Sec.38a-495a-6b. Standard Medicare Supplement Benefit Plans for 2020 Standardized Medicare Supplement Benefits Plan Policies or Certificates Issued for Delivery to Individuals Newly Eligible for Medicare on or After January 1, 2020

The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) requires that the standards set forth in this section be applied to all Medicare supplement policies or certificates delivered or issued for delivery in this state to individuals newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. No policy or certificate that provides coverage of the Medicare Part B deductible may be advertised, solicited, delivered or issued for delivery in this state as a Medicare supplement policy or certificate to individuals newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. Benefits plan standards applicable to Medicare supplement policies and certificates issued to individuals newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020 must comply with the benefit standards of subsections (a)(1) and (a)(5) of this section. Benefit plan standards applicable to Medicare supplement policies and certificates issued to individuals eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, remain subject to the requirements of sections 38a-495a-5 and 38a-495a-5a of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

(a) Benefit Requirements. The standards and requirements of section 38a-495a-6a of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies shall apply to all Medicare supplement policies or certificates delivered or issued for delivery to individuals newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, with the following exceptions:

(1) Standardized Medicare supplement benefit Plan C is redesignated as Plan D and shall provide the benefits contained in subsection (e)(3) of section 38a-495a-6a of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, but shall not provide coverage for one hundred percent or any portion of the Medicare Part B deductible.

(2) Standardized Medicare supplement benefit Plan F is redesignated as Plan G and shall provide the benefits contained in subsection (e)(5) of section 38a-495a-6a of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, but shall not provide coverage for one hundred percent of any portion of the Medicare Part B deductible.

(3) Standardized Medicare supplement benefit plans C, F, and F With High Deductible may not be offered to individuals newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020.

(4) Standardized Medicare supplement benefit Plan F With High Deductible is redesignated as Plan G With High Deductible and shall provide the benefits contained in subsection (e)(6) of section 38a-495a-6a of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, but shall not provide coverage for one hundred percent or any portion of the Medicare Part B deductible; provided further that the Medicare Part B deductible paid by the beneficiary shall be considered an out-of-pocket expense in meeting the annual high deductible.

(5) The reference to Plans C or F contained in subsection (a)(1)(B) of section 38a-495a-6a of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies is deemed a reference to Plans D or G for purposes of this section.

(b) Applicability to certain Individuals. This section applies only to individuals who are deemed to be eligible for benefits under Section 226(a) of the Social Security Act on or after January 1, 2020, or individuals who are newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020:

(1) By reason of attaining age 65 on or after January 1, 2020; or

(2) By reason of entitlement to benefits under part A pursuant to Section 226(b) or 226A of the Social Security Act.

(c) Guaranteed Issue for Eligible Persons. For purposes of subsection (e) of section 38a-495a-8a of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies in the case of any individual newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, any reference to a Medicare supplement policy C or F (including F With High Deductible) shall be deemed to be a reference to Medicare supplement policy D or G (including G With a High Deductible), respectively, that meet requirements of subsection (a) of this section.

(d) Applicability to Waivered States. In the case of a state described in Section 1882 (p)(6) of the Social Security Act ("waivered" alternative simplification states), MACRA prohibits the coverage of the Medicare Part B deductible for any Medicare supplement policy sold or issued to an individual who is newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020.

(e) Offer of Redesignated Plans to Individuals Other Than Newly Eligible Individuals. On or after January 1, 2020, the standardized benefit plans described in subsection (a)(4) of this section may be offered to any individual who was eligible for Medicare prior to January 1, 2020, in addition to the standardized plans described in subsection (e) of section 38a-495a-6a of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

(Effective April 4, 2019)