Life and Health News
April 2026
Welcome to our latest newsletter! As a thought leader in the Insurance Industry for over 50 years, we are always excited to share the latest sampling of insurance compliance related bulletins, regulations, and legislative activity. Please feel free to share this newsletter with others that may be interested. Contact Us with any questions on the items in this newsletter or with any other compliance related matter we can assist you with. Enjoy!
AGENT / PRODUCER LICENSING AND APPOINTMENT
Indiana amends IC 23-19-4 to create a registration exemption for certain merger and acquisition brokers and to revise registration and examination requirements for broker-dealers and related professionals. Indiana also updates compliance reporting requirements for supervisory offices and removes outdated continuing education provisions. HB 1336
COMPLAINTS
Oklahoma adopts the NAIC’s State Based System (SBS) External Company Complaint Portal, effective April 1, 2026, to improve communication with licensed insurers and streamline the management of consumer complaints and provider grievances. Oklahoma allows companies to manage cases, exchange messages, and upload attachments directly through the SBS dashboard. Special Notice of March 9, 2026
CYBERSECURITY
New York urges regulated entities to reassess their cybersecurity posture in response to heightened global conflict–related risks. New York directs entities to comply with 23 NYCRR Part 500, remediate vulnerabilities, strengthen operational resilience, enhance monitoring and access controls, secure system configurations, and prepare for potentially disruptive cyber incidents. New York also encourages entities to review communication plans, protect against code injection, and monitor financial and virtual currency transactions for sanctions and anti–money laundering compliance. Industry Letter of March 3, 2026
DENTAL INSURANCE
Nevada adopts regulations clarifying reporting requirements for insurers, organizations, and licensed persons offering stand-alone dental insurance under NRS 686B.125. Nevada defines stand-alone dental insurance and sets May 1 each year as the reporting deadline. The report must include losses and premiums by market segment. NAC 686B s 2
FRAUD / ANTI-FRAUD
Delaware requires insurers under 18 Del. C. § 2408 to report any reasonable belief of insurance fraud to the Bureau using the prescribed form and to provide any additional information requested. Delaware encourages insurers to submit reports through the NAIC Online Fraud Reporting System but maintains the Model Uniform Suspected Insurance Fraud Reporting Form on its website for insurers that do not use the system. Domestic/Foreign Insurers Bulletin 15 Reissued 3-2-26
GUARANTY ASSOCIATION
Rhode Island announces that the Rhode Island Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association (RILHIGA) has moved to One Citizens Plaza, 10th Floor, Providence, RI 02903, with telephone 401-490-3422. Rhode Island requires insurers to update the Summary Document immediately. The updated document can be found on the Instructions and Forms for Insurance Companies page of the Department’s website under Forms and Resources. Industry Alert 2026-01
HEALTH INSURANCE - COMPREHENSIVE
Alabama expands prostate cancer screening coverage by eliminating cost sharing for men over 50 and high-risk men over 40. Rhode Island clarifies that all other benefits remain subject to the standard cost-sharing requirements of the policy. SB 19
Alabama requires, effective January 1, 2027, that health benefit plans covering breast examinations - including mammography, supplemental breast examinations, and diagnostic breast examinations - provide the coverage without deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance. HB 300
Indiana enacts new Chapter 45.2 of the Indiana Insurance Code to establish an Independent Dispute Resolution framework that aligns with the federal process for disputes between health carriers and out-of-network providers. Indiana defines key terms and specifies that the chapter applies to insurers, HMOs, administrators, state employee health plans, and short-term insurance plans, while excluding entities that provide only dental or vision care services. SB 189
Nevada Insurance Division advises that providers have claimed that health carriers are not complying with coverage mandates for medically necessary biomarker testing. Nevada requires insurers to cover biomarker testing for cancer diagnosis, treatment, management, and monitoring, respond to prior authorization requests within specified timeframes, and limits denials to certain cases. Nevada’s Division of Insurance will monitor compliance to ensure patients receive the mandated coverage. Bulletin 26-001
Oregon requires health benefit plan carriers to cover cervical cancer screenings and medically necessary follow-up examinations, including colposcopy, biopsy, cytology, and HPV testing, without deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or other out-of-pocket costs. Oregon applies these requirements to group and individual health plans as well as self-insured health plans. SB 1527
MARKET CONDUCT EXAMINATIONS
Missouri updates the record-keeping requirements for insurers and related entities during market conduct examinations. Missouri replaces the prior 10-day response deadline with a flexible examiner-specified timeframe of at least 30 calendar days and establishes procedures allowing insurers to request and obtain time extensions for good cause. Reg 20 CSR 100-8.040
MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT INSURANCE
New Mexico requires issuers of Medicare Supplement policies to provide an annual open enrollment period for eligible policyholders aged 65 and older. New Mexico guarantees a 60-day enrollment window starting on the first day of the policyholder’s birthday month, allows switching to policies of equal or lesser value, prohibits coverage denials or new preexisting condition exclusions, and mandates advance written notice of enrollment periods, policyholder rights, and any premium or policy SB 21
MISCELLANEOUS
Delaware adopted a regulation, effective March 11, 2026, establishing end-of-life options that allow eligible terminally ill adults with decision-making capacity to voluntarily request and self-administer medication to end their life in a humane and dignified manner. It provides legal protections for providers while ensuring the self-administration of medication does not affect life insurance or annuity benefits. Reg. DPH 4603
Indiana amends multiple probate statutes, effective July 1, 2026, to update provisions involving minors, custodianship, powers of attorney, and health care powers. This law also addresses related insurance and financial matters, including life insurance plans and financial arrangements for minors. SB 71
MISCELLANEOUS HEALTH / ACCIDENT
Indiana added provisions concerning payment assistance programs, downcoding practices, prohibition of retroactively reducing the reimbursement rate for any CPT code, and other claims payment issues. HB 1271
Indiana prohibits state employee health plans, accident and sickness insurance policies, and health maintenance organization contracts from requiring step therapy or prior failure on another drug before covering FDA-approved prescription drugs used to treat advanced or metastatic cancer when supported by best practices and peer-reviewed evidence. HB 1114
New Mexico amends the Prior Authorization Act to streamline and standardize prior authorization procedures for health care services, pharmaceutical benefits, and related benefits. SB 20
MISCELLANEOUS LIFE / ANNUITY
Michigan updates the maximum allowable cemetery or funeral pre-death assignment amounts under Section 2080 of the Michigan Insurance Code and sets the CPI-adjusted maximum assignment value at $14,100 for life insurance policies or annuity contracts with funeral or cemetery assignments for the period June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027. Bulletin 2026-10-INS
RESERVE VALUATION
Idaho directs insurers to use the March 2026 NAIC Accounting Practices and Procedures Manual and the January 1, 2026, NAIC Valuation Manual when preparing 2026 quarterly and annual financial statements and calculating minimum reserve requirements. Idaho also adopts the 2025 Annual and 2026 Quarterly Edition of the NAIC Financial Analysis Handbook and clarifies that these updates interpret existing law rather than create new legal requirements. Bulletin 26-01