What's happening
This bill allows senior citizens to designate a third party to receive important health insurance policy notices about changes or cancellations.
Why it matters
Reduces risk of missed insurance notices for seniors. By allowing a trusted third party to receive key policy communications, this bill helps prevent lapses in coverage due to missed or misunderstood mail, which can have serious health and financial consequences for older adults.
Provides a safety net without imposing liability. The third party who receives notices is not responsible for paying premiums or any other obligations, ensuring that family members, caregivers, or advisors can assist without legal or financial risk.
Requires insurers to inform seniors of this option annually. Insurers must notify senior policyholders each year about the availability of this safeguard, increasing the likelihood that those who need extra support will become aware and take advantage of it.
Sets clear procedures and protections for designation and termination. The bill outlines how to designate or remove a third party, and requires written consent, ensuring clarity and protecting the rights of both seniors and the designated third party.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Seniors Add Notification Contact
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to insurance
- Referred to insurance
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1188
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 14, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ABINANTI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Insurance
AN ACT to amend the insurance law, in relation to third party notification of the renewal, modification, or cancellation of a senior citizen's health insurance policy
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subsection (f) of section 3111 of the insurance law, as relettered by section 30 of part B of chapter 58 of the laws of 2004, is relettered subsection (g) and a new subsection (f) is added to read as follows:
(f) Every insurer that has in force any policy of insurance subject to the provisions of article thirty-two or forty-three of this chapter shall permit senior citizen insureds to designate a third party to whom the insurer shall transmit notices of cancellation, nonrenewal, modification, non-payment, and conditional renewal. The senior citizen insured shall notify the insurer that a third party has been so designated. Such notification shall be delivered to the insurer by certified mail, return receipt requested, and shall be effective not later than ten business days from the date of receipt by the insurer. The notification must contain, in writing, an acceptance by the third party designee to receive such notices from the insurer. Should the third party designee desire to terminate his or her status as a third party designee, such designee shall provide written notice to both the insurer and the senior citizen insured. Should the senior citizen insured desire to terminate the third party designation, the insured shall provide written notice to the insurer. The transmission to the third party designee of any notice shall be in addition to a copy of such document transmitted to the senior citizen insured and when a third party is so designated all such notices shall be mailed in an envelope clearly marked on its face with the following: "IMPORTANT INSURANCE POLICY INFORMATION: OPEN IMMEDIATE-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04556-01-9
A. 1188 2
LY". Designation as a third party shall not constitute acceptance of any liability on the third party for services provided to such senior citizen. On January first of each year, the insurer shall notify its senior citizen insureds in writing of the availability of the third party designee notice procedure and provide information on how the insured can commence this procedure; however, such notice need not be provided once a senior citizen has made a designation.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.