AB1020: Bill Text

AB1020,9,19 (6) Approval of viatical settlement contracts. No viatical settlement contract form may be used in this state unless it has been filed with and approved by the commissioner. Any viatical settlement contract form filed with the commissioner is approved if it is not disapproved within 60 days after filing. The commissioner shall disapprove a viatical settlement contract form if, in the commissioner's opinion, the contract or any of its provisions is unreasonable, contrary to any provision of this section, contrary to the public interest or otherwise misleading or unfair to the policyholder or certificate holder.

AB1020,9,22 (7) Reporting requirements. Annually, on or before March 1, every licensee under this section shall file with the commissioner a statement containing any information that the commissioner requires by rule.

AB1020,9,25 (8) Record keeping. Every licensee under this section shall maintain and make available for inspection by the commissioner records of all viatical settlement transactions. Names and other individual identifying information related to policyholders or certificate holders shall be considered confidential and may not be disclosed to the commissioner.

AB1020,10,7 (9) Requirements for viatical settlements and contracts. (a) If the policyholder or certificate holder who desires to enter into a viatical settlement contract is the person with a catastrophic or life-threatening illness or condition whose life is insured under the policy or certificate, the viatical settlement provider shall obtain all of the following before entering into the contract:

AB1020,10,9 1. A written statement from the person's attending physician that the person is of sound mind.

AB1020,10,11 2. A written statement, signed by the person and witnessed by 2 disinterested adults, in which the person does all of the following:

AB1020,10,12 a. Consents to the viatical settlement contract.

AB1020,10,13 b. Acknowledges his or her catastrophic or life-threatening illness or condition.

AB1020,10,14 c. Releases his or her medical records to the viatical settlement provider.

AB1020,10,17 d. Represents that he or she understands the viatical settlement contract, the benefits under the life insurance policy or certificate and the relationship between the viatical settlement contract and the life insurance policy or certificate.

AB1020,10,19 e. Acknowledges that he or she is entering into the viatical settlement contract freely and voluntarily.

AB1020,10,23 f. Affirms that he or she has received financial advice from an individual or entity other than the viatical settlement provider or a viatical settlement broker regarding the effect of the viatical settlement on creditor claims, income taxes and government benefits.

AB1020,11,3 (b) Before the execution of a viatical settlement contract, a viatical settlement provider or a viatical settlement broker shall disclose to the policyholder or certificate holder all of the following:

AB1020,11,6 1. That there may be alternatives to viatical settlements for persons with a catastrophic or life-threatening illness or condition and what those alternatives are, including accelerated benefits under the life insurance policy or certificate.

AB1020,11,8 2. That the policyholder or certificate holder should obtain financial advice from a financial counselor, a tax adviser or an appropriate agency.

AB1020,11,10 3. That some or all of the viatical settlement proceeds may be taxable and that he or she should seek advice from a personal tax adviser.

AB1020,11,12 4. That the viatical settlement proceeds may be subject to the claims of creditors.

AB1020,11,15 5. That receipt of a viatical settlement may adversely affect the recipient's eligibility for medicaid or other government benefits and that he or she should seek advice from any appropriate agencies.

AB1020,11,17 6. That the policyholder or certificate holder may rescind the viatical settlement contract as provided in par. (d).

AB1020,11,20 7. The frequency of and procedure for contacts by the provider or broker to determine the health status of the policyholder or certificate holder after the performance of the contract.

AB1020,11,23 8. The date by which the viatical settlement proceeds will be available to the policyholder or certificate holder and the bank from which the funds will be available.

AB1020,12,2 9. That, except for double or additional indemnity provisions for accidental death, as a result of the viatical settlement contract no beneficiary named by the policyholder or certificate holder will receive any insurance proceeds under the policy or certificate.

AB1020,12,4 10. The name of the new policyholder or certificate holder under the viatical settlement contract.

AB1020,12,6 (c) 1. Every viatical settlement shall be reasonable and shall meet the following minimum payment requirements:

AB1020,12,8 a. If the insured's life expectancy is 12 months or less, 75% of the policy or certificate face value.

AB1020,12,10 b. If the insured's life expectancy is more than 12 months but less than 24 months, 65% of the policy or certificate face value.

AB1020,12,12 c. If the insured's life expectancy is 24 months or more, 55% of the policy or certificate face value.

AB1020,12,14 2. The minimum payment amount under subd. 1. shall be reduced by the amount of any outstanding loans against the policy or certificate.

AB1020,12,21 (d) Every viatical settlement contract entered into in this state shall provide that the policyholder or certificate holder entering into the contract has the unconditional right to rescind the contract within 30 days after the contract is entered into or 15 days after receiving the viatical settlement proceeds, whichever is sooner. If the policyholder or certificate holder wishes to rescind the contract after receipt of the viatical settlement proceeds, the policyholder or certificate holder must refund the proceeds.

