Bill > HB211

This bill clarifies the regulation of prepaid legal plans by stating that Alaska's insurance laws do not apply to these plans, defining a prepaid legal plan as an arrangement where a member prepays for specified legal services, the organization contracts directly with an attorney who is paid a fixed amount and receives no further payment from the organization for those services, and that the contracted attorney does not receive additional payment or reimbursement from the organization for the provision of those services or expenses. It also adds a provision to the Alaska Statutes that prohibits misleading advertising by prepaid legal plan providers that suggests the plan is insurance or guarantees outcomes beyond its scope, prevents members from being charged for services beyond the month they request to disenroll, and prohibits penalties for disenrolling. Furthermore, the bill mandates that providers must give members written disclosures before enrollment, including a list of covered services and exclusions, costs and payment terms, how to access services and contact information, a statement that the plan is not insurance, and dispute resolution procedures, and requires providers to keep records of member complaints for at least three years and make them available to the attorney general.