As used in this part, the following terms have the following meanings:

(a) “Group policy” means a group health insurance policy providing medical, hospital, surgical, major medical, or comprehensive medical coverage issued by an insurer, a group contract issued by a hospital service corporation, or medical, hospital, surgical, major medical, or comprehensive medical coverage otherwise provided by a policyholder to its employees or members, except for self-insurance programs provided by employers that are not exempt from the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), as specified in subdivision (i). For the purposes of this part, a group policy not having an established annual renewal date shall be considered renewed on each anniversary of its effective date.

(b) “Conversion coverage” means health insurance benefits providing hospital, surgical, major medical, or comprehensive medical coverage issued to an individual under a converted policy.

(c) “Converted policy” means a policy or contract providing conversion coverage issued by an insurance company or by a hospital service corporation, or individual hospital, surgical, major medical, or comprehensive medical coverage otherwise provided by a policyholder to its employees or members.

(d) “Insurer” means the entity issuing a group policy, an individual or converted policy, a hospital service contract or an employer or employee organization otherwise providing medical, hospital, surgical, major medical, or comprehensive medical coverage to its employees or members.

(e) “Insurance” refers to health insurance, major medical, or comprehensive coverage paid by premium or contribution under a group policy, a hospital service contract, or as otherwise provided by a policyholder to its employees or members other than by self-insuring except in the case of a plan that is exempt from ERISA, but does include an employer plan that is exempt from ERISA as specified in subdivision (i). “Insurance” does not include any of the following:

(1) Coverage provided solely as an accrued liability or by reason of a disability extension.

(2) Medicare supplement insurance.

(3) Vision-only insurance.

(4) Dental-only insurance.

(5) CHAMPUS supplement insurance.

(6) Hospital indemnity insurance.

(7) Accident-only insurance.

(8) Short-term limited duration health insurance. “Short-term limited duration health insurance” means health insurance coverage provided pursuant to a health insurance policy that has an expiration date specified in the policy that is less than 12 months after the original effective date of the coverage.

(9) Specified disease insurance that does not pay benefits on a fixed benefit, cash payment only basis.

(f) “Policyholder” means the holder of a group policy issued by an insurer, a holder of a group contract issued by a hospital service corporation or an employer, employee association, or other entity otherwise providing medical, hospital, surgical, major medical, or comprehensive medical coverage on a group basis to its employees or members.

(g) “Premium” means contribution or other consideration paid or payable for coverage under a group policy or converted policy.

(h) “Medicare” means Title XVIII of the United States Social Security Act as added by the Social Security Amendments of 1965 or as later amended or superseded.

(i) “Employer plan that is exempt from ERISA” means an employer plan that, pursuant to Section 1003 of Title 29 of the United States Code, is not covered by or that is exempt from Subchapter I (commencing with Section 1001) of Chapter 18 of Title 29 of the United States Code, except that, in the case of a governmental plan, it only includes a self-insured governmental plan as defined in subdivision (j).

(j) “Self-insured governmental plan” means a self-insured plan established or maintained for its employees by a public entity, as defined in Section 811.2 of the Government Code, that is a governmental plan as defined in subdivision (32) of Section 1002 of Title 29 of the United States Code.

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 687, Sec. 13. (SB 910) Effective January 1, 2019.)