Kansas Administrative Regulations

Agency 40. Insurance Department

Article 5. Credit Insurance

40-5-103 Same; rights and treatment of consumers.

(a) Multiple plans of insurance. If a creditor makes available to consumers more than one plan of credit life insurance, or more than one plan of credit accident and health insurance, all appropriate consumers shall be informed of all available plans.

(b)  Substitution. When a creditor requires credit life insurance, credit accident and health insurance, or both, as additional security for an indebtedness, the debtor shall be given the option of furnishing the required amount of insurance through existing policies of insurance, or procuring and furnishing the required coverage through any insurer authorized to transact insurance business in this state. In such a case, the debtor shall be informed by the creditor of the right to provide alternative coverage before the transaction is completed.

(c)  Evidence of coverage.

(1)  All consumer credit insurance shall be evidenced by an individual policy, or in the case of group insurance, by a certificate of insurance. The individual policy or certificate of insurance shall be delivered to the consumer in accordance with K.S.A. 16a-4-105.

(2)  Policy provisions.

(A)  Each insurance policy or certificate used in connection with a loan or credit transaction shall contain:

(i)  the name and home office address of the insurer;

(ii)  the name or names of the debtor;

(iii)  the premium, or amount of payment by the debtor, if any, for credit life insurance and for credit accident and health insurance;

(iv)  a statement specifying when the insurance of the debtor will become effective and its termination conditions, or the month, day, and year the insurance begins and terminates;

(v)  any exceptions, limitations, or restrictions; and

(vi)  a statement that the life of the debtor is insured under the policy and that any death benefit paid by reason of death of the debtor shall be applied first to reduce or extinguish the indebtedness.

(B)  In addition to the requirements of paragraph (A), each insurance policy issued in connection with a credit transaction or loan shall set forth the kind or kinds of insurance included, the coverages, and all the terms, exceptions, limitations, restrictions, and conditions of the contract or contracts of insurance. Certificates shall contain all provisions of the master policy applicable to the debtor.

(C)  The requirements of paragraph (2) are in addition to other requirements imposed by law concerning policy forms and their approval.

(3)  Settlement of claims. Separate credit life insurance payments shall be made to the creditor, beneficiary, and to the named second beneficiary, if any, as their interests may appear. If the policy contains no provision for the designation of a second beneficiary, the insurance shall go to the estate of the insured. Each payment made to the creditor shall reduce the indebtedness.

(d)  Termination of coverage.

(1)  If a debtor is covered by a group insurance policy on which a single premium is charged for insurance, the policy shall provide that the group policy may terminate only with respect to debtors who would otherwise become eligible for coverage after the date of termination, and that insurance coverage with respect to any debtor insured under the policy shall be continued for the entire period for which a single charge has been made, subject to subsections (g) and (h).

(2)  If a debtor covered by a group credit insurance policy is charged for insurance on a monthly outstanding balance basis, the policy shall provide that, if the policy is terminated, the insured debtor shall be notified that coverage will terminate not less than 15 days after mailing of the notice. If notice is not given to each insured debtor, coverage shall continue for 30 days from the date of notice to the policyholder, except where replacement of the coverage by the same or another insurer in the same or greater amount takes place without lapse of coverage. The notice to insured debtors required in this paragraph shall be given by the insurer, or at the option of the insurer, by the creditor.

(e)  Interest on premiums. If the creditor adds identifiable insurance charges or premiums for consumer credit insurance to the indebtedness, and any direct or indirect finance, carrying, credit, or service charge is made to the consumer on the insurance charges or premiums, the creditor shall remit and the insurer shall collect on a single premium basis only.

(f)  Renewal or refinancing of indebtedness. If the indebtedness is discharged due to renewal or refinancing prior to the scheduled maturity date, the insurance in force shall be terminated before any new insurance may be issued in connection with the renewed or refinanced indebtedness. In all cases of termination prior to scheduled maturity, a refund shall be paid or credited to the debtor as provided in K.A.R. 40-5-108. In any renewal or refinancing of indebtedness, the effective date of the coverage of any policy provision shall be the first date on which the debtor became insured under the policy covering the indebtedness which was renewed or refinanced, at least in the amount of the indebtedness outstanding at the time of renewal and refinancing of the debt.

(g)  Voluntary prepayment of indebtedness. If a debtor prepays indebtedness for a reason other than death or a lump sum disability payment:

(1)  Any credit life insurance covering an indebtedness shall be terminated and an appropriate refund shall be paid or credited to the debtor by the creditor at the time of prepayment pursuant to K.A.R. 40-5-108; and

(2)  any credit accident and health insurance covering an indebtedness shall be terminated and an appropriate refund shall be paid or credited to the debtor by the creditor at the time of prepayment. If the indebtedness is prepaid by the debtor during any period of disability for which benefits are payable, the disability coverage shall continue in force and the insurer shall make periodic payments directly to the debtor until the disability no longer exists or until the end of the term of insurance, whichever occurs first.

(h)  Involuntary prepayment of indebtedness. If an indebtedness is prepaid by the proceeds of a credit life insurance policy covering the debtor or by a lump sum payment of a disability claim under a credit accident and health insurance policy covering the debtor, the insurer shall ensure that the following refunds are made by the creditor at the time of prepayment:

(1)  In case of prepayment by the proceeds of a credit life insurance policy, an appropriate refund under the credit accident and health insurance coverage; and

(2)  in the case of prepayment by a lump sum disability claim, an appropriate refund under the credit life insurance coverage.

(Authorized by K.S.A. 40-103, 16a-4-112; implementing K.S.A. 16a-4-101 through 16a-4-203; effective Jan. 1, 1974; amended May 1, 1979; amended May 1, 1986.)