Bill Text: NY S06670 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Expands the categories of policies classified as blanket accident policies.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2014-06-17 - referred to insurance [S06670 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-S06670-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         6670
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                   February 25, 2014
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  SEWARD -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Insurance
       AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to blanket group accident
         and health insurance coverage
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Subsection  (a)  of  section  4237  of the insurance law,
    2  subparagraph (F) of paragraph 3 as amended by chapter 369 of the laws of
    3  1985, is amended to read as follows:
    4    (a) (1) Any policy or contract of insurance against  death  or  injury
    5  resulting  from  accident which insures a group of persons conforming to
    6  the requirements of one of the subparagraphs (A) through  [(F)]  (M)  of
    7  paragraph three hereof shall be deemed a blanket accident policy.
    8    (2) Any policy or contract which insures a group of persons conforming
    9  to  the  requirements of subparagraph (C), (E) or [(F)] (M) of paragraph
   10  three hereof against total or partial disability, excluding  such  disa-
   11  bility from accident, shall be deemed a blanket health insurance policy.
   12    (3) Any policy or contract of insurance which combines the coverage of
   13  blanket  accident  insurance  and  of blanket health insurance on such a
   14  group of persons shall be deemed a blanket accident and health insurance
   15  policy:
   16    (A) Under a policy or contract  issued  to  any  railroad,  steamship,
   17  motorbus  or airplane carrier of passengers OR OWNER, OPERATOR OR LESSEE
   18  OF ANY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION, which shall be deemed the  policyholder,
   19  a  group  defined  as  all persons who may become such passengers may be
   20  insured against death or bodily injury either while, or as a result  of,
   21  being such passengers.
   22    (B)  Under  a  policy  or contract issued to an employer, who shall be
   23  deemed the policyholder, covering any  group  of  employees  defined  by
   24  reference  to  [exceptional]  hazards  incident  to [such employment] AN
   25  ACTIVITY, ACTIVITIES, OR OPERATIONS OF THE POLICYHOLDER,  insuring  such
   26  employee  against death or bodily injury resulting while, or from, being
   27  exposed to such [exceptional] hazards.  DEPENDENTS OF THE  EMPLOYEE  AND
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD14141-01-4
       S. 6670                             2
    1  GUESTS  OF  THE EMPLOYER OR EMPLOYEES MAY ALSO BE INCLUDED WHERE EXPOSED
    2  TO THE SAME HAZARDS.
    3    (C)  Under  a policy or contract issued to a college, school, or other
    4  institution of learning or to the head  or  principal  thereof,  who  or
    5  which shall be deemed the policyholder.
    6    (D) Under a policy or contract issued in the name of
    7    (i) any county, city, town, village or fire district,
    8    (ii)  any duly organized fire department, or fire company, of any such
    9  municipal corporation or fire district, FIRST  AID,  CIVIL  DEFENSE,  OR
   10  OTHER  SUCH  GROUP whether or not any such corporation has been incorpo-
   11  rated under any general or special law,
   12    (iii) any fire  corporation  incorporated  under  or  subject  to  the
   13  provisions  of section one thousand four hundred two of the not-for-pro-
   14  fit corporation law, or any general or special law, if such  corporation
   15  is  by  law under the general control of, or recognized as a fire corpo-
   16  ration by, the  governing  board  of  a  city,  town,  village  or  fire
   17  district,  which  municipal corporation, fire district, fire department,
   18  fire company or fire corporation, as the case may be,  shall  be  deemed
   19  the policyholder, covering all, but not less than twenty-five, volunteer
   20  members  of  such  department, company or corporation. A district corpo-
   21  ration which has the general powers of and operates as a  fire  district
   22  shall  be considered a fire district for the purposes of this paragraph.
   23  A volunteer fireman whose services are offered and accepted pursuant  to
   24  the  provisions  of  section two hundred nine-i of the general municipal
   25  law shall be deemed a volunteer member of any such fire department, fire
   26  company or fire corporation except for the purpose  of  determining  the
   27  minimum number of twenty-five volunteer members for which any such poli-
   28  cy or contract must provide coverage. Any such policy or contract issued
   29  to  a  municipal  corporation or a fire district shall be subject to any
   30  limitations on the amount, coverage or benefits as are set forth in  any
   31  applicable general, special or local law or city or village charter.
   32    (E)  Under a policy or contract issued to and in the name of an incor-
   33  porated or unincorporated association of persons having a common  inter-
   34  est  or  calling,  which  association  shall be deemed the policyholder,
   35  having not less than fifty members, covering all OR  ANY  GROUP  OF  the
   36  members  of  such  association or if part or all of the premium is to be
   37  derived from funds contributed by the insured members and if the  oppor-
   38  tunity  to  take such insurance is offered to all eligible members, then
   39  such policy must cover not less than seventy-five percent of  any  class
   40  or  classes of members determined by conditions pertaining to membership
   41  in the association.
