§33-16F-7. Applicability of certain provisions; commissioner's authority to forbear from applying certain provisions.

(a) Individual plans. -- Only the following provisions of article fifteen of this chapter apply to West Virginia entities offering individual plans pursuant to this article: Sections two-a, two-d, two-e, three, four, four-c, four-e, four-f, four-g, five, six, seven, eight, nine, thirteen, fourteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen and twenty. Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, the provisions of article twenty-eight of this chapter and legislative rules regulating individual accident and sickness policies, including the rule contained in series 12, title 114 of the West Virginia Code of State Rules, do not apply to individual plans issued pursuant to this article unless and to the extent specifically incorporated in rules promulgated pursuant to the authority conferred by section eleven of this article.

(b) Group plans. -– Only the following provisions of article sixteen of this chapter apply to insurers offering group plans pursuant to this article: Sections one-a, three, three-g, three-j, three-k, three-l, three-m, three-n, three-o, three-p, four, five, six, seven, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen and fifteen; all other provisions of article sixteen do not apply to group plans approved pursuant to this article unless and to the extent the provisions are specifically incorporated in rules promulgated by the commissioner. Notwithstanding any other provision of this code or of the code of state rules, the provisions of article sixteen-e of this chapter and of legislative rules regulating group accident and sickness policies, including the rule set forth in series 39, title 114 of the West Virginia Code of State Rules, do not apply to group plans approved pursuant to this article unless and to the extent specifically incorporated in rules promulgated by the commissioner pursuant to the authority conferred by section eleven of this article.

(c) Small group plans. -- With respect to any group plan approved under this article and offered to any "small employer", as that term is defined in section two, article sixteen-d of this chapter, the following provisions of article sixteen-d apply: Sections two, four, seven, eight, twelve, thirteen and fourteen: Provided, That only the sentence preceding the proviso in section thirteen, article sixteen-d of this chapter applies to small employer plans approved pursuant to this article. Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, all other provisions of article sixteen-d of this chapter do not apply to small employer plans approved pursuant to this article unless and to the extent such provisions are specifically incorporated in rules promulgated by the commissioner.

(d) Forbearance by the commissioner. -– The commissioner may forbear from applying any other statutory or regulatory requirements to an insurer offering an individual or group plan approved pursuant to this article, including any requirements in articles twenty-four and twenty-five-a of this chapter, if he or she determines that such forbearance serves the principles set forth in section one of this article.

(e) Existing limited benefit plans. -– Plans approved pursuant to the provisions of article fifteen-d of this chapter, as that article existed prior to its repeal during the 2009 regular legislative session, and this article, as that it existed prior to its amendment and reenactment during the 2009 regular legislative session, remain in effect and are subject to those provisions.