Section 215 ILCS 159/45 - General Rules(a) A viatical settlement provider entering into a viatical settlement contract shall first obtain: (1) if the viator is the insured, a written statement from a licensed attending physician that the viator is of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence to enter into a viatical settlement contract; as used in this item (1), "physician" means a person licensed under the Medical Practice Act of 1987 to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery in all its branches; and (2) a document in which the insured consents in writing to the release of his or her medical records to a licensed viatical settlement provider, viatical settlement broker, and the insurance company that issued the life insurance policy covering the life of the insured. (b) Within 20 days after a viator executes documents necessary to transfer any rights under an insurance policy or within 20 days after entering any agreement, option, promise, or any other form of understanding, expressed or implied, to viaticate the policy, the viatical settlement provider shall give written notice to the insurer that issued that insurance policy that the policy has or will become a viaticated policy. The notice shall be accompanied by the documents required by subsection (c) of this Section. (c) The viatical provider shall deliver a copy of the medical release required under paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of this Section, a copy of the viator's application for the viatical settlement contract, the notice required under subsection (b) of this Section and a request for verification of coverage to the insurer that issued the life insurance policy that is the subject of the viatical settlement transaction. The viatical settlement provider shall use the NAIC's form for verification of coverage unless another form is developed and approved by the Director. (d) Prior to or at the time of execution of the viatical settlement contract, the viatical settlement provider shall obtain a witnessed document in which the viator consents to the viatical settlement contract, represents that the viator has a full and complete understanding of the viatical settlement contract, that he or she has a full and complete understanding of the benefits of the life insurance policy, acknowledges that he or she is entering into the viatical settlement contract freely and voluntarily and, for persons with a terminal or chronic illness or condition, acknowledges that the insured has a terminal or chronic illness and that the terminal or chronic illness or condition was diagnosed after the life insurance policy was issued. (e) If a viatical settlement broker performs any of the activities required of a viatical settlement provider as described by subsection (a) through (d) of this Section, then the viatical settlement provider is deemed to have fulfilled that requirement. (f) The insurer shall respond to a request for verification of coverage submitted on an approved form by a viatical settlement provider or viatical settlement broker within 30 calendar days after the date the request is received and shall indicate whether, based on the medical evidence and documents provided, the insurer intends to pursue an investigation at this time regarding the validity of the insurance contract or possible fraud. The insurer shall accept a request for verification of coverage made on an NAIC form or any other form approved by the Director. The insurer shall accept an original or facsimile or electronic copy of such request and any accompanying authorization signed by the viator. Failure by the insurer to meet its obligations under this subsection shall be a violation of subsection (b) of Section 50 and Section 75 of this Act. (g) All medical information solicited or obtained by any licensee shall be subject to the applicable provisions of state law relating to confidentiality of medical information. (h) All viatical settlement contracts entered into in this State shall provide the viator with an absolute right to rescind the contract before the earlier of 30 calendar days after the date upon which the viatical settlement contract is executed by all parties or 15 calendar days after the viatical settlement proceeds have been sent to the viator as provided in Section 45. Rescission by the viator may be conditioned upon the viator both giving notice and repaying to the viatical settlement provider within the rescission period all proceeds of the settlement and any premiums, loans and loan interest paid by or on behalf of the viatical settlement provider in connection with or as a consequence of the viatical settlement. If the insured dies during the rescission period, the viatical settlement contract shall be deemed to have been rescinded, subject to repayment to the viatical settlement provider or purchaser of all viatical settlement proceeds, and any premiums, loans, and loan interest that have been paid by the viatical settlement provider or viatical settlement purchaser, which shall be paid within 60 calendar days of the death of the insured. In the event of any rescission, if the viatical settlement provider has paid commissions or other compensation to a viatical settlement broker in connection with the rescinded transaction, the viatical settlement broker shall refund all such commissions and compensation to the viatical settlement provider within 5 business days following receipt of written demand from the viatical settlement provider, which demand shall be accompanied by either the viator's notice of rescission if rescinded at the election of the viator, or notice of the death of the insured if rescinded by reason of the death of the insured within the applicable rescission period. (i) If a viatical settlement contract is rescinded by the viator pursuant to this Section, then ownership of the insurance policy reverts to the viator or to the viator's estate. (j) The viatical settlement provider shall instruct the viator to send the executed documents required to effect the change in ownership, assignment, or change in beneficiary directly to the escrow agent. Within 3 business days after the date the escrow agent receives the document (or from the date the viatical settlement provider receives the documents, if the viator erroneously provides the documents directly to the viatical settlement provider), the viatical settlement provider shall pay or transfer the gross amount paid by the viatical settlement purchaser to the escrow agent for deposit in a trust account and set up for that purpose by the escrow agent in a state or federally chartered financial institution whose deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Upon payment of the settlement proceeds into the escrow or trust account, the escrow agent or trustee shall deliver the original change in ownership, assignment, or change in beneficiary forms to the viatical settlement provider, a representative of the viatical settlement provider, or related provider trust. Upon the escrow agent's receipt of the acknowledgment of the properly completed transfer of ownership, assignment, or designation of beneficiary from the insurance company, the escrow agent shall pay the settlement proceeds to the viator. Funds shall be deemed sent by a viatical settlement provider to a viator as of the date that the escrow agent either releases the funds for wire transfer to the viator or places a check for delivery to the viator via United States Postal Service or other nationally recognized delivery service. (k) Failure to transfer the proceeds to the viator for the viatical settlement contract within the time set forth in the disclosure pursuant to item (7) of subsection (a) of Section 35 of this Act renders the viatical settlement contract voidable by the viator for lack of consideration until the time consideration is tendered to and accepted by the viator. If a viatical settlement contract is voided by the viator pursuant to this subsection (k), then ownership of the policy reverts to the viator or to the viator's estate. (l) After the viatical settlement contract has been effected, contacts with the insured for the purpose of determining the health status of the insured shall be made only by the viatical settlement provider or the authorized representative of the viatical settlement provider. The viatical settlement provider or authorized representative shall not contact the insured with the purpose of determining the insured's health status more than once every 3 months if the insured has a life expectancy of more than one year or more than once per month if the insured has a life expectancy of one year or less. The viatical settlement provider shall explain the procedure for making these contacts at the time the viatical settlement contract is entered into. For purposes of this Section, viatical settlement providers are responsible for the actions of their authorized representatives. (m) The insurer that issued the policy being settled pursuant to a viatical settlement contract shall not be responsible for any act or omission of a viatical settlement broker or viatical settlement provider arising out of or in connection with the viatical settlement transaction, unless the insurer receives compensation for the placement of a viatical settlement contract from the viatical settlement provider or viatical settlement broker in connection with the viatical settlement contract. (n) If there is more than one viator on a single policy and the viators are residents of different states, then the transaction shall be governed by the law of the state in which the viator having the largest percentage ownership resides or, if the viators hold equal ownership, the state of residence of one viator agreed upon in writing by all the viators. Subject to the provisions of this subsection (n), if the viator is a resident of this State, then all agreements to be signed by the viator shall provide exclusive jurisdiction to courts of this State and the laws of this State shall govern the agreements. Nothing in the agreements shall abrogate the viator's right to a trial by jury.
(o) Notwithstanding the manner in which the viatical settlement broker is compensated, a viatical settlement broker is deemed to represent only the viator and not the insurer or the viatical settlement provider and owes a fiduciary duty to the viator to act according to the viator's instructions and in the best interest of the viator.Added by P.A. 096-0736,§ 45, eff. 7/1/2010.