NRS695B.187. Group contract issued to replace discontinued policy or coverage: Requirements; notice of reduction of benefits; statement of benefits; applicability to self-insured employer. [Effective through December 31, 2013.]

  Except as otherwise provided by the provisions of NRS 689B.340 to 689B.590, inclusive, and chapter 689C of NRS relating to the portability and availability of health insurance:

      1.  A group contract for hospital, medical or dental services issued by a nonprofit hospital, medical or dental service corporation to replace any discontinued policy or coverage for group health insurance must:

      (a) Provide coverage for all persons who were covered under the previous policy or coverage on the date it was discontinued; and

      (b) Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, provide benefits which are at least as extensive as the benefits provided by the previous policy or coverage, except that the benefits may be reduced or excluded to the extent that such a reduction or exclusion was permissible under the terms of the previous policy or coverage,

Ê if that contract is issued within 60 days after the date on which the previous policy or coverage was discontinued.

      2.  If an employer obtains a replacement contract pursuant to subsection 1 to cover the employees of the employer, any benefits provided by the previous policy or coverage may be reduced if notice of the reduction is given to the employees of the employer pursuant to NRS 608.1577.

      3.  Any corporation which issues a replacement contract pursuant to subsection 1 may submit a written request to the insurer which provided the previous policy or coverage for a statement of benefits which were provided under that policy or coverage. Upon receiving such a request, the insurer shall give a written statement to the corporation which indicates what benefits were provided and what exclusions or reductions were in effect under the previous policy or coverage.

      4.  The provisions of this section apply to a self-insured employer who provides health benefits to the employees of the self-insured employer and replaces those benefits with a group contract for hospital, medical or dental services issued by a nonprofit hospital, medical or dental service corporation.

      (Added to NRS by 1987, 849; A 1997, 2954)