W. Va. Code § 33-13C-10 — WV Code / Chapter 33 / Article 13C / Section 10
§33-13C-10. General rules.
Status: in_force

(a)(1) A viatical settlement provider entering into a viatical settlement contract shall first obtain:

(A) If the viator is the insured, a written statement from a licensed attending physician that the viator is of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence to enter into a viatical settlement contract; and

(B) A document in which the insured consents to the release of his or her medical records to a licensed viatical settlement provider, viatical settlement broker and the insurance company that issued the life insurance policy covering the life of the insured.

(2) Within twenty days after a viator executes documents necessary to transfer any rights under an insurance policy or within twenty days of entering any agreement, option, promise or any other form of understanding, expressed or implied, to viaticate the policy, the viatical settlement provider shall give written notice to the insurer that issued that insurance policy that the policy has or will become a viaticated policy. The notice shall be accompanied by the documents required by subdivision (3) of this subsection.

(3) The viatical provider shall deliver a copy of the medical release required under paragraph (B), subdivision (1) of this subsection, a copy of the viator's application for the viatical settlement contract, the notice required under subdivision (2) of this subsection and a request for verification of coverage to the insurer that issued the life insurance policy that is the subject of the viatical transaction. The request for verification of coverage shall be on a form prescribed by the commissioner.

(4) The insurer shall respond to a request for verification of coverage within thirty calendar days of the date the request is received and shall indicate whether, based on the medical evidence and documents provided, the insurer intends to pursue an investigation at this time regarding the validity of the insurance contract or possible fraud. The insurer shall accept a request for verification made on an approved form or any facsimile or electronic copy of such request and any accompanying authorization signed by the viator. Failure by the insurer to meet its obligations under this subsection shall be a violation of subsection (c), section eleven of this article and section sixteen of this article.

(5) Prior to or at the time of execution of the viatical settlement contract, the viatical settlement provider shall obtain a witnessed document in which the viator consents to the viatical settlement contract, represents that the viator has a full understanding of the viatical settlement contract, that he or she has a full understanding of the benefits of the life insurance policy, acknowledges that he or she is entering into the viatical settlement contract freely and voluntarily and, for persons with a terminal or chronic illness or condition, acknowledges that the insured has a terminal or chronic illness and that the terminal or chronic illness or condition was diagnosed after the life insurance policy was issued.

(6) If a viatical settlement broker performs any of these activities required of the viatical settlement provider, the provider is deemed to have fulfilled the requirements of this section.

(b) All medical information solicited or obtained by any licensee shall be subject to the applicable provisions of state law relating to confidentiality of medical information.

(c) All viatical settlement contracts entered into in this state shall provide the viator with an absolute right to rescind the contract before the earlier of sixty calendar days after the date upon which the viatical settlement contract is executed by all parties or thirty calendar days after the viatical settlement proceeds have been sent to the viator as provided in subsection (e) of this section. Rescission by the viator may be conditioned upon the viator both giving notice and repaying to the viatical settlement provider within the rescission period all proceeds of the settlement and any premiums, loans and loan interest paid by or on behalf of the viatical settlement provider in connection with or as a result of the viatical settlement. If the insured dies during the rescission period, the viatical settlement contract shall be deemed to have been rescinded, subject to repayment to the viatical settlement provider or purchaser of all viatical settlement proceeds, any premiums, loans and loan interest that have been paid by the viatical settlement provider or purchaser, which shall be paid within sixty calendar days of the death of the insured. In the event of any rescission, if the viatical settlement provider has paid commissions or other compensation to a viatical settlement broker in connection with the rescinded transaction, the viatical settlement broker shall refund all such commissions and compensation to the viatical settlement provider within five business days following receipt of written demand from the viatical settlement provider, which demand shall be accompanied by either the viator's notice of rescission if rescinded at the election of the viator, or notice of the death of the insured if rescinded by reason of the death of the insured within the applicable rescission period.

(d) The viatical settlement provider shall instruct the viator to send the executed documents required to effect the change in ownership, assignment or change in beneficiary directly to the independent escrow agent. Within three business days after the escrow agent receives the document or, if the viator erroneously provides the documents directly to the provider, after the viatical settlement provider receives the documents, the provider shall pay or transfer the proceeds of the viatical settlement into an escrow or trust account maintained in a state or federally charted financial institution whose deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Upon payment of the settlement proceeds into the escrow account, the escrow agent shall deliver the original change in ownership assignment or change in beneficiary forms to the viatical settlement provider or related provider trust or other designated representative of the viatical settlement provider. Upon the escrow agent's receipt of the acknowledgment of the properly completed transfer of ownership, assignment or designation of beneficiary from the insurance company, the escrow agent shall pay the settlement proceeds to the viator.

(e) Failure to tender consideration to the viator for the viatical settlement contract within the time set forth in the disclosure pursuant to subdivision (7), subsection (a), section eight of this article renders the viatical settlement contract voidable by the viator for lack of consideration until the time consideration is tendered to and accepted by the viator. Funds shall be deemed sent by a viatical settlement provider to a viator as of the date that the escrow agent either releases funds for wire transfer to the viator or places a check for delivery to the viator via United State Postal Service or other nationally recognized delivery service.

(f) Contacts with the insured for the purpose of determining the health status of the insured by the viatical settlement provider or viatical settlement broker after the viatical settlement has occurred shall only be made by the viatical settlement provider or broker licensed in this state or its authorized representatives and shall be limited to once every three months for insureds with a life expectancy of more than one year, and to no more than once per month for insureds with a life expectancy of one year or less. The provider or broker shall explain the procedure for these contacts at the time the viatical settlement contract is entered into. The limitations set forth in this subsection shall not apply to any contacts with an insured for reasons other than determining the insured's health status. Viatical settlement providers and viatical settlement brokers shall be responsible for the actions of their authorized representatives.