Ch. 57 1997 LAWS OF MARYLAND

7. Issuance of health benefit plans.

(a) Issuance required.

A carrier shall issue its health benefit plans to each group or individual that meets
the requirements of this section.

(b) Requirements for employers.

(1) Nothing in this subsection requires an employer or group to contribute
to the premium payments for coverage of a dependent of an employee.

(2) To be covered under a health benefit plan offered by a carrier, a group
or individual shall:

(i) elect to be covered;

(ii) agree to pay the premiums;

(iii) agree to offer coverage to any dependent of an employee when
coverage is sought by the employee, in accordance with provisions governing late
enrollees and any other provisions of this subheading that apply to coverage;

(iv) agree to collect payments for premiums through payroll deductions
for coverage of employees and dependents and transmit those payments to the carrier;
and

(v) satisfy the other reasonable provisions of the health benefit plan as
approved by the Commissioner.

(c) Uniform application of requirements by carrier.

(1) In determining whether a group satisfies the requirements of this
section, a carrier shall apply its requirements uniformly among all groups with the same
number of members who apply for or receive coverage from the carrier, including a
requirement that a minimum percentage of the group participate in the health benefit
plan.

(2) A carrier may vary application of minimum participation of group
members only by the size of the group.

(d) Required contributions to premium payments prohibited.

A carrier may not require an employer to contribute to payment of premiums for a
health benefit plan.

REVISOR'S NOTE: This section is new language derived without substantive
change from former Art. 48A, § 704(a)(1) through (5)(effective subject to Ch.
9, §§ 5 and 7, Acts of 1993, as amended by Ch. 258, § 3, Acts of 1994).

In subsection (b)(2)(ii) of this section, the former reference to "required"
premium payments is deleted as implicit since premiums are required to be
paid under a contract for health benefits.

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