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SB 3282

AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT INSURANCE POLICIES

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Val Lawson and 1 co-sponsor

SB 3282 broadens guaranteed issue rights and strengthens protections for Medigap plans, expanding access and limiting underwriting, especially for under-65 disability/ESRD enrollee

06/22/2026 Signed by Governor
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Bill Summary · SB 3282

Summary of SB 3282 (Rhode Island, 2026) – Medicare Supplement Insurance Policies

Purpose and intent

SB 3282 expands guaranteed issue rights and clarifies standards for Medicare supplement (Medigap) policies in Rhode Island. The bill aims to ensure broader access to Medigap plans for individuals who enroll outside a plan’s initial enrollment period, limit discriminatory underwriting, and align state regulations with federal requirements for transparency and consumer protections.

Key provisions and changes

  • Standards for policy provisions (27-18.2-3):

    • Prohibits Medicare supplement policies or certificates from duplicating Medicare benefits.
    • Adds protections for preexisting conditions: a policy cannot exclude or limit benefits for loss incurred within six months of coverage due to a preexisting condition, and cannot define preexisting conditions more restrictively than conditions for which medical advice or treatment was received within six months before coverage.
    • authorizes the Rhode Island commissioner to adopt regulations establishing detailed standards for policy provisions. Standards may cover renewability, eligibility, nonduplication, probationary periods, benefit limitations, elimination periods, replacement requirements, recurrent conditions, and term definitions.
    • Allows the commissioner to prohibit policy provisions that are unjust or discriminatory, beyond existing statutory authorizations.

  • Regulatory and compliance standards (27-18.2-3, subsections by reference and federal alignment):

    • The commissioner may adopt regulations on premium rates, benefits, claims, marketing, compensation, and reporting.
    • May adopt measures to conform state law to federal standards, including:
    • Refunds/credits for policies not meeting loss ratio requirements.
    • Uniform loss ratio calculation/reporting.
    • Public access to policy, premium, and loss ratio information.
    • Process for approving/disapproving forms and proposed premium increases.
    • Public hearings before premium increases (with notice requirements, including a 10-day pre-hearing notice to subscribers).
    • Standards for Medicare Select policies.

  • Guaranteed issue and enrollment for under-65 individuals (g):

    • Plan A Medicare supplement policies must be offered to any applicant under 65 who is eligible for Medicare due to disability or end-stage renal disease, if the applicant applies within the first six months after Medicare Part B eligibility/enrollment period.
    • Issuance/coverage cannot be conditioned on health status, and insurers may not engage in medical underwriting for these applicants.
    • For under-65 individuals with disability/ESRD enrolling in Plan A, there is a six-month open enrollment period starting when the individual turns 65 and remains enrolled in Medicare Part A & B.

  • Guaranteed issue rights during the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) (h):

    • Each year, during the Medicare AEP for a January 1 coverage effective date, individuals with no long gaps in credible coverage since their initial enrollment period are entitled to guaranteed issue rights for available Medigap policies or certificates.
    • Issuance/coverage under this subsection cannot be conditioned on health status or medical underwriting.
    • Disability/ESRD under-65 enrollees with Plan A in subsection (g) receive guaranteed issue rights for every Plan A policy issued in the state, with coverage under the AEP framework.

Who is affected

  • Prospective and current Medicare beneficiaries in Rhode Island seeking Medigap coverage, including:
    • Individuals under age 65 eligible for Medicare due to disability or ESRD.
    • Individuals aged 65 and older during the annual enrollment period.
    • Applicants facing enrollment outside a plan’s initial period, who would gain guaranteed issue protections.
  • Insurance issuers offering Medicare supplement policies in Rhode Island, who would need to comply with enhanced standards, reporting, and potential regulatory requirements.
  • The RI Department of Business Regulation (the commissioner) in terms of rulemaking, supervision, and enforcement.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Effective date: The act takes effect upon passage.
  • Regulatory action: The bill contemplates future regulations by the commissioner to implement standards, premium practices, reporting, and conformity with federal law.
  • Enrollment protections: Guaranteed issue provisions apply annually during AEP, with specific protections for those under 65 with qualifying disabilities or ESRD as described.

Overall impact

SB 3282 strengthens consumer protections, broadens guaranteed issue rights, and provides a framework for aligning Rhode Island’s Medigap regulations with federal requirements. It reduces underwriting barriers for younger disabled individuals and ensures clearer standards around policy benefits, renewability, and premium increases.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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