C.R.S.
Section 10-7-202
Policy provisions
(1)
No policy of group life insurance shall be delivered in this state unless it contains in substance the following provisions, or provisions which in the opinion of the commissioner are more favorable to the certificate owners, or at least as favorable to the certificate owners and more favorable to the policyholder; except that paragraphs (f) to (j) of this subsection (1) shall not apply to policies issued to a creditor to insure debtors of such creditor; that the standard provisions required for individual life insurance policies shall not apply to group life insurance policies; and that, if the group life insurance policy is on a plan of insurance other than the term plan, it shall contain a nonforfeiture provision which in the opinion of the commissioner is equitable to the certificate owners and to the policyholder, but nothing in this section shall be construed to require that group life insurance policies contain the same nonforfeiture provisions as are required for individual life insurance policies:(a)
A provision that the policyholder is entitled to a grace period of thirty-one days for the payment of any premium due except the first, during which grace period the death benefit coverage shall continue in force unless the policyholder has given the insurer written notice of discontinuance in advance of the date of discontinuance and in accordance with the terms of the policy. The policy may provide that the policyholder shall be liable to the insurer for the payment of a pro rata premium for the time the policy was in force during such grace period.(b)
A provision that the validity of the policy shall not be contested, except for nonpayment of premiums, after it has been in force for two years from its date of issue; and that no statement made by any person insured under the policy relating to his insurability shall be used in contesting the validity of the insurance with respect to which such statement was made after such insurance has been in force prior to the contest for a period of two years during such person’s lifetime nor unless it is contained in a written instrument signed by him;(c)
A provision that a copy of the application, if any, of the policyholder shall be attached to the policy when issued, that all statements made by the policyholder or by the persons insured shall be deemed representations and not warranties, and that no statement made by any person insured shall be used in any contest unless a copy of the instrument containing the statement is or has been furnished to the certificate owner, to his assignee, or to his beneficiary;(d)
A provision setting forth the conditions, if any, under which the insurer reserves the right to require a person eligible for insurance to furnish evidence of individual insurability satisfactory to the insurer as a condition to part or all of his coverage;(e)
A provision specifying an equitable adjustment of premiums or of benefits or of both to be made in the event the age of a person insured is misstated, such provision to contain a clear statement of the method of adjustment to be used;(f)
A provision that any sum becoming due by reason of the death of the person insured shall be payable to the beneficiary designated by the certificate owner, subject to the provisions of the policy and in the event there is no designated beneficiary as to all or any part of such sum living at the death of the person insured, and subject to any right reserved by the insurer in the policy and set forth in the certificate to pay at its option a part of such sum not exceeding five thousand dollars to any person appearing to the insurer to be equitably entitled thereto by reason of having incurred verifiable funeral expenses or other verifiable expenses when such expenses are incident to the last illness or death of the person insured;(g)
A provision that the insurer will issue to the policyholder for delivery to the certificate owner an individual certificate setting forth a statement as to the insurance protection provided, to whom the insurance benefits are payable, and the rights and conditions set forth in paragraphs (h), (i), and (j) of this subsection (1);(h)
A provision that, if the insurance, or any portion of it, on a person covered under the policy ceases because of termination of employment or of membership in the class eligible for coverage under the policy, the certificate owner shall be entitled to have issued to him by the insurer, without evidence of insurability, an individual policy of life insurance without disability or other supplementary benefits; except that application for the individual policy shall be made, and the first premium paid to the insurer, within thirty-one days after such termination, and except that:(I)
The individual policy, at the option of the certificate owner, shall be on any one of the forms, except term insurance, then customarily issued by the insurer at the age and for the amount applied for;(II)
The individual policy shall be in an amount not in excess of the amount of life insurance which ceases because of such termination; except that any amount of insurance which has matured as an endowment, whether in one sum or in installments or in the form of an annuity, shall not, for the purposes of this provision, be included in the amount which is considered to cease because of such termination; and(III)
The premium on the individual policy shall be at the insurer’s then customary rate applicable to the form and amount of the individual policy, to the class of risk to which the insured person then belongs, and to his age attained on the effective date of the individual policy;(i)
A provision that, if the group policy terminates or is amended so as to terminate the insurance of any class of insured persons, the owner of each certificate with respect to a person insured thereunder whose insurance terminates and who has been so insured for at least five years prior to such termination date shall be entitled to have issued to him by the insurer an individual policy of life insurance, subject to the same conditions and limitations as are provided by paragraph (h) of this subsection (1); except that the group policy may provide that the amount of such individual policy shall not exceed the smaller of the amount of the person’s life insurance protection ceasing because of the termination or amendment of the group policy, less the amount of any life insurance for which he is or becomes eligible under any group policy issued or reinstated by the same or another insurer within thirty-one days after such termination, and two thousand dollars;(j)
A provision that, if a person insured under the group policy dies during the period within which the certificate owner would have been entitled to have an individual policy issued to him in accordance with paragraph (h) or (i) of this subsection (1) and before such an individual policy has become effective, the amount of life insurance which the certificate owner would have been entitled to have issued to him under such individual policy shall be payable as a claim under the group policy, whether or not application for the individual policy or the payment of the first premium therefor has been made.(2)
The provisions of paragraphs (h) to (j) of subsection (1) of this section shall apply to any insurance issued pursuant to section 10-7-201 on the life of a spouse of an employee or member.
Source:
Section 10-7-202 — Policy provisions, https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2023-title-10.pdf (accessed Oct. 20, 2023).
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