HB 164 Summary

• Health Care Insurance Protections: Replaces "managed care entity" terminology with "health care insurer" throughout Title 21 and strengthens patient protections including dispute resolution requirements, coverage availability standards, and appeal processes for utilization review decisions.

• Long-Term Care Insurance Regulations: Establishes comprehensive requirements for long-term care insurance including producer training (8-hour initial and 4-hour biennial courses), incontestability periods, nonforfeiture benefits, and prohibitions on certain preexisting condition exclusions.

• Premium Rate Filing Requirements: Requires health care insurers to file individual and group health care insurance premium rates with the director 45 days before use, with allowances for extension and director disapproval authority.

• Insurance Licensing & Operational Changes: Clarifies certificate of authority exemptions, requires biographical affidavits for officers and directors, establishes employment contract requirements for insurance producers, and updates record retention standards.

• Surplus Lines & Tax Provisions: Changes surplus lines reporting from monthly to quarterly, establishes 2.7% tax rate on net premiums, and allows interstate agreements for premium tax collection and disbursement.