33-22-524. Guaranteed renewability of coverage for employers in group market. (1) Except as provided in this section, if a health insurance issuer offers health insurance coverage in the small group market or large group market in connection with a group health plan, the health insurance issuer shall renew or continue the coverage in force at the option of the plan sponsor.

(2) A health insurance issuer may nonrenew or discontinue health insurance coverage offered in connection with a group health plan in the small group market or large group market if:

(a) the plan sponsor has failed to pay premiums or contributions in accordance with the terms of the health insurance coverage or if the health insurance issuer has not received timely premium payments;

(b) the plan sponsor has performed an act or practice that constitutes fraud or has made an intentional misrepresentation of material fact under the terms of the coverage;

(c) the plan sponsor has failed to comply with a material plan provision relating to employer contribution or group health plan participation rules;

(d) the health insurance issuer is ceasing to offer coverage in that group market in accordance with this section and applicable state law;

(e) in the case of a health insurance issuer that offers health insurance coverage in the group market through a network plan, there is no longer any enrollee in connection with the group health plan who lives, resides, or works in the service area of the health insurance issuer and, in the case of the small group market, if the health insurance issuer would deny enrollment with respect to the plan under 33-22-1811(4)(a)(i); or

(f) in the case of health insurance coverage that is made available in the small group market or large group market only through one or more bona fide associations, the membership of an employer in the bona fide association ceases, but only if the coverage is terminated under this subsection (2)(f) uniformly without regard to any health status-related factor of a covered individual.

(3) A health insurance issuer may not discontinue offering a particular type of group health insurance coverage offered in the small group market or large group market unless in accordance with applicable state law and unless:

(a) the issuer provides notice to each plan sponsor, participant, and beneficiary provided coverage of this type in that group market of the discontinuation at least 90 days prior to the date of the discontinuation of the coverage;

(b) the issuer offers to each plan sponsor provided coverage of this type in the market the option to purchase any other health insurance coverage currently being offered by the health insurance issuer to a group health plan in the market; and

(c) the health insurance issuer acts uniformly without regard to the claims experience of those sponsors or any health status-related factor of any participants or beneficiaries covered or new participants or beneficiaries who may become eligible for the coverage.

(4) (a) A health insurance issuer may not discontinue offering all health insurance coverage in the small group market, the large group market, or both the small group market and the large group market, unless in accordance with applicable state law and unless:

(i) the issuer provides notice of discontinuation to the commissioner and to each plan sponsor, participant, and beneficiary covered at least 180 days prior to the date of the discontinuation of coverage; and

(ii) all health insurance issued or delivered for issuance in Montana in the group market or markets is discontinued and coverage under the health insurance coverage in the group market or markets is not renewed.

(b) In the case of a discontinuation under this section in a group market, the health insurance issuer may not provide for the issuance of any health insurance coverage in the group market for a period of 5 years beginning on the date of the discontinuation of the last health insurance coverage not renewed.

(5) A health insurance issuer may modify upon renewal health insurance coverage for a product offered to a group health plan in the large group market or in the small group market if, for coverage that is available in the small group market other than only through one or more bona fide associations, modification is consistent with applicable state law and effective on a uniform basis among group health plans with that product.

(6) In the case of health insurance coverage that is made available by a health insurance issuer in the small group market or large group market to employers only through one or more bona fide associations, references to "plan sponsor" under this section include those employers.