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2017 Insurance Bills Passed Into Law

HB 130: Transportation Network Companies
Requires Transportation Network Companies (TNC) to notify drivers that they may have a contractual obligation to include the TNC as a loss payee on their insurance policy; also requires TNCs to perform criminal background checks on drivers. Does not affect insurance requirements previously passed in 2016 legislation.
 
HB 336: Life Insurance Suicide Exclusion
Currently, life insurance companies can exclude coverage for suicide for one year after the issuance of the policy.  This bill adds the exclusion to any additional riders, endorsements, or amendments added.
 
HB 339: Tort Claims
Addresses reservation of rights letters, often issued by an insurance carrier when the carrier believes more time is needed to decide if a claim is covered or not; specifies that if a person who has a claim for damages against an at-fault party enters into a contract with the at-fault party’s insurer, such person will, in consideration for payment of a specified amount of money and in case of judgment against the party, levy execution only up to the applicable monetary limits of the insurance contract.  Makes so-called "537.065 settlements" only available if the carrier has either declined coverage or has issued a reservation of rights letter. The carriers must also be given the opportunity to intervene within 30 days in any lawsuit relating to unliquidated claims for damages.
 
SB 31: Collateral Source Rule
Under the act, special damages claimed by the plaintiff at trial that have been satisfied by a payment from a defendant, the defendant's insurer, or authorized representative prior to trial are not recoverable. The defendant is entitled to deduct such payments towards special damages from any judgement as provided in current law and provides that parties may introduce evidence of the actual cost, rather than the value, of the medical care rendered. The collateral source doctrine allows for “double collection” of damages by prohibiting the admission of evidence that an injured party has already received compensation from the insurance carrier of the at-fault party.
 
SB 66: Workers' Compensation
This bill makes numerous changes to the Missouri workers’ compensation system. Among those areas addressed is the maximum number of weeks of benefits once the worker has reached “maximum medical improvement,” the reduction of compensation award based upon use of drugs, line of duty compensation, and death benefits and burial expenses. But the most notable area of the bill as it pertains to insurance agents in the ability for a shareholder of an S corporation with at least 40 percent or more interest in the S corporation to individually elect to reject coverage under the workers' compensation laws by providing a written notice of the rejection to the S corporation and its insurer. Members of limited liability companies were already provided the choice to individually reject coverage.