Blanket insurance.

Existing law provides that blanket insurance is that form of insurance providing coverage for specified circumstances and insuring by describing all persons within a class of persons defined in a policy issued to a master policyholder, and not by specifically naming the persons covered. Under existing law, the permitted types of blanket insurance are those where the blanket policy is issued to specified entities, including, but not limited to, a volunteer fire company providing benefits to members only in the event of accident incurred while performing actions incident to such membership and a proprietor or sponsor of an organized camping institution providing benefits to campers or persons responsible for their support for death or dismemberment resulting from accident, or for hospital, medical, surgical, or nursing expenses resulting from accident or sickness related to the camper's specified connection with the camping institution. This bill would revise and recast those above entities to instead include (1) a volunteer or governmental fire department, emergency medical services company, or similar volunteer or governmental organization providing benefits to members or participants only in the event of accident incurred while performing actions incident to an activity or operation sponsored or supervised by the department, company, or organization and (2) a sports team or camp, as specified, providing benefits to participants, campers, and other specified persons responsible for their support for death or dismemberment resulting from accident, or for hospital, medical, surgical, or nursing expenses resulting from specified accident or sickness related to the participants, campers, or other specified person's connection with the sports team or camp, as specified. This bill would additionally specify other permitted types of blanket insurance, providing specified benefits, issued to specified entities that include, but are not limited to, (1) an employer providing accident benefits to any group of workers, dependents, or guests, limited by reference to specified hazards incident to activities or operations of the employer, (2) any common carrier or any operator, owner, or lessor of a means of transportation providing accident benefits to any specified group of persons who may become lessees or passengers limited by reference to travel status, and (3) an entertainment production company providing accident benefits to any group of participants, volunteers, audience members, contestants, or workers while engaged in any activity or operation of the entertainment production company. The bill would authorize the person insured, when the premium is paid for these types of blanket insurance, to request a copy of the policy from the insurer. Existing law prohibits a person from transacting any class of insurance business in this state without first being an admitted insurer. Under existing law, admission is secured by procuring a certificate of authority from the Insurance Commissioner. Existing law authorizes the above-described blanket policies, among others, to provide that the cost of the insurance coverage is required to be paid by either the policyholder, or the individuals insured or their parents or guardians, payable through the policyholder. Existing law prohibits a blanket policy from being issued until approved as to substance and form by the commissioner. This bill would extend these provisions to the newly established permitted types of blanket insurance described above. The bill would require an insurer who intends to issue a policy according to these revised provisions to file, prior to issuance, any new language in that policy with the commissioner for approval. The bill would also authorize the commissioner to add to the list of entities that may be eligible to purchase blanket insurance for any risk or class of risks, relating to accident benefits, as defined, which may be properly eligible for blanket insurance. The bill would require the commissioner to issue and post on the commission's Internet Web site a letter order, as specified, each time the commissioner exercises his or her discretion to add an entity to the list of entities eligible to purchase blanket insurance, and would authorize the commissioner to withdraw the issuance of a letter order in accordance with a prescribed process. The bill would make additional conforming, nonsubstantive changes.