The purpose of this chapter is to promote the public interest; to promote the availability of long-term care insurance policies; to protect applicants for long-term care insurance, as defined in this chapter, from unfair or deceptive sales or enrollment practices; to establish standards for long-term care insurance; to facilitate public understanding and comparison of long-term care insurance policies; and to facilitate flexibility and innovation in the development of long-term care insurance coverage.

67 Del. Laws, c. 102, §  1; 

The requirements of this chapter shall apply to policies delivered or issued for delivery in this State on or after January 1, 1990. This chapter is not intended to supersede the obligations of entities subject to this chapter to comply with the substance of other applicable insurance laws insofar as such laws do not conflict with this chapter; provided, however, that laws and regulations designed and intended to apply to Medicare supplement insurance policies shall not be applied to long-term care insurance. A policy which is not advertised, marketed or offered as long-term care insurance or nursing home insurance need not meet the requirements of this chapter.

67 Del. Laws, c. 102, §  1; 

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

(1) “Applicant” shall mean:

a. In the case of an individual long-term care insurance policy, the person who seeks to contract for benefits; and

b. In the case of a group long-term care insurance policy, the proposed certificate holder.

(2) “Certificate” shall mean, for the purposes of this chapter, any certificate issued under a group long-term care insurance policy, which policy has been delivered or issued for delivery in this State.

(3) “Commissioner” shall mean the Insurance Commissioner of this State.

(4) “Group long-term care insurance” shall mean a long-term care insurance policy which is delivered or issued for delivery in this State and issued to:

a. One or more employers or labor organizations, or to a trust or to the trustees of a fund established by 1 or more employers or labor organizations, or a combination thereof, for employees or former employees or a combination thereof, or for members or former members or a combination thereof, of the labor organization; or

b. Any professional, trade or occupational association for its members or former or retired members, or combination thereof, if such association is composed of individuals all of whom are or were actively engaged in the same profession, trade or occupation; and such association has been maintained in good faith for purposes other than obtaining insurance; or

c. An association or a trust or the trustee or trustees of a fund established, created or maintained for the benefit of members of 1 or more associations. Prior to advertising, marketing or offering such policy within this State, each such association or the insurer of such association, shall file evidence with the Commissioner that the association has at the outset a minimum of 100 persons; has been organized and maintained in good faith for purposes other than that of obtaining insurance; has been in active existence for at least 1 year; and has a constitution and bylaws which provide that:

1. The association holds regular meetings not less than annually to further purposes of the members;

2. Except for credit unions, the association collects dues or solicits contributions from members; and

3. The members of the association have voting privileges and representation on the governing board and committees.

Thirty days after such filing the association shall be deemed to satisfy such organizational requirements, unless the Commissioner makes a finding that the association or associations do not satisfy those organizational requirements; or

d. A group other than as described in paragraphs (4)a.-c. of this section, subject to a finding by the Commissioner that:

1. The issuance of the group policy is not contrary to the best interest of the public;

2. The issuance of the group policy would result in economies of acquisition or administration; and

3. The benefits are reasonable in relation to the premiums charged.

(5) “Long-term care insurance” shall mean any insurance policy or rider advertised, marketed, offered or designed to provide coverage for not less than 12 consecutive months for each covered person on an expense incurred, indemnity, prepaid or other basis, for 1 or more necessary or medically necessary diagnostic, preventive, therapeutic, rehabilitative, maintenance or personal care services, provided in a setting other than an acute care unit of a hospital. Such term includes group and individual annuities and life insurance policies or riders which provide directly or which supplement long-term care insurance. Such term also includes a policy or rider which provides for payment of benefits based upon cognitive impairment or the loss of functional capacity. Such term includes group and individual policies or riders whether issued by insurers, fraternal benefit societies, nonprofit health, hospital and medical service corporations, prepaid health plans, health maintenance organizations or any similar organization to the extent they are otherwise authorized to issue life or health insurance. The words “long-term care” shall not include any insurance policy which is offered primarily to provide basic Medicare supplement coverage, basic hospital expense coverage, basic medical-surgical expense coverage, hospital confinement indemnity coverage, major medical expense coverage, disability income or related asset-protection coverage or limited benefit health coverage. With regard to life insurance, this term does not include life insurance policies which accelerate the death benefit specifically for 1 or more of the qualifying events of terminal illness, medical conditions requiring extraordinary medical intervention or permanent institutional confinement, and which provide the option of a lump-sum payment for those benefits and in which neither the benefits nor the eligibility for the benefits is conditioned upon the receipt of long-term care. Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein, any product advertised, marketed, or offered as long-term care insurance shall be subject to this chapter.

