Section 284-66-067 - Standard medicare supplement plans issued for delivery on or after June 1, 2010No policy or certificate delivered or issued for delivery in this state on or after June 1, 2010, as a medicare supplement policy or certificate may be advertised, solicited, delivered or issued for delivery in this state as a medicare supplement policy or certificate unless it complies with these benefit plan standards. Benefit plan standards applicable to medicare supplement policies and certificates issued before June 1, 2010, remain subject to the requirements of WAC 284-66-066.
(1)(a) An issuer must make available to each prospective policyholder and certificate holder a policy form or certificate form containing only the basic or core benefits, as defined in WAC 284-66-064.(b) If an issuer makes available any of the additional benefits described in WAC 284-66-064 or offers standardized benefit plan K or L as described in subsection (5) of this section, then the issuer shall make available to each prospective policyholder and certificate holder, in addition to a policy form or certificate form with only the basic or core benefits as described in (a) of this subsection, a policy form or certificate form containing either standardized benefit plan C or standardized benefit plan F.(2) No groups, packages or combinations of medicare supplement benefits other than those listed in this section may be offered for sale in this state, except as may be permitted in WAC 284-66-064 and 284-66-073.(3) Benefit plans must be uniform in structure, language, designation and format to the standard benefit plans listed in this section and conform to the definitions in this chapter. Each benefit must be structured in accordance with the format found in WAC 284-66-064 or in the case of plans K or L, in subsection (5) of this section, and list the benefits in the order shown. For purposes of this section, "structure, language and format" means style, arrangement and overall content of a benefit.(4) In addition to the benefit plan designations required in subsection (3) of this section, an issuer may use other designations to the extent permitted by law.(5) Make-up of 2010 standardized benefit plans:(a) Standardized medicare supplement benefit plan A may include only the basic core benefits as defined in WAC 284-66-064.(b) Standardized medicare supplement benefit plan B may include only the basic core benefit as defined in WAC 284-66-064 plus one hundred percent of the medicare Part A deductible as defined in WAC 284-66-064.(c) Standardized medicare supplement benefit plan C may include only the basic core benefit as defined in WAC 284-66-064 plus one hundred percent of the medicare Part A deductible, skilled nursing facility care, one hundred percent of the medicare Part B deductible and medically necessary emergency care in a foreign country as defined in WAC 284-66-064.(d) Standardized medicare supplement benefit plan D may include only the basic core benefits as defined in WAC 284-66-064 plus one hundred percent of the medicare Part A deductible, skilled nursing facility care and medically necessary emergency care in a foreign country as defined in WAC 284-66-064.(e) Standardized medicare supplement regular plan F may include only the basic core benefit as defined in WAC 284-66-064 plus one hundred percent of the medicare Part A deductible, the skilled nursing facility care, one hundred percent of the medicare Part B deductible, one hundred percent of the medicare Part B excess charges, and medically necessary emergency care in a foreign country as defined in WAC 284-66-064.(f) Standardized medicare supplement plan F with high deductible may include only one hundred percent of covered expenses following the payment of the annual deductible set forth in (f)(ii) of this subsection. (i) The basic core benefit as defined in WAC 284-66-064 plus one hundred percent of the medicare Part A deductible, skilled nursing facility care, one hundred percent of the medicare Part B deductible, one hundred percent of the medicare Part B excess charges, and medically necessary emergency care in a foreign country as defined in WAC 284-66-064.(ii) The annual deductible in plan F with high deductible must consist only of out-of-pocket expenses, other than premiums, for services covered by regular plan F and must be in addition to any other specific benefit deductibles. The basis for the deductible must be one thousand five hundred dollars and will be adjusted annually from 1999 by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to reflect the change in the consumer price index for all urban consumers for the twelve-month period ending with August of the preceding year, and rounded to the nearest multiple of ten dollars.(g) Standardized medicare supplement benefit plan G may include only the basic core benefit as defined in WAC 284-66-064, plus one hundred percent of the medicare Part A deductible, skilled nursing facility care, one hundred percent of the medicare Part B excess charges and medically necessary emergency care in a foreign country as defined in WAC 284-66-064. Effective January 1, 2020, the standardized benefit plans described in WAC 284-66-068(1)(d) (redesignated plan G high deductible) may be offered to any individual who was eligible for medicare prior to January 1, 2020.