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House passes bill banning insurers from using domestic-abuse history to deny life/disability coverage
Summary
The House passed HB170 to bar life and disability insurers from denying, limiting or using domestic-abuse history in underwriting; the bill passed 71–0 after sponsors described privacy protections and reporting recourse to the Utah Department of Insurance.
The Utah House passed House Bill 170 on the floor after debate that centered on privacy protections for victims of domestic abuse and the role of insurers in underwriting life and disability policies.
Sponsor Representative Brian Allen said the amended bill prevents insurers from considering whether an applicant or insured has been the subject of domestic abuse when deciding whether to refuse, cancel, limit or charge different rates for life or disability coverage. The text also prohibits insurers from transferring disclosed domestic-abuse information to third parties except in narrow circumstances and adds protections for obtaining medical and insurance records.
Supporters — including domestic-violence advocates and representatives of health-worker groups mentioned on the floor — said the measure encourages victims to seek care without fear their insurance records will be used to their detriment. The sponsor said enforcement and complaints would be handled by the Utah Department of Insurance; members noted that a standardized reporting protocol for insurers had not yet been developed.
One member declared a potential conflict of interest due to an insurance license; the declaration was noted on the record. After floor discussion and adoption of sponsor amendments, the House recorded a final vote of 71 yes and 0 no, sending HB170 to the Senate for further consideration.
Next steps: HB170 was forwarded to the Senate; the transcript records that members may continue work with the domestic-violence advisory council and insurance industry on reporting protocols.
