Virginia Code 38.2-3411.2: Coverage of adopted children required
A. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 38.2-3419, each insurer proposing to issue individual or group accident and sickness insurance policies providing hospital, medical and surgical or major medical coverage on an expense incurred basis, each corporation providing individual or group accident and sickness subscription contracts, and each health maintenance organization providing a health care plan for health care services that offers coverage for a family member of the insured, subscriber, or plan enrollee, shall, as to the family members’ coverage, also provide that the accident and sickness insurance benefits applicable for children shall be payable with respect to adopted children of the insured, subscriber, or plan enrollee.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 38.2-3411.2
- Accident and sickness insurance: means insurance against loss resulting from sickness, or from bodily injury or death by accident or accidental means, or from a combination of any or all of these perils. See Virginia Code 38.2-109
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
- Health services plan: means any arrangement for offering or administering health services or similar or related services by a corporation licensed under Chapter 42 of Title 59. See Virginia Code 38.2-100
- insurance policies: shall include contracts of fidelity, indemnity, guaranty and suretyship. See Virginia Code 38.2-100
- Insurer: means an insurance company. See Virginia Code 38.2-100
- Subscriber: means a person obligated under a reciprocal insurance agreement. See Virginia Code 38.2-1201
B. The coverage of such policy, subscription, or plan, applicable to family members of the insured, subscriber or enrollee, shall apply in the same manner and to the same but no greater extent to adopted children of the insured, subscriber or enrollee.
C. An adopted child shall be eligible for the coverage required by this section from the date of adoptive or parental placement with an insured, subscriber or plan enrollee for the purpose of adoption; and, in addition as to a child whose adoptive or parental placement has occurred within thirty-one days of birth, such child shall be considered a newborn child of the insured, subscriber or plan enrollee as of the date of adoptive or parental placement. Once coverage is in effect, it shall continue according to the terms of the policy, subscription contract, or plan, unless the said placement is disrupted prior to final decree of adoption, and the child is removed from placement with the insured, subscriber or plan enrollee.
D. If payment of a specific premium or subscription fee is required to provide coverage for a child, the policy or subscription contract may require notification of the placement of an adoptive child and payment of the required premium or fees shall be furnished to the insurer issuing the policy or corporation issuing the subscription contract within thirty-one days after the date of parental or adoptive placement in order to have the coverage continue beyond the thirty-one-day period.
E. No insurer, health services plan or health maintenance organization shall restrict coverage for any dependent child adopted or placed for adoption solely because of a preexisting condition of such child at the time that such child would otherwise become eligible for coverage under the plan.
1991, c. 103; 1994, c. 213.