide the copy free of charge no later than days after the date that the issuer receives the party’s request.