§ 236 — Discrimination prohibited

(a) No life company doing business in this State shall make or permit any distinction or discrimination in favor of individuals among insured persons of the same class and equal expectation of life in the issuance of its policies, in the amount of payment of premiums or rates charged for policies of insurance, in the amount of any dividends or other benefits payable thereon, or in any other of the terms and conditions of the contracts it makes. (b) No life company shall make or permit any distinction or discrimination against individuals with disabilities in the amount of payment of premiums or rates charged for policies of life insurance, in the amount of any dividends or death benefits payable thereon, or in any other terms and conditions of the contract it makes unless the rate differential is based on sound actuarial principles and a reasonable system of classification and is related to actual or reasonably anticipated experience directly associated with the disability. (c) No life company shall refuse to insure, or refuse to continue to insure, or limit the amount or extent or kind of coverage available to an individual, or charge an individual a different rate for the same coverage solely because of blindness or partial blindness. With respect to all other conditions, including the underlying cause of the blindness or partial blindness, persons who are blind or partially blind shall be subject to the same standards of sound actuarial principles or actual or reasonably anticipated experience as are sighted persons. Refusal to insure includes denial by an insurer of disability insurance coverage on the grounds that the policy defines "disability" as being presumed in the event that the insured loses his or her eyesight. However, an insurer may exclude from coverage disabilities consisting solely of blindness or partial blindness when such condition existed at the time the policy was issued. (d) No life company shall refuse to insure or to continue to insure an individual solely because of the individual's status as a member of the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, or Navy or solely because of the individual's status as a member of the National Guard or Armed Forces Reserve. (e) An insurer or producer authorized to issue policies of insurance in this State may not make a distinction or otherwise discriminate between persons, reject an applicant, cancel a policy, or demand or require a higher rate of premium for reasons based solely upon an applicant's or insured's past lawful travel experiences or future lawful travel plans. This subsection (e) does not prohibit an insurer or producer from excluding or limiting coverage under a policy or refusing to offer the policy based upon past lawful travel or future lawful travel plans or from charging a different rate for that coverage when that action is based upon sound actuarial principles or is related to actual or reasonably expected experience and is not based solely on the destination's inclusion on the United States Department of State's travel warning list. (f) With respect to life insurance final expense policies, no life company authorized to issue these policies in this State shall refuse to insure an individual; refuse to continue to insure an indiviudal; limit the amount, extent, or kind of coverage available to an individual; or charge an individual a different rate for the same coverage solely on the basis that an insured or applicant has been convicted of a felony. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require a life company to issue or otherwise provide coverage for a life insurance policy to a person who is actively incarcerated pursuant to a felony conviction. As used in this subsection, "final expense policy" means a policy marketed and sold exclusively to cover costs associated with funeral and burial expenses.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 104-224, eff. 1-1-26 .)