Brief⁽¹⁾

H.B. 2088 concerns group health insurance and specifically the right of a person covered under a conversion policy to renew that policy. The bill deletes from current law the provision that an insurer may refuse to renew a converted policy if the person covered has become eligible for coverage under the federal Medicare program.

Background

H.B. 2088 was requested by the Insurance Commissioner whose representative explained that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (better known in Kansas as the Kassebaum/Kennedy bill) explicitly states those reasons for non-renewal and eligibility for Medicare is not one of those reasons. The bill brings Kansas law into conformity with the federal Act.

H.B. 2088 would have no state or local fiscal effect.

1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/bill_search.html.