(a)(1) Every carrier shall make available to every eligible individual and every small business, including an eligible small group or eligible individual a certificate that evidences coverage under a policy or contract issued or renewed to a trust, association or other entity that is not a group health plan, as well as to their eligible dependents, every health benefit plan that it provides to any other eligible individual or eligible small business. No health plan may be offered to an eligible individual or an eligible small business unless it complies with this chapter. Upon the request of an eligible small business or an eligible individual, a carrier must provide that group or individual with a price for every health benefit plan that it provides to any eligible small business or eligible individual. Except under the conditions set forth in paragraph (3) of subsection (a) and paragraph (2) of subsection (b), every carrier shall enroll any eligible small business or eligible individual which seeks to enroll in a health benefit plan. Every carrier shall permit every eligible small business group to enroll all eligible persons and all eligible dependents; provided that the commissioner shall promulgate regulations which limit the circumstances under which coverage must be made available to an eligible employee who seeks to enroll in a health benefit plan significantly later than he was initially eligible to enroll in a group plan.

(2) A carrier shall enroll eligible individuals and eligible persons, as defined in section 2741 of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, 42 U.S.C. section 300gg-41(b), into a health plan if such individuals or persons request coverage within 63 days of termination of any prior creditable coverage. Coverage shall become effective within 30 days of the date of application, subject to reasonable verification of eligibility.

(3) A carrier shall enroll an eligible individual who does not meet the requirements of paragraph (2) into a health benefit plan during the mandatory biannual open enrollment period for eligible individuals and the eligible dependents of those individuals. Each year, the first open enrollment period shall begin on January 1 and end on February 15. The second open enrollment period shall begin on July 1 and end on August 15. All coverage shall become effective on the first day of the month following enrollment. The commissioner shall promulgate regulations for the open enrollment periods. For a Trade Act/HCTC-eligible persons, a carrier may impose a pre-existing condition exclusion or waiting period of no more that 6 months following the individual's effective date of coverage if the Trade Act/HCTC- eligible person has had less than 3 months of continuous health coverage before becoming eligible for the health coverage tax credit; or a break in coverage of over 62 days immediately before the date of application for enrollment into the qualified health plan.

(4) No policy may require any waiting period if the eligible individual has not had any creditable coverage for the 18 months prior to the effective date of coverage. Notwithstanding paragraph (3), an eligible individual who does not meet the requirements of paragraph (2) may seek an enrollment waiver to permit enrollment not during a mandatory open enrollment period. Enrollment waivers shall be administered and granted by the office of patient protection established by section 217 of chapter 111.

(b)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision in this section, a carrier may deny an eligible individual or eligible small group enrollment in a health benefit plan if the carrier certifies to the commissioner that the carrier intends to discontinue selling that health benefit plan to new eligible individuals or eligible small businesses. The commissioner is authorized to promulgate regulations prohibiting a carrier from using this paragraph to circumvent the intent of this chapter.

(2) A carrier shall not be required to issue a health benefit plan to an eligible individual or eligible small business if the carrier can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the commissioner that within the prior 12 months, (a) the eligible individual or eligible small business has repeatedly failed to pay on a timely basis the required health premiums; or, (b) the eligible individual or eligible small business has committed fraud, misrepresented whether or not a person is an eligible individual or eligible employee, or misrepresented other information necessary to determine the size of a group, the participation rate of a group, or the premium rate for a group; or (c) the eligible individual or eligible small business has failed to comply in a material manner with a health benefit plan provision, including for an eligible small business, compliance with carrier requirements regarding employer contributions to group premiums; or (d) the eligible individual voluntarily ceases coverage under a health benefit plan; provided that the carrier shall be required to credit the time such person was covered under prior creditable coverage provided by a carrier if the previous coverage was continuous to a date not more than 63 days prior to the date of the request for the new coverage. A carrier shall not be required to issue a health benefit plan to an eligible individual or eligible small business if the individual or small business fails to comply with the carrier's requests for information which the carrier deems necessary to verify the application for coverage under the health benefit plan.

(3) A carrier shall not be required to issue a health benefit plan to an eligible individual or eligible small business if the carrier can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the commissioner that:--
 

(i) the small business fails at the time of issuance or renewal to meet a participation requirement established under the definition of participation rate in section 1; or

(ii) acceptance of an application or applications would create for the carrier a condition of financial impairment, and the carrier makes such a demonstration to the same commissioner.

(4) Notwithstanding any other provision in this section, a carrier may deny an eligible individual or an eligible small business with 5 or fewer eligible employees enrollment in a health benefit plan unless the eligible individual or eligible small business enrolls through an intermediary or the connector. If an eligible individual or an eligible small business with 5 or fewer eligible employees elects to enroll through an intermediary or the connector, a carrier may not deny that eligible individual or eligible small business enrollment. The carrier shall implement such requirements consistently, treating all similarly situated eligible individuals and eligible small businesses in a similar manner.

(c)(1) Every health benefit plan shall be renewable as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 as amended, or by regulations promulgated under that act.

(2) A carrier shall not be required to renew the health benefit plan of an eligible individual or eligible small business if the individual or small business: (i) has not paid the required premiums; (ii) has committed fraud, misrepresented whether or not a person is an eligible individual or eligible employee, or misrepresented information necessary to determine the size of a group, the participation of a group, or the premium rate for a group; (iii) failed to comply in a material manner with health benefit plan provisions including, for employers, carrier requirements regarding employer contributions to group premiums; (iv) fails, at the time of renewal, to meet the participation requirements of the plan; (v) fails, at the time of renewal, to satisfy the definition of an eligible individual or eligible small business; or, (vi) in the case of a group, is not actively engaged in business.

(3) A carrier may refuse to renew enrollment for an eligible individual, eligible employee or eligible dependent if: (i) the eligible individual, eligible employee or eligible dependent has committed fraud, misrepresented whether or not he or she is an eligible individual, eligible employee or eligible dependent, or misrepresented information necessary to determine his eligibility for a health benefit plan or for specific health benefits; or (ii) the eligible individual, eligible employee or eligible dependent fails to comply in a material manner with health benefit plan provisions.

(d) Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit a carrier from offering coverage in a group to a person, and his dependents, who does not satisfy the hours per week or period employed portions of the definition of eligible employee.

(e) The commissioner shall adopt regulations to enforce this section.