(h) Standardized medicare supplement benefit plan K is mandated by the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, and may include only the following: (i) Coverage of one hundred percent of the Part A hospital coinsurance amount for each day used from the 61st through the 90th day in any medicare benefit period;(ii) Coverage of one hundred percent of the Part A hospital coinsurance amount for each medicare lifetime inpatient reserve day used from the 91st through the 150th day in any medicare benefit period;(iii) Upon exhaustion of the medicare hospital inpatient coverage, including the lifetime reserve days, coverage of one hundred percent of the medicare Part A eligible expenses for hospitalization paid at the applicable prospective payment system rate or other appropriate medicare standard of payment, subject to a lifetime maximum benefit of an additional three hundred sixty-five days. The provider must accept the insurer's payment as payment in full and may not bill the insured for any balance;(iv) Coverage for fifty percent of the medicare Part A inpatient hospital deductible amount per benefit period until the out-of-pocket limitation is met as described in (h)(x) of this subsection;(v) Skilled nursing facility care coverage for fifty percent of the coinsurance amount for each day used from the 21st day through the 100th day in a medicare benefit period for posthospital skilled nursing facility care eligible under medicare Part A until the out-of-pocket limitation is met as described in (h)(x) of this subsection;(vi) Coverage for fifty percent of cost sharing for all Part A medicare eligible expenses and respite care until the out-of-pocket limitation is met as described in (h)(x) of this subsection;(vii) Coverage for fifty percent under medicare Part A or B of the reasonable cost of the first three pints of blood or equivalent quantities of packed red blood cells as defined under federal regulations unless replaced in accordance with federal regulations until the out-of-pocket limitation is met as described in (h)(x) of this subsection;(viii) Except for coverage provided in (h)(ix) of this subsection, coverage for fifty percent of the cost sharing otherwise applicable under medicare Part B after the policyholder pays the Part B deductible until the out-of-pocket limitation is met as described in (h)(x) of this subsection;(ix) Coverage of one hundred percent of the cost sharing for medicare Part B preventive services after the policyholder pays the Part B deductible; and(x) Coverage of one hundred percent of all cost sharing under medicare Parts A and B for the balance of the calendar year after the individual has reached the out-of-pocket limitation on annual expenditures under medicare Parts A and B of four thousand dollars in 2006, indexed each year by the appropriate inflation adjustment specified by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.(i) Standardized medicare supplement plan L as mandated by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 may include only the following:(i) The benefits described in (h)(i) through (vi) and (ix) of this subsection; and(ii) The benefit described in (h)(i) through (vi) and (vii) of this subsection but substituting seventy-five percent for fifty percent; and(iii) The benefit described in (h)(x) of this subsection but substituting two thousand dollars for four thousand dollars.(j) Standardized medicare supplement plan M may include only the basic core benefit as defined in WAC 284-66-064, plus fifty percent of the medicare Part A deductible, skilled nursing facility care and medically necessary emergency care in a foreign country as defined in WAC 284-66-064.(k) Standardized medicare supplement plan N may include only the basic core benefit as defined in WAC 284-66-064, plus one hundred percent of the medicare Part A deductible, skilled nursing facility care, and medically necessary emergency care in a foreign country as defined in subsection (3) of this section, with copayments in the following amounts: (i) The lesser of twenty dollars or the medicare coinsurance or copayment for each covered health care provider office visit, including visits to medical specialists Part B; and(ii) The lesser of fifty dollars or the medicare Part B coinsurance of copayment for each covered emergency room visit, however this copayment shall be waived if the insured is admitted to any hospital and the emergency visit is subsequently covered as a medicare Part A expense.(6) An issuer may, with the prior approval of the commissioner, offer policies or certificates with new or innovative benefits in addition to the standardized benefits provided in a policy or certificate that otherwise complies with the applicable standards. The new or innovative benefits may include only benefits that are appropriate to medicare supplement insurance, are new or innovative, are not otherwise available, and are cost-effective. Approval of new or innovative benefits must not adversely impact the goal of medicare supplement simplification. New or innovative benefits may not include an outpatient prescription drug benefit. New or innovative benefits may not be used to change or reduce benefits, including a change of any cost-sharing provision, in any standardized plan.Wash. Admin. Code § 284-66-067
Amended by WSR 19-17-074, Filed 8/20/2019, effective 9/20/2019Statutory Authority: RCW 48.66.030(3)(a), 48.66.041, and 48.66.165. 09-24-052 (Matter No. R 2009-08), § 284-66-067, filed 11/24/09, effective 1/19/10.