(6) “Policy” shall mean, for the purposes of this chapter, any policy, contract, subscriber agreement, rider or endorsement delivered or issued for delivery in this State by an insurer; fraternal benefit society; nonprofit health, hospital or medical service corporation; prepaid health plan; health maintenance organization or any similar organization.

67 Del. Laws, c. 102, §  1;  68 Del. Laws, c. 160, §§  1, 2; 

No group long-term care insurance coverage may be offered to a resident of this State under a group policy issued in another state to a group described in § 7103(4) of this title, unless this State or another state having statutory and regulatory long-term care insurance requirements substantially similar to those adopted in this State has made a determination that such requirements have been met.

67 Del. Laws, c. 102, §  1;  68 Del. Laws, c. 160, §  3; 

(a) The Commissioner may adopt regulations that include standards for full and fair disclosure setting forth the manner, content and required disclosures for the sale of long-term care insurance policies, terms of renewability, initial and subsequent conditions of eligibility, nonduplication of coverage provisions, coverage of dependents, preexisting conditions, termination of insurance, rescission of insurance, continuation or conversion, probationary periods, limitations, exceptions, reductions, elimination periods, requirements for replacement, recurrent conditions and definitions of terms.

(b) No long-term care insurance policy may:

(1) Be cancelled, nonrenewed or otherwise terminated on the grounds of the age or the deterioration of the mental or physical health of the insured individual or certificate holder; or

(2) Contain a provision establishing a new waiting period in the event existing coverage is converted to or replaced by a new or other form within the same company, except with respect to an increase in benefits voluntarily selected by the insured individual or group policyholder; or

(3) Provide coverage for skilled nursing care only, or provide significantly more coverage for skilled care in a facility than coverage for lower levels of care; or

(4) Condition eligibility for any benefits other than waiver of premium, post-confinement, post-acute care or recuperative benefits on a prior institutionalization requirement.

(c) Preexisting conditions. — (1) No long-term care insurance policy or certificate, other than a policy or certificate thereunder issued to a group as defined in § 7103(4)a. of this title, shall use a definition of “preexisting condition” which is more restrictive than the following: “Preexisting condition” shall mean a condition for which medical advice or treatment was recommended by, or received from a provider of health care services, within 6 months preceding the effective date of coverage of an insured person.

(2) No long-term care insurance policy or certificate, other than a policy or certificate thereunder issued to a group as defined in § 7103(4)a. of this title, shall exclude coverage for a loss or confinement which is the result of a preexisting condition, unless such loss or confinement begins within 6 months following the effective date of coverage of an insured person.

(3) The Commissioner may extend the limitation periods set forth in paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of this section as to specific age group categories in specific policy forms, upon findings that the extension is in the best interest of the public.

(4) The definition of “preexisting condition” shall not prohibit an insurer from using an application form designed to elicit the complete health history of an applicant; and, on the basis of the answers on that application, from underwriting standards. Unless otherwise provided in the policy or certificate, a preexisting condition, regardless of whether or not it is disclosed on the application, need not be covered until the waiting period described in paragraph (c)(2) of this section expires. No long-term care insurance policy or certificate may exclude or use waivers or riders of any kind to exclude, limit or reduce coverage or benefits for specifically named or described preexisting diseases or physical conditions beyond the waiting period described in paragraph (c)(2) of this section.

(d) Prior hospitalization and/or institutionalization. — (1) No long-term care insurance policy may be delivered or issued for delivery in this State if such policy conditions eligibility for any benefits on a prior hospitalization requirement; or if such policy conditions eligibility for benefits provided in an institutional care setting on the receipt of a higher level of institutional care.

(2) A long-term care insurance policy containing post-confinement, post-acute care or recuperative benefits shall clearly label in a separate paragraph of the policy or certificate entitled “Limitations or Conditions on Eligibility for Benefits” such limitations or conditions, including any required number of days of confinement.

(3) A long-term care insurance policy or rider which conditions eligibility for noninstitutional benefits on the prior receipt of institutional care shall not require a prior institutional stay of more than 30 days.

(4) No long-term care insurance policy which provides benefits only following institutionalization shall condition such benefits upon admission to a facility for the same or related conditions within a period of less than 30 days after discharge from the institution.

(e) The Commissioner may adopt regulations establishing loss ratio standards for long-term care insurance policies provided that a specific reference to long-term care insurance policies is contained in the regulation.

