Virginia Law

A. On and after the operative date stated in § 38.2-3214, no life insurance policy, except as stated in § 38.2-3213, shall be delivered or issued for delivery in this Commonwealth unless it contains in substance the following provisions and statements, or corresponding provisions and statements that in the opinion of the Commission (i) are at least as favorable to the defaulting or surrendering policyholder and (ii) essentially comply with § 38.2-3212:

1. That in the event of default in any premium payment, the insurer will grant, upon proper request not later than sixty days after the due date of the premium in default, a paid-up nonforfeiture benefit on a plan stipulated in the policy, effective as of the due date, in the amount specified in this article. Instead of the stipulated paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, the insurer may substitute, upon proper request not later than sixty days after the due date of the premium in default, an actuarially equivalent alternative paid-up nonforfeiture benefit that provides a greater amount or longer period of death benefits or, if applicable, a greater amount or earlier payment of endowment benefits.

2. That upon surrender of the policy within sixty days after the due date of any premium payment in default, after premiums have been paid for at least three full years for ordinary insurance or five full years for industrial insurance, the insurer will pay, instead of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, a cash surrender value in the amount specified in this chapter.

3. That a specified paid-up nonforfeiture benefit shall become effective as specified in the policy unless the person entitled to make an election selects another available option not later than sixty days after the due date of the premium in default.

4. That for a policy paid up by completion of all premium payments or continued under any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit that became effective on or after the third policy anniversary for ordinary insurance or the fifth policy anniversary for industrial insurance, the insurer will pay, upon surrender of the policy within thirty days after any policy anniversary, a cash surrender value in the amount specified in this article.

5. For policies that provide on a basis guaranteed in the policy unscheduled changes in benefits or premiums, or both, or that provide an option for changes in benefits or premiums, or both, other than a change to a new policy, a statement of the mortality table, interest rate, and method used in calculating cash surrender values and the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits available under the policy. All other policies shall include a statement of the mortality table and interest rate used in calculating the cash surrender values and the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits available under the policy, together with a table showing any cash surrender value and any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit available under the policy on each policy anniversary either during the first twenty policy years or during the term of the policy, whichever is shorter. The values and benefits referred to in this subdivision shall be calculated upon the assumption that there are no dividends or paid-up additions credited to the policy and that there is no indebtedness to the insurer on the policy.

6. A brief and general statement of the method to be used in calculating the cash surrender value and the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits available under the policy on any policy anniversary beyond the last anniversary for which the values and benefits are consecutively shown in the policy, with an explanation of how the existence of any paid-up additions credited to the policy or any indebtedness to the insurer on the policy affects the cash surrender values and the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits.

B. To the extent that any of the foregoing provisions are not applicable to the plan of insurance, they may be omitted from the policy with the approval of the Commission.

C. The insurer shall reserve the right to defer the payment of any cash surrender value for no more than six months after demand for the cash surrender value and surrender of the policy.

Code 1950, § 38-376; 1952, c. 317, § 38.1-461; 1982, c. 228; 1986, c. 562.