(1) An insured or prospective insured may not be denied coverage on the basis of gender or marital status.
- (a) The amount of benefits payable, or any term, condition, or type of coverage may not be restricted, modified, excluded, or reduced on the basis of gender or marital status.
- (b) Marital status may not be considered when defining eligibility for dependent or family coverage.
(2) Prohibited practices include:
- (a) denying, canceling or refusing to renew coverage, or providing coverage on different terms, because the insured or prospective insured is residing with another person not related by blood or marriage;
- (b) offering coverage to an individual of a particular gender gainfully employed at home, employed part-time, or employed by relatives while denying or offering reduced coverage to an individual of a different gender similarly employed;
- (c) reducing disability benefits for an individual of a particular gender who becomes disabled while not gainfully employed full-time outside the home when a similar reduction is not applied to an individual of a different gender;
- (d) denying an individual of a particular gender a waiver of premium provisions that are available to an individual of a different gender, or offering the provisions to an individual of a particular gender only for contract limits that are lower than those available to an individual of a different gender;
- (e) refusing to offer maternity benefits to an insured or prospective insured purchasing an individual contract when a comparable family coverage contract offers maternity benefits;
- (f) denying, under a group contract, dependent coverage to the spouse of an employee of a particular gender when dependent coverage is available to the spouse of an employee of a different gender;
- (g) offering coverage to an individual of a particular gender in certain occupations while denying coverage or offering more limited coverage to an individual of a different gender in the same occupational categories;
(h) offering an individual of a particular gender higher benefit levels or longer benefit periods, or both, than are offered to an individual of a different gender in the same classifications;
- (i) offering a contract containing different definitions of disability for an individual of a particular gender and an individual of a different gender in the same classifications;
- (j) offering a contract containing different waiting and elimination periods for an individual of a particular gender and an individual of a different gender;
(k) requiring an applicant of a particular gender to submit to a medical examination while not requiring an applicant of a different gender to submit to a medical examination for the same coverage;
- (l) establishing different benefit options for an individual of a particular gender and an individual of a different gender;
- (m) denying to a divorced or a single person coverage available to a married person;
- (n) limiting the amount of coverage available to an insured or prospective insured based upon the person's marital status;
- (o) denying an employee of a particular gender insurance benefits that are offered to a dependent who is of the same gender as the employee;
- (p) denying a married or separated individual of a particular gender the right to obtain or continue coverage in the individual's own name when the same does not apply to an individual of a different gender;
- (q) establishing different issue age requirements for an individual of a particular gender and an individual of a different gender;
- (r) establishing different occupational classifications for an individual of a particular gender and an individual of a different gender;
- (s) denying coverage to an unwed person or their dependent, or both.
KEY: insurance law
Date of Last Change: December 9, 2021
Notice of Continuation: August 9, 2024
Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: 31A-23a-402; 31A-2-201