(f) Right to return; free look. — Long-term care applicants shall have the right to return the policy or certificate within 30 days of its delivery and to have the premium refunded if, after examination of the policy or certificate, the applicant is not satisfied for any reason. Long-term care insurance policies and certificates shall have a notice prominently printed on the first page or attached thereto stating in substance that the applicant shall have the right to return the policy or certificate within 30 days of its delivery and to have the premium refunded if, after examination of the policy or certificate, other than a certificate issued pursuant to a policy issued to a group defined in § 7103(4)d. of this title, the applicant is not satisfied for any reason.

(g) Outline of coverage. — (1) An outline of coverage shall be delivered to a prospective applicant for long-term care insurance at the time of the initial solicitation through means which prominently direct the attention of the recipient to the document and its purpose.

a. The Commissioner shall prescribe a standard format, including style, arrangement and overall appearance, and the content of an outline of coverage.

b. In the case of agent solicitations, an agent must deliver the outline of coverage prior to the presentation of an application or enrollment form.

c. In the case of direct response solicitations, the outline of coverage must be presented in conjunction with any application or enrollment form.

(2) The outline of coverage shall include:

a. A description of the principal benefits and coverage provided in the policy;

b. A statement of the principal exclusions, reductions and limitations contained in the policy;

c. A statement of the terms under which the policy or certificate, or both, may be continued in force or discontinued, including any reservation in the policy of a right to change premium. Continuation or conversion of group coverage shall be specifically described;

d. A statement that the outline of coverage is a summary only, not a contract of insurance, and that the policy or group master policy contains governing contractual provisions;

e. A description of the terms under which the policy or certificate may be returned and premium refunded; and

f. A brief description of the relationship of cost of care and benefits.

(h) A certificate issued pursuant to a group long-term care insurance policy which policy is delivered or issued for delivery in this State shall include:

(1) A description of the principal benefits and coverage provided in the policy;

(2) A statement of the principal exclusions, reductions and limitations contained in the policy; and

(3) A statement that the group master policy determines governing contractual provisions.

(i) At the time of policy delivery, a policy summary shall be delivered for an individual life insurance policy which provides long-term care benefits within the policy or by rider. In the case of direct response solicitations, the insurer shall deliver the policy summary upon the applicant’s request, but regardless of request shall make delivery no later than at the time of policy delivery. In addition to complying with all applicable requirements, the summary shall also include:

(1) An explanation of how the long-term care benefit interacts with other components of the policy, including deductions from death benefits;

(2) An illustration of the amount of benefits, the length of benefit and the guaranteed lifetime benefits, if any, for each covered person;

(3) Any exclusions, reductions and limitations on benefits of long-term care; and

(4) If applicable to the policy type, the summary shall include a disclosure of the effects of exercising other rights under the policy, a disclosure of guarantee related to long-term care costs of insurance charges and current and projected maximum lifetime benefits.

(j) Any time a long-term care benefit, funded through a life insurance vehicle by the acceleration of the death benefit, is in benefit payment status, a monthly report shall be provided to the policyholder. Such report shall include:

(1) Any long-term care benefits paid out during the month;

(2) An explanation of any changes in the policy, e.g., death benefits or cash values, due to long-term care benefits being paid out; and

(3) The amount of long-term care benefits existing or remaining.

(k) Any policy or rider advertised, marketed or offered as long-term care or nursing home insurance shall comply with this chapter.

67 Del. Laws, c. 102, §  1;  68 Del. Laws, c. 160, §§  4-7;  77 Del. Laws, c. 471, §  2; 

(a) No insurer may issue or deliver a long-term care insurance policy in this State unless the insurer offers to the applicant the option to purchase a policy that provides for nonforfeiture benefits.

(b) The Insurance Commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations which specify the types of nonforfeiture benefits to be included in the policies and certificates, the standards for the benefits and the date nonforfeiture benefits must commence.

70 Del. Laws, c. 351, §  1; 

The Commissioner shall issue reasonable regulations to establish minimum standards for marketing practices, agent compensation, agent testing, penalties and reporting practices for long-term care insurance, and any other rules and regulations necessary for or as an aid to the administration or effectuation of this chapter. Regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter shall be in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 101 of Title 29.

67 Del. Laws, c. 102, §  1;  68 Del. Laws, c. 160, §  8;  70 Del. Laws, c. 351, §  1; 

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Long-Term Care Insurance Act.”

67 Del. Laws, c. 102, §  1;  70 Del. Laws, c. 351, §  1; 

In addition to any other penalties provided by the laws of this State, any insurer or agent found to have violated any requirement of this State relating to the regulation of long-term care insurance or the marketing of such insurance shall be subject to a fine of up to 3 times the amount of any commissions paid for each policy involved in the violation or up to $10,000, whichever is greater.

68 Del. Laws, c. 160, §  9;  70 Del. Laws, c. 351, §  1;