Health Insurance for Persons on Active Military Duty

# MISSISSIPPI

# Department of Insurance


GEORGE DALE

Commissioner

CHARLES D. PACE

Deputy Commissioner

1804 Walter Sillers Bldg.

Post Office Box 79

Jackson, Mississippi 39205-0079

Telephone

(601) 359-3569

FAX (601) 359-2474

Consumer Assistance 1-800-562-2957

# BULLETIN

TO: ALL INSURANCE COMPANIES WRITING HEALTH INSURANCE

WITHIN MISSISSIPPI

April 9, 1991

Bulletin Number 91-2161

The 1991 Session of the Mississippi Legislature adopted House

Bill 774 which authorized the Commissioner of Insurance to issue

a Directive to every insurance carrier authorized to write health

insurance policies in this State to require the following:

(a) Every insurance carrier that is providing health insurance coverage to a person at the time such person is called to serve on active military duty by Executive Order of the President of the United States, upon such person's becoming deactivated from active duty, shall resume providing the same health insurance coverage, including any preexisting condition which was covered, to that person and his or her dependents as the carrier was providing before the person was called to active military duty as provided in Paragraphs (b) and (c) herein;

(b) In the case of group coverage, an employee covered under paragraph (a) of this section shall be entitled to the same coverage as the other employees of his or her group that is in effect at the time of his or her deactivation. If there is no longer a group policy in effect upon his or her deactivation, such employee shall be entitled to receive any nongroup coverage that is offered in the nongroup market by that carrier;

(c) In the case of nongroup coverage, a person covered under paragraph (a) of this section shall be entitled to receive the same coverage he or she had before serving on active military duty or if such coverage is no longer available, any other coverage offered in the nongroup market by that carrier; and

itled to receive any nongroup coverage that is offered in the nongroup market by that carrier;

(c) In the case of nongroup coverage, a person covered under paragraph (a) of this section shall be entitled to receive the same coverage he or she had before serving on active military duty or if such coverage is no longer available, any other coverage offered in the nongroup market by that carrier; and

(d) Every insurance carrier shall resume such coverage as required in this section regardless of any condition developed by the person and his or her dependents during the time the person was serving on active military duty.