Ohio Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association
(A) (1) No person shall make, publish, disseminate, circulate, or place before the public, or cause to be made, published, disseminated, circulated, or placed before the public, in any newspaper, magazine, or other publication, or in the form of a notice, circular, pamphlet, letter, or poster, or over any radio or television station, or in any other manner, any advertisement, announcement, or statement, written or oral, that uses the existence of the Ohio life and health insurance guaranty association for the purposes of sales, solicitation, or inducement to purchase any form of insurance covered by this chapter.
(2) As used in division (A)(1) of this section, "person" includes but is not limited to any insurer or any agent or affiliate of any insurer.
(3) Division (A)(1) of this section does not apply to the association or any other entity that does not sell or solicit insurance.
(B) (1) Within six months after the effective date of this section, the association shall prepare a summary document, complying with division (C) of this section, describing the general purposes and current limitations of this chapter. The document shall be submitted to the superintendent of insurance for approval.
(2) On or after the sixtieth day after receiving approval under division (B)(1) of this section, no insurer shall deliver a policy or contract described in division (B)(1) of section 3956.04 of the Revised Code unless the document is delivered to the policy or contract holder prior to or at the time of delivery of the policy or contract, except if division (D) of this section applies. The document also shall be available upon request by a policy or contract holder.
(3) The distribution or delivery, or contents or interpretation of the document shall not be construed to mean that the policy or contract or the holder of the policy or contract is covered in the event of the impairment or insolvency of a member insurer. Failure to receive this document does not confer upon the policyholder, contract holder, certificate holder, or insured any greater rights than those stated in this chapter.
(4) The association shall revise the document as amendments to this chapter may require.
(C) The document prepared under division (B)(1) of this section shall contain a clear and conspicuous disclaimer on its face. The superintendent shall adopt a rule establishing the form and content of the disclaimer. The disclaimer shall do all of the following:
(1) State the name and address of the Ohio life and health insurance guaranty association and of the department of insurance;
(2) Prominently warn the policy or contract holder that the association may not cover the policy or, if coverage is available, it will be subject to substantial limitations and exclusions, and conditioned on continued residence in this state;
(3) State that the insurer and its agents are prohibited by law from using the existence of the association for the purpose of sales, solicitation, or inducement to purchase any form of insurance;
(4) Emphasize that the policy or contract holder should not rely on coverage under the association when selecting an insurer;
(5) Provide other information as directed by the superintendent.
(D) No insurer or agent may deliver a policy or contract described in division (B)(1) of section3956.04 of the Revised Code, all or a portion of which is excluded under division (B)(2)(a) of section 3956.04 of the Revised Code from coverage under this chapter unless the insurer or agent, prior to or at the time of delivery, gives the policy or contract holder a separate written notice that clearly and conspicuously discloses that the policy or contract, or a portion of the policy or contract, is not covered by the association. The superintendent, by rule, shall specify the form and content of the notice.
HISTORY: 143 v H 89. Eff 11-20-89.