(a)        Every individual or blanket family hospitalization policy and accident and health policy, other than noncancelable or nonrenewable policies but including group, blanket and franchise policies, as defined in Articles 1 through 64 of this Chapter, covering less than 10 persons, issued in North Carolina after January 1, 1956, shall include in substance the following provision:

Renewability: This policy is renewable at the option of the policyholder unless sufficient notice of nonrenewal is given the policyholder in writing by the insurer.

Sufficient notice shall be, during the first year of any policy, or during the first year following any lapse and reinstatement, a period of 30 days before the premium due date. After one continuous year of coverage and acceptance of premium for any portion of the second or subsequent year sufficient notice shall be a number of full months most nearly equivalent to one fourth the number of months of continuous coverage from the inception date of the policy, to the date of mailing of the notice: Provided no period of required notice shall exceed two years.

(b)        No insurance company issuing individual or blanket family hospitalization or accident and health policies of insurance shall have the right to unilaterally restrict coverage, reduce benefits or increase rates upon any contract of hospitalization or accident and health insurance which is subject to the provisions of this section except as provided herein.

(c)        Any hospitalization or accident and health policy reissued or renewed in the name of the insured during the grace period shall be construed to be a continuation of the policy first issued.

(d)       The requirements of this section do not apply to a refusal or renewal because of a change of occupation of an insured to one classified by the insurer as uninsurable nor to an increase in rate due to a change of occupation of an insured to a more hazardous occupation. (1955, c. 886, s. 2; 1957, c. 1085, s. 2; 1979, c. 755, s. 13; 1985, c. 666, s. 71; 1989, c. 485, s. 55; 1991, c. 644, s. 27.)