§33-26A-19. Prohibited advertisement of insurance guaranty association act in insurance sales; notice to policyholders.
(a) A person, including any insurer, agent or affiliate of an insurer shall not make, publish, disseminate, circulate or place before the public, or cause directly or indirectly, to be made, published, disseminated, circulated or placed before the public, in any newspaper, magazine or other publication, or in the form of a notice, circular, pamphlet, letter or poster, or over any radio station or television station, or in any other way, any advertisement, announcement or statement, written or oral, which uses the existence of the insurance guaranty association of this state for the purpose of sales, solicitation or inducement to purchase any form of insurance covered by the West Virginia life and health insurance guaranty association act: Provided, That this section shall not apply to the association or any other entity which does not sell or solicit insurance.
(b) Within one hundred eighty days of the effective date of this section, the association shall prepare a summary document describing the general purposes and current limitations of the act and complying with subsection (c) of this section. This document should be submitted to the commissioner for approval. Sixty days after receiving such approval, no insurer may deliver a policy or contract described in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section three of this article to a policy or contract holder unless the document is delivered to the policy or contract holder prior to or at the time of delivery of the policy or contract except if subsection (d) of this section applies. The document should also be available upon request by a policyholder. The distribution, delivery, or contents or interpretation of this document shall not mean that either the policy or the contract of the holder thereof would be covered in the event of the impairment or insolvency of a member insurer. The description document shall be revised by the association as amendments to the act may require. Failure to receive this document does not give the policyholder, contract holder, certificate holder or insured any greater rights than those stated in this article.
(c) The document prepared under subsection (b) of this section shall contain a clear and conspicuous disclaimer on its face. The commissioner shall promulgate a rule establishing the form and content of the disclaimer. The disclaimer shall:
(1) State the name and address of the association and insurance department;
(2) Prominently warn the policy or contract holder that the association may not cover the policy or, if coverage is available, it will be subject to substantial limitations and exclusions and conditioned on continued residence in the state;
(3) State that the insurer and its agents are prohibited by law from using the existence of the association for the purpose of sales, solicitation or inducement to purchase any form of insurance;
(4) Emphasize that the policy or contract holder should not rely on coverage under the association when selecting an insurer;
(5) Provide other information as directed by the commissioner.
(d) An insurer or agent may not deliver a policy or contract described in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section three of this article and excluded under paragraph (A), subdivision (2), subsection (b) of section three of this article from coverage under this article unless the insurer or agent, prior to or at the time of delivery, gives the policy or contract holder a separate written notice which clearly and conspicuously discloses that the policy or contract is not covered by the association. The commissioner shall by rule specify the form and content of the notice, which rules shall be promulgated on or before the second day of August, one thousand nine hundred ninety-three.
§33-26A-19. Prohibited advertisement of insurance guaranty association act in insurance sales; notice to policyholders.
(a) A person, including any insurer, agent or affiliate of an insurer shall not make, publish, disseminate, circulate or place before the public, or cause directly or indirectly, to be made, published, disseminated, circulated or placed before the public, in any newspaper, magazine or other publication, or in the form of a notice, circular, pamphlet, letter or poster, or over any radio station or television station, or in any other way, any advertisement, announcement or statement, written or oral, which uses the existence of the insurance guaranty association of this state for the purpose of sales, solicitation or inducement to purchase any form of insurance covered by the West Virginia life and health insurance guaranty association act: Provided, That this section shall not apply to the association or any other entity which does not sell or solicit insurance.
(b) Within one hundred eighty days of the effective date of this section, the association shall prepare a summary document describing the general purposes and current limitations of the act and complying with subsection (c) of this section. This document should be submitted to the commissioner for approval. Sixty days after receiving such approval, no insurer may deliver a policy or contract described in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section three of this article to a policy or contract holder unless the document is delivered to the policy or contract holder prior to or at the time of delivery of the policy or contract except if subsection (d) of this section applies. The document should also be available upon request by a policyholder. The distribution, delivery, or contents or interpretation of this document shall not mean that either the policy or the contract of the holder thereof would be covered in the event of the impairment or insolvency of a member insurer. The description document shall be revised by the association as amendments to the act may require. Failure to receive this document does not give the policyholder, contract holder, certificate holder or insured any greater rights than those stated in this article.
