58-17A-17.   Conditional or discriminatory policy or certificate prohibited. No issuer may deny or condition the issuance or effectiveness of any medicare supplement policy or certificate available for sale in this state, nor discriminate in the pricing of a policy or certificate because of the health status, claims experience, receipt of health care, or medical condition of an applicant if an application for a policy or certificate is submitted prior to or during the six-month period beginning with the first day of the month in which an individual is sixty-five years of age or older and is enrolled for benefits under medicare part B. Each medicare supplement policy and certificate currently available from an issuer shall be made available to all applicants who qualify under this section without regard to age.

     This does not prevent the exclusion of benefits under a policy or certificate during the first six months based on a preexisting condition for which the policyholder or certificate holder received treatment or was otherwise diagnosed during the six months before the policy or certificate became effective.

Source: SL 1992, ch 347, § 17; SL 1996, ch 293, § 3.

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