AB1020,13,2 (e) If a policy or certificate that is the subject of a viatical settlement contract contains a provision for double or additional indemnity for accidental death, the viatical settlement contract shall provide for the same additional payment to a beneficiary named payable in the viatical settlement contract by the policyholder or certificate holder.

AB1020,13,12 (f) Upon receipt from the policyholder or certificate holder of all documents necessary for the transfer of the life insurance policy or certificate, the viatical settlement provider shall pay all of the proceeds of the settlement into a trust account or escrow account, to be managed by a trustee or escrow agent, in a bank that is approved by the commissioner. The trustee or escrow agent shall pay the proceeds to the former policyholder or certificate holder immediately upon receiving acknowledgement from the insurer issuing the life insurance policy or certificate that the policy or certificate has been transferred to the viatical settlement provider. Payment shall be made in a lump sum by certified check or by wire transfer to an account of the former policyholder or certificate holder.

AB1020,13,15 (g) If the viatical settlement proceeds are not paid to the policyholder or certificate holder by the date disclosed under par. (b) 8., the viatical settlement contract shall be void.

AB1020,13,20 (10) General rules related to viatical settlements. (a) A viatical settlement provider or broker may not discriminate in the making of viatical settlements on the basis of race, age, sex, national origin, creed, religion, occupation, marital or family status, sexual orientation or whether the person whose life is insured under the policy or certificate has dependents.

AB1020,14,2 (b) A viatical settlement provider or broker may not pay or offer to pay a finder's fee, commission or other compensation to a physician, attorney, accountant or other person providing medical, legal or financial planning services to the policyholder or certificate holder of a policy or certificate that may be the subject of a viatical settlement contract, or to any other person acting as an agent of the policyholder or certificate holder with respect to a viatical settlement.

AB1020,14,6 (c) A viatical settlement provider or broker shall comply with the confidentiality requirements of ss. 146.82 and 252.15 with respect to any medical information obtained by the viatical settlement provider or broker concerning the person whose life is insured under the policy or certificate.

AB1020,14,13 (d) Contacts by a viatical settlement provider or broker for the purpose of determining the health status of a person whose life is insured under a policy or certificate that was the subject of a viatical settlement contract shall be limited to once every 3 months if the person's life expectancy was more than one year at the time that the viatical settlement contract was entered into and once per month if the person's life expectancy was one year or less at the time that the viatical settlement contract was entered into.

AB1020,14,17 (e) The owner of a life insurance policy or certificate may not be required to enter into a viatical settlement contract as a condition of eligibility for public assistance, or as a condition for receiving the full amount of public assistance benefits for which the person is otherwise eligible.

AB1020,14,22 (f) A viatical settlement provider or broker may not solicit as investors in a life insurance policy or certificate that is the subject of a viatical settlement contract persons who are in a position to influence the treatment of the catastrophic or life-threatening illness or condition of the person whose life is insured under the policy or certificate.

AB1020,14,24 (g) 1. Advertising related to viatical settlements shall be truthful and may not be misleading by fact or implication.

AB1020,15,4 2. If an advertisement emphasizes the speed with which a viatical settlement may occur, the advertisement shall disclose, by life expectancy category under sub. (9) (c), the average time between the completion of the application and the receipt of the settlement proceeds under contracts with the advertiser.

AB1020,15,8 3. If an advertisement emphasizes the amount of proceeds that may be received, the advertisement shall disclose, by life expectancy category under sub. (9) (c), the average purchase price as a percentage of policy face value that has been obtained under contracts with the advertiser during the past 6 months.

AB1020,15,10 (11) Additional regulatory authority. (a) The commissioner may require the filing of a bond as a condition of licensure under this section.

AB1020,15,11 (b) The commissioner may promulgate rules that do any of the following:

AB1020,15,14 1. Establish standards for determining the reasonableness of payments under viatical settlement contracts that exceed the minimum percentages under sub. (9) (c).

AB1020,15,16 2. Establish the maximum fee that a viatical settlement provider may pay a viatical settlement broker for services provided.

AB1020,15,18 3. Establish any additional standards that may be necessary for the administration of this section.

AB1020, s. 10 Section 10. Initial applicability; revenue.

AB1020,15,22 (1) Sales of certain insurance policies. The treatment of sections 71.05 (1) (f), 71.26 (3) (a) and (ag) and 71.45 (2) (a) 14. of the statutes first applies to taxable years beginning on January 1, 1996.

AB1020,15,23 (End)