Section 38-61-20 - Approval of forms by director or designee; notification; withdrawal of approval; exemptions; optional accident or health riders(A) It is unlawful for an insurer doing business in this State to issue or sell in this State a policy, contract, or certificate until it has been filed with and approved by the director or his designee. The director or his designee may disapprove the form if it: (1) does not meet the requirements of applicable state or federal law the Department of Insurance is authorized to enforce;(2) contains provisions which are unfair, deceptive, ambiguous, misleading, or unfairly discriminatory; or(3) is solicited by means of advertising, communication, or dissemination of information which is deceptive or misleading. However, this subsection does not apply to surety contracts or fidelity bonds, except as required in Section 38-15-10, or to insurance contracts, riders, or endorsements prepared to meet special, unusual, peculiar, or extraordinary conditions applying to an individual risk or exempt commercial policies.
(B) Within thirty days after the filing of a form requiring approval, the director or his designee shall notify the organization filing the form of the approval or disapproval of the form, and the reason if the form is disapproved. The director or his designee, in his discretion, may extend for up to an additional sixty days the period within which he shall approve or disapprove the form. A form received, but neither approved nor disapproved by the director or his designee, is deemed approved at the expiration of the thirty days if the period is not extended, or at the expiration of the extended period, if any. An organization may not use a form deemed approved pursuant to the default provision of this section until the organization has filed with the director or his designee a written notice of its intent to use the form. The notice must be filed in the office of the director at least ten days before the organization uses the form.(C) At any time after having given written approval, and after an opportunity for a hearing for which at least thirty days' written notice has been given, the director or his designee may withdraw approval, impose the penalties pursuant to Section 38-2-10 if the insurer continues use of the form after it has been ordered withdrawn, or both, if he finds that the form: (1) does not meet the requirements of applicable state or federal law the Department of Insurance is authorized to enforce;(2) contains provisions which are unfair, deceptive, ambiguous, misleading, or unfairly discriminatory; or(3) is solicited by means of advertising, communication, or dissemination of information which is deceptive or misleading.(D) The director or his designee may exempt from the requirements of subsection (A) as long as he considers proper any type of insurance policy, contract, or certificate to which in his opinion subsection (A) practically must not be applied, or the filing and approval of which, in his opinion, is not necessary for the protection of the public. However, each insurer at least annually shall list the types and form numbers of all policies it issues or sells in this State which the director or his designee has exempted from being filed and approved, and an officer of the insurer shall certify that all of these policies comply fully with the laws of this State. If a policy, contract, or certificate is certified to be in compliance with the laws of this State and the director or his designee finds it violates a law of this State, he may disqualify that insurer from certifying policies, contracts, or certificates allowed under this subsection.(E) Nothing in this chapter precludes the issuance of a life insurance contract that includes an optional accident, health, or accident and health insurance rider. However, the optional accident, health, or accident and health insurance rider must be filed with and approved by the director or his designee pursuant to Section 38-71-310, 38-71-720, or 38-71-740, as appropriate, and comply with all applicable sections of Chapter 71 of this title and, in addition, in the case of long term care insurance, Chapter 72 of this title.Amended by 2018 S.C. Acts, Act No. 219 (HB 4657),s 5, eff. 5/18/2018.2001 Act No. 82, Section 20, eff 7/20/2001; 2000 Act No. 312, Section 12; 2000 Act No. 235, Section 3; 1998 Act No. 411, Section 5; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 724; 1992 Act No. 332, Section 2; 1988 Act No. 316, Section 1; 1979 Act No. 64] recodified as Section 38-61-20 by 1987 Act No. 155, Section 1; 1962 Code Section 37-170; 1952 Code Section 37-170; Former 1976 Code Section 38-9-360 [1947 (45) 322; Former 1976 Code Section 38-61-20 [1977 Act No. 120 Section 2] recodified as Section 38-81-20 by 1987 Act No. 155, Section 1.