Section 3937.29 | Notice of intent to terminate all policies.
(A) An insurer that intends to cancel, terminate, or otherwise not renew all policies of medical malpractice insurance that it has issued to any class, type, or specialty of practitioner, or that intends to cancel, terminate, or otherwise not renew all policies of medical malpractice insurance in a specific geographic area, which may include the state as a whole, shall file written notice of its intended action with the superintendent of insurance. These actions by an insurer are not effective unless the written notice is filed with the superintendent within the following time frames:
(1) At least one hundred eighty days prior to the insurer acting to cancel, terminate, or otherwise not renew all policies of medical malpractice insurance that the insurer has issued in this state;
(2) At least one hundred twenty days prior to the insurer acting to cancel, terminate, or otherwise not renew all policies of medical malpractice insurance for a specific class, type, or specialty of practitioner or in a specific geographic area other than this state as a whole.
Written notice also shall be filed with the superintendent at least one hundred twenty days prior to the insurer making changes in its underwriting guidelines, if the effect of the changes will be to cancel, terminate, or otherwise not renew all policies of medical malpractice insurance for a specific class, type, or specialty of practitioner or in a specific geographic area other than this state as a whole.
(B) The written notice filed with the superintendent under division (A) of this section shall contain all of the following information:
(1) The date of the notice;
(2) The number of insureds with policies that will be cancelled, terminated, or not renewed;
(3) The date that the insurer intends to cancel, terminate, or otherwise not renew all policies of medical malpractice insurance that the insurer has issued to any class, type, or specialty of practitioner, or that the insurer intends to cancel, terminate, or otherwise not renew all policies of medical malpractice insurance in a specific geographic area, including the state as a whole;
(4) The specific geographic area, if any;
(5) Any other information required by the superintendent.
(C) An insurer that intends to condition renewal of a policy of medical malpractice insurance upon an increase in premium shall mail a notice of the insurer's intention to the agent of record and to the insured at the insured's last known address at least sixty days prior to the expiration date of the policy.
(D) An insurer may refuse to renew a policy of medical malpractice insurance by mailing a notice of the insurer's intention to the agent of record and to the insured at the insured's last known address at least sixty days prior to the expiration date of the policy. The notice mailed under this division shall contain all of the following information:
(1) The policy number;
(2) The date of the notice;
(3) The expiration date of the policy;
(4) An explanation of the grounds for nonrenewal.
(E) If the notice required by divisions (C) and (D) of this section is mailed less than sixty days before the expiration date of the policy, the insured's coverage then in effect remains in effect until sixty days after the date of mailing the notice unless either of the following is true:
(1) In the case of a premium increase, the insured accepts the increased premium. The change is then effective immediately following the expiration of the insured's coverage then in effect.
(2) In the case of nonrenewal, the insured notifies the insurer in writing that the insured accepts the nonrenewal as stated.
(F) If the insured's coverage is extended beyond the original expiration date of the policy as provided by division (E) of this section, the premium for the time after the original expiration date must be calculated using the rates originally applicable to the insured's coverage then in effect. The insurer shall notify the insured of the amount of the premium for the time after the expiration of the insured's coverage then in effect. The insured shall pay the premium unless either of the following is true:
(1) In the case of a premium increase, the insured notifies the insurer in writing that the insured does not want the coverage then in effect to be extended past the expiration date.
(2) In the case of nonrenewal, the insured notifies the insurer in writing that the insured accepts the nonrenewal as stated.
Available Versions of this Section
- September 13, 2004 – Senate Bill 187 - 125th General Assembly [ View September 13, 2004 Version ]