Colorado Code § 10-4-419

Claims-made policy forms
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(1) No insurer shall use or issue any policy,
certificate, or contract of insurance or any portion thereof which provides coverage on a claims-
made basis unless it has been certified by the insurer and the insurer has filed a certification with
the commissioner that such policy endorsement or disclosure form or any portion thereof which
provides coverage on a claims-made basis conforms to Colorado law pursuant to subsection (2)
of this section and any rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to subsection (3) of this
section.
(2) A claims-made policy shall not be delivered or issued for delivery to any person in
this state unless:
(a) The insurer defines the nature of the risks or exposures to be insured on the claims-
made policy;
(b) (I) The policy contains clear and adequate disclosure and alerts the insured to the fact
that the policy is a claims-made policy and explains the unique features distinguishing it from an
occurrence policy and relating to renewal, extended reporting periods, and coverage of
occurrences with long periods of exposure. The commissioner shall promulgate regulations
which establish proof of delivery and acceptance thereof by the policyholder and set forth the
contents and format of the minimum disclosures required under this article.
(II) Such disclosures shall include:
(A) A description of the principal benefits and coverage provided in the policy;
(B) A statement of the exceptions, reductions, and limitations contained in the policy;
(C) A statement of the renewal provisions including any reservation by the insurer of a
right to change premiums;
(D) A statement that the outline of coverage is a summary of the policy issued or applied
for and that the policy should be consulted to determine governing contractual provisions.
(c) The policy clearly defines the events and conditions which trigger coverage and
defines when and how a claim is deemed to be made or is deemed made;
(d) The policy offers, at the insured's option, the purchase of an extended reporting
period of at least one year for claims not filed during the policy period. The premium may not
exceed two hundred percent of the expiring policy premium unless the adjusted premium is
determined by the commissioner to be inadequate based upon section 10-4-403 and based upon
an opinion of a qualified actuary submitted on behalf of the insurer.
(e) The policy requires insurers to furnish policyholders, upon their request and within
thirty days thereafter, sufficient information about closed or paid claims, claims for which the
company has established reserves, and claims for which the company has received notices of
occurrences which could give rise to claims to allow the insured to determine how much of his
aggregate coverage remains available under the policy;
(f) The insured approves and acknowledges, by signature on the written endorsement,
any exclusionary endorsement which excludes coverage in a renewal period for claims from
certain known occurrences, events, products, or locations;
(g) All persons engaged in the sale, consultation, or adjustment of the claims-made
policy have been trained and certified pursuant to the standards and procedures set forth in
regulations promulgated by the commissioner.
(3) (a) The commissioner may prohibit the use of a claims-made liability policy if the
policy does not contain one or more of the following policy provisions:
(I) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2000, p. 466, § 5, effective August 2, 2000.)
(II) A policy provision that, in the event of cancellation or nonrenewal for any reason,
the policy guarantees the insured the right of a sixty-day period to purchase coverage for an
extended reporting period as provided in subparagraph (III) of this paragraph (a); or
(III) A policy provision that, at the insured's option, the insured may purchase coverage
for an extended reporting period of at least the length of time of exposure under the applicable
statute of limitation.
(IV) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2000, p. 466, § 5, effective August 2, 2000.)
(b) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2000, p. 466, § 5, effective August 2, 2000.)
(4) If a standardized claims-made policy form, proposed by a rating or advisory
organization, has been filed with the commissioner and certified by the rating or advisory
organization to be in compliance with statutory mandates, an insurer may utilize such a form.
(5) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires, "claims-made policy"
means a policy of liability insurance that provides coverage for those claims that are made or
reported to the insurance carrier, as is required in the policy, during the term of the policy or for
such extended reporting term for which coverage has been purchased. A "claims-made policy"
may include coverage for events occurring before the current policy term.
(6) This section shall not apply to any public entity self-insurance pool formed pursuant
to section 24-10-115.5, C.R.S., or to any policy, certificate, or contract of insurance offered or
issued by an insurer to such a pool.
(6.5) This section shall not apply to insurers providing coverage for exempt commercial
policyholders, as defined pursuant to section 10-4-1402 and rules adopted by the commissioner
pursuant to that section.
(7) All insurers providing insurance on a claims-made basis and who are authorized by
the commissioner to conduct business in Colorado shall submit an annual report to the
commissioner listing any policy form, endorsement, disclosure form, or any other evidence of
coverage issued or delivered to any policyholder in Colorado. Such listing shall be submitted by
July 15, 1993, and not later than July 1 of each subsequent year and shall contain a certification
by an officer of the organization that each policy form, endorsement, or disclosure form in use
complies with Colorado law. The necessary elements of the certification shall be determined by
the commissioner.
(8) All insurers providing insurance on a claims-made basis and who are authorized by
the commissioner to conduct business in Colorado shall also submit to the commissioner a list of
any new policy form, endorsement, or disclosure form at least thirty-one days before using such
policy form, endorsement, or disclosure form. Such listing shall also contain a certification by an
officer of the organization that each new policy form, endorsement, or disclosure form proposed
to be used complies with Colorado law. The necessary elements of the certification shall be
determined by the commissioner.
(9) The commissioner shall have the power to examine and investigate insurers
authorized to conduct business in Colorado to determine whether claims-made policy forms,
endorsements, or disclosure forms comply with the certification of the insurer and statutory
mandates.

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