   42    (F) UNDER A POLICY OR CONTRACT ISSUED TO A SPORTS TEAM OR TO A CAMP OR
   43  SPONSOR THEREOF, WHICH TEAM, CAMP OR SPONSOR SHALL BE DEEMED THE POLICY-
   44  HOLDER, COVERING MEMBERS, CAMPERS, EMPLOYEES, VOLUNTEERS, SUPERVISORS OR
   45  OFFICIALS.
   46    (G) UNDER A POLICY OR CONTRACT ISSUED TO ANY INCORPORATED OR  UNINCOR-
   47  PORATED RELIGIOUS, CHARITABLE, RECREATIONAL, EDUCATIONAL OR CIVIC ORGAN-
   48  IZATION, OR BRANCH THEREOF, WHICH ORGANIZATION SHALL BE DEEMED THE POLI-
   49  CYHOLDER,  COVERING  ANY  GROUP  OF MEMBERS, PARTICIPANTS, OR VOLUNTEERS
   50  DEFINED BY REFERENCE TO HAZARDS INCIDENT TO ANY ACTIVITY  OR  ACTIVITIES
   51  OR  OPERATIONS  SPONSORED  OR  SUPERVISED  BY OR ON THE PREMISES OF SUCH
   52  POLICYHOLDER.
   53    (H) UNDER A POLICY OR CONTRACT ISSUED TO A RESTAURANT,  HOTEL,  MOTEL,
   54  RESORT, INNKEEPER OR OTHER GROUP WITH A HIGH DEGREE OF POTENTIAL CUSTOM-
   55  ER  LIABILITY,  WHICH SHALL BE DEEMED THE POLICYHOLDER, COVERING PATRONS
   56  OR GUESTS.
       S. 6670                             3
    1    (I) UNDER A POLICY OR CONTRACT ISSUED TO A  HEALTH  CARE  PROVIDER  OR
    2  OTHER ARRANGER OF HEALTH SERVICES, WHICH SHALL BE DEEMED THE POLICYHOLD-
    3  ER,  COVERING  PATIENTS,  DONORS, OR SURROGATES PROVIDED THE COVERAGE IS
    4  NOT MADE A CONDITION OF RECEIVING CARE.
    5    (J)  UNDER  A POLICY OR CONTRACT ISSUED TO A BANK, ASSOCIATION, FINAN-
    6  CIAL OR OTHER INSTITUTION, VENDOR, OR TO A PARENT HOLDING COMPANY, OR TO
    7  THE TRUSTEE, TRUSTEES OR AGENT DESIGNATED BY ONE OR MORE BANKS,  ASSOCI-
    8  ATIONS,  FINANCIAL  OR  OTHER  INSTITUTIONS,  OR VENDORS, WHICH SHALL BE
    9  DEEMED THE POLICYHOLDER, COVERING ACCOUNTHOLDERS, DEBTORS, GUARANTORS OR
   10  PURCHASERS.
   11    (K) UNDER A POLICY OR CONTRACT ISSUED TO  A  TRAVEL  AGENCY  OR  OTHER
   12  ORGANIZATION  THAT  PROVIDES  TRAVEL  RELATED  SERVICES, WHICH AGENCY OR
   13  ORGANIZATION SHALL BE DEEMED THE POLICYHOLDER, TO COVER ALL OR ANY GROUP
   14  OF PERSONS FOR WHOM TRAVEL RELATED SERVICES ARE PROVIDED.
   15    (L) AN ENTERTAINMENT, THEATER, ARTS OR  EVENT  PRODUCTION  COMPANY  OR
   16  ORGANIZATION,  WHICH  SHALL  BE DEEMED THE POLICYHOLDER, COVERING ALL OR
   17  ANY GROUP OF PARTICIPANTS, VOLUNTEERS,  AUDIENCE  MEMBERS,  CONTESTANTS,
   18  EMPLOYEES  OR WORKERS ENGAGED IN ANY ACTIVITY, ACTIVITIES, OR OPERATIONS
   19  OF THE POLICYHOLDER.
   20    (M) Under a policy  or  contract  issued  to  insure;  (i)  any  other
   21  [substantially  similar  group]  RISK  OR CLASS OF RISKS approved by the
   22  superintendent as eligible for insurance under a  blanket  accident  and
   23  health  insurance  policy or contract; THE DISCRETION OF THE SUPERINTEN-
   24  DENT MAY BE EXERCISED ON AN INDIVIDUAL RISK BASIS OR CLASS OF RISKS,  OR
   25  BOTH;  or  (ii)  any  other  group approved by the superintendent upon a
   26  finding that: (I) there is a common enterprise  or  economic  or  social
   27  affinity  or  relationship;  (II) the premiums charged are reasonable in
   28  relation to the benefits provided; and (III) the issuance of the  policy
   29  would  result  in  economies  of acquisition or administration, would be
   30  actuarially sound, and would not be contrary to the best interest of the
   31  public. The superintendent shall promulgate  regulations  setting  forth
   32  any  such  groups that have been accepted as qualifying pursuant to this
   33  subparagraph.
   34    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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