SB 1399 - This act allows small employer health benefit plans to be nonrenewed if the small employer carrier elects to discontinue a health benefit plan as part of a plan of administrative simplification provided that the small employer carrier, through itself or an affiliated carrier, guarantees issue of another health benefit plan in a similar class of business to those eligible employees and dependents covered under the discontinued plan. Further the small employer carrier, or its affiliated carrier providing such guaranteed issue, must treat the impacted eligible employees and dependents as if they had continuous coverage from the date that they first became covered under the discontinued plan.
STEPHEN WITTE