Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence Under New York Insurance Law §2612
New York Insurance Law §2612 provides important protections to persons who may be subject to domestic violence. These protections include prohibiting an individual, insurer or entity supervised by the Department of Financial Services, solely because a person is or has been a victim of domestic violence, from:
- Refusing to issue or renew, deny or cancel any insurance policy or contract,
- Demanding or requiring a greater premium or payment from any person,
- Designating domestic violence as a preexisting condition for which coverage will be denied or reduced, and
- Using the fact that a person is or has been a victim of domestic violence as an underwriting criterion.
The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company, Prudential Annuity Life Assurance Corporation, Vantage Casualty Insurance Company and Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey (collectively, “Prudential”), all supervised by the Department of Financial Services, are subject to this law.
If any person covered by an insurance policy issued to another person who is the policyholder, or if any person covered under a group policy delivers to the insurer that issued the policy, a valid order of protection against the policyholder or other person, then the insurer is prohibited for the duration of the order from disclosing to the policyholder or other person the address and telephone number of the insured, or of any person or entity providing covered services to the insured. A valid order of protection may be delivered to Prudential by following the procedure set forth below.
Any person, or the parent of a child, who is a victim of domestic violence may provide an alternative address, telephone number or other method of contact to Prudential by following the procedure set forth below.
An individual covered under a policy issued by a health insurer, or the individual’s legal representative or parent or guardian (the “covered individual”), who could be endangered by the disclosure of all or a part of claim-related information by the health insurer, may request to receive communications of claim-related information from the health insurer by alternative means or at alternative locations by following the procedure set forth below. The covered individual may submit a sworn statement revoking that request by following the procedure set forth below.
Procedure: Please mail a valid order of protection to the address shown below. For all requests, please send a written explanation of your request, with your phone number, mailing address and email address, if any, to:
The Prudential Insurance Company of America
Legal Process Unit, 4th floor
751 Broad Street
Newark, NJ 07102
The phone numbers for the New York State Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline are:
- 1-800-942-6906
- En español: 1-800-942-6908
- In New York City: 1-800-621-HOPE (4673) or dial 311
- TTY (deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-impaired): 1-866-604-5350