(c) The document prepared under subsection (b) of this section shall contain a clear and conspicuous disclaimer on its face. The commissioner shall promulgate a rule establishing the form and content of the disclaimer. The disclaimer shall:
(1) State the name and address of the association and insurance department;
(2) Prominently warn the policy or contract holder that the association may not cover the policy or, if coverage is available, it will be subject to substantial limitations and exclusions and conditioned on continued residence in the state;
(3) State that the insurer and its agents are prohibited by law from using the existence of the association for the purpose of sales, solicitation or inducement to purchase any form of insurance;
(4) Emphasize that the policy or contract holder should not rely on coverage under the association when selecting an insurer;
(5) Provide other information as directed by the commissioner.
(d) An insurer or agent may not deliver a policy or contract described in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section three of this article and excluded under paragraph (A), subdivision (2), subsection (b) of section three of this article from coverage under this article unless the insurer or agent, prior to or at the time of delivery, gives the policy or contract holder a separate written notice which clearly and conspicuously discloses that the policy or contract is not covered by the association. The commissioner shall by rule specify the form and content of the notice, which rules shall be promulgated on or before the second day of August, one thousand nine hundred ninety-three.
§33-26A-19. Prohibited advertisement of insurance guaranty association act in insurance sales; notice to policyholders.
(a) A person, including any insurer, agent or affiliate of an insurer shall not make, publish, disseminate, circulate or place before the public, or cause directly or indirectly, to be made, published, disseminated, circulated or placed before the public, in any newspaper, magazine or other publication, or in the form of a notice, circular, pamphlet, letter or poster, or over any radio station or television station, or in any other way, any advertisement, announcement or statement, written or oral, which uses the existence of the insurance guaranty association of this state for the purpose of sales, solicitation or inducement to purchase any form of insurance covered by the West Virginia life and health insurance guaranty association act: Provided, That this section shall not apply to the association or any other entity which does not sell or solicit insurance.
(b) Within one hundred eighty days of the effective date of this section, the association shall prepare a summary document describing the general purposes and current limitations of the act and complying with subsection (c) of this section. This document should be submitted to the commissioner for approval. Sixty days after receiving such approval, no insurer may deliver a policy or contract described in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section three of this article to a policy or contract holder unless the document is delivered to the policy or contract holder prior to or at the time of delivery of the policy or contract except if subsection (d) of this section applies. The document should also be available upon request by a policyholder. The distribution, delivery, or contents or interpretation of this document shall not mean that either the policy or the contract of the holder thereof would be covered in the event of the impairment or insolvency of a member insurer. The description document shall be revised by the association as amendments to the act may require. Failure to receive this document does not give the policyholder, contract holder, certificate holder or insured any greater rights than those stated in this article.
(c) The document prepared under subsection (b) of this section shall contain a clear and conspicuous disclaimer on its face. The commissioner shall promulgate a rule establishing the form and content of the disclaimer. The disclaimer shall:
(1) State the name and address of the association and insurance department;
(2) Prominently warn the policy or contract holder that the association may not cover the policy or, if coverage is available, it will be subject to substantial limitations and exclusions and conditioned on continued residence in the state;
(3) State that the insurer and its agents are prohibited by law from using the existence of the association for the purpose of sales, solicitation or inducement to purchase any form of insurance;
(4) Emphasize that the policy or contract holder should not rely on coverage under the association when selecting an insurer;
(5) Provide other information as directed by the commissioner.
(d) An insurer or agent may not deliver a policy or contract described in subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section three of this article and excluded under paragraph (A), subdivision (2), subsection (b) of section three of this article from coverage under this article unless the insurer or agent, prior to or at the time of delivery, gives the policy or contract holder a separate written notice which clearly and conspicuously discloses that the policy or contract is not covered by the association. The commissioner shall by rule specify the form and content of the notice, which rules shall be promulgated on or before the second day of August, one thousand nine hundred ninety-three.
