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Ch. 284
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PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor
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CHAPTER 284
(House Bill 1427)
AN ACT concerning
Health Insurance - Small Group - Open Enrollment Period
FOR the purpose of altering the open enrollment period for certain health insurance;
repealing a certain provision allowing certain carriers to deny coverage to
self-employed individuals who apply for a health benefit plan at times other
than the carrier's open enrollment period; and generally relating to the small
group health insurance open enrollment period.
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article - Insurance
Section 15-1210(a)
Annotated Code of Maryland
(1997 Volume and 2001 Supplement)
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:
Article - Insurance
15-1210.
(a) [(1)] A carrier that offers coverage to a small employer shall:
[(i)] (1) offer coverage to all of its eligible employees and all of
their eligible dependents;
[(ii)] (2) at the election of the small employer, offer coverage to all
of its part-time employees who have a normal workweek of at least 17½ but less than
30 hours per week and have been continuously employed for at least 4 consecutive
months;
[(iii)](3) at the election of the small employer, offer coverage to all
of its employees who are covered under another public or private plan of health
insurance or another health benefit arrangement; and
[(iv)] (4) establish an annual open enrollment period for
self-employed individuals for at least 30 consecutive days in each [6-month]
12-MONTH period.
[(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section and §§ 15-1209,
15-1211, and 15-1213 of this subtitle, a carrier may deny coverage to a self-employed
individual who applies for a health benefit plan at a time other than the carrier's
annual open enrollment period.]
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SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect
October 1, 2002.
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