Sec. 1. 24-A MRSA §2159-B, as corrected by RR 1997, c. 2, §50, is amended to read:

§2159-B. Discrimination against victims of domestic abuse

prohibited

An insurer, nonprofit hospital and medical service organization or health maintenance organization that issues life, health or disability coverage may not deny, cancel, refuse to renew or restrict coverage of any person or require the payment of additional charges based solely on the fact or perception that the person is, or may become, the victim of domestic abuse, under Title 19-A, section 4002. This section does not prohibit applying an underwriting or rating criterion to a victim of domestic abuse based on physical or mental history or other factors of general applicability regardless of the underlying cause and in accordance with the requirements of section 2159, subsections 1 and 2. An insurer, nonprofit hospital and medical service organization or health maintenance organization may not be held criminally or civilly liable for any cause of action that may result from compliance with this section. This section does not prohibit an insurer from declining to issue coverage to an applicant known to be, or to have been, an abuser of the proposed insured.

SUMMARY

This bill removes the provision that allows insurers to apply an underwriting to rating criterion to a victim of domestic abuse based on a physical or mental history or other factors of general applicability regardless of the underlying cause.