Downloads
CS/SB 648 — Health Insurance Marketing Materials
by Banking and Insurance Committee and Senator Hukill
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Banking and Insurance Committee (BI)
The bill eliminates the requirement that health insurers and health maintenance organizations submit marketing communications for small employer health plans to the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) for review. The bill also deletes the requirement that each marketing communication contain specific disclosures, but retains the requirement that such disclosure be provided to a small employer upon the offer of coverage.
The bill continues the requirement that insurers file with the OIR any long-term care insurance advertising materials, but deletes the requirement to file such materials 30 days prior to use. The bill allows the insurer to begin using such materials upon filing, subject to subsequent disapproval by the OIR. The bill does not eliminate the authority of the Financial Services Commission to adopt rules establishing standards for the advertising, marketing, and sale of long-term care insurance policies.
Florida law would continue to prohibit persons involved in the business of insurance from knowingly publishing any advertising with respect to the business of insurance, which is untrue, deceptive, or misleading.
The bill also specifies that the rules adopted by the Financial Services Commission to establish the format for the notice of the estimated premium impact of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) are not subject to s. 120.541(3), F.S., which requires that rules obtain legislative ratification if they exceed certain regulatory costs. These rules are required to be adopted pursuant to CS/SB 1842, which was passed by the Legislature on April 26, 2013, and ordered enrolled. That bill requires health insurers and health maintenance organizations to provide a notice to individual and small group policyholders of nongrandfathered health plans that describes or illustrates the estimated impact of PPACA on monthly premiums. This notice would be required one time, when the policy is issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2014, and must first be filed with the OIR by September 1, 2013. The notice must be in a format established by rule by the Financial Services Commission. The OIR and the Department of Financial Services must develop a summary of the estimated impact of PPACA on monthly premiums as contained in the notices, which must be available on their respective websites by October 1, 2013.
If approved by the Governor, these provisions take effect July 1, 2013.
Vote: Senate 40-0; House 103-11