Georgia § 33-1-14 - Regulation of certain persons providing coverage for medical or dental services.

§ 33-1-14. Regulation of certain persons providing coverage for medical or dental services.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law and except as provided in this Code section, any person, other than an authorized insurer, the state and its instrumentalities, or political subdivisions of the state and their instrumentalities, who provides coverage in this state for medical, surgical, chiropractic, physical therapy, optometry, speech pathology, podiatry, audiology, psychology, pharmaceutical, dental, or hospital services, whether such coverage is by direct payment, reimbursement, or otherwise, shall be presumed to be subject to the jurisdiction of the Department of Insurance, unless the person shows that, while providing coverage for such services, such person is subject to the jurisdiction of an insurance supervisory official of another state or specifically subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government. Any person may show that such person is subject to the jurisdiction of an insurance supervisory official of another state or specifically subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government by providing to the Commissioner the appropriate certificate, license, or document, issued by the insurance supervisory official of another state or specifically issued to such person by an appropriate official or agency of the federal government which permits such person to provide such coverages. Any such person who is unable to show under subsection (b) of this Code section that such person is subject to the jurisdiction of an insurance supervisory official of another state or specifically subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government shall submit to an examination by the Commissioner to determine the organization and solvency of the person and to determine whether or not such person complies with the applicable provisions of this title. Any person unable to show under subsection (b) of this Code section that such person is subject to the jurisdiction of an insurance supervisory official of another state or specifically subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government shall be subject to all appropriate provisions of this title regarding the conduct of such person's business. Any production agency or administrator which advertises, sells, transacts, or administers the coverage in this state described in subsection (a) of this Code section and which is required to submit to an examination by the Commissioner under subsection (c) of this Code section shall, if said coverage is not fully insured or otherwise fully covered by an authorized insurer, advise every purchaser, prospective purchaser, and covered person of such lack of insurance or other coverage. Any administrator which advertises or administers the coverage in this state described in subsection (a) of this Code section and which is required to submit to an examination by the Commissioner under subsection (c) of this Code section shall advise any production agency of the elements of the coverage, including the amount of "stop-loss" insurance in effect. As used in this Code section, the term "authorized insurer" means any insurer authorized to sell accident and sickness policies, subscriber contracts, certificates, or agreements of any form under Chapter 15, 20, 21, 29, or 30 of this title. (Code 1981, § 33-1-14 , enacted by Ga. L. 1985, p. 723, § 2; Ga. L. 1987, p. 3, § 33; Ga. L. 2019, p. 337, § 1-6/SB 132.) The 2019 amendment, effective July 1, 2019, substituted "Department of Insurance" for "Insurance Department" in the middle of subsection (a); and deleted "18, 19," following "Chapter 15," at the end of subsection (f).