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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>71043</law_id><section_number>38.2-3553</section_number><catch_line>Membership in a small employer health group cooperative</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="38.2">Insurance</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="35">Accident and Sickness Insurance Policies</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="5">Small Employer Health Insurance Pooling</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> A small employer health group cooperative: <a id="paragraph-256119" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3553/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Shall not limit, restrict, or condition a small employer&#x2019;s membership in the small employer health group cooperative on any health status-related factor relating to an individual, including an employee of a small employer or a dependent of an employee; and <a id="paragraph-256120" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3553/#A1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Shall make group health policies offered through the small employer health group cooperative available to all eligible employees of its employer-members and their eligible dependents, regardless of any health status-related factor relating to individuals eligible for coverage through a member. <a id="paragraph-256121" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3553/#A2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Notwithstanding subdivision 2 of subsection A, nothing in this article shall be construed as requiring (i) an issuer to provide coverage outside its service area or (ii) a small employer health group cooperative to make such coverage available to employer-members located outside the service area of the issuer. <a id="paragraph-256122" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3553/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> A small employer health group cooperative shall not make group health policies offered through the cooperative available other than to the eligible employees of its employer-members and their eligible dependents. <a id="paragraph-256123" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/38.2-3553/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2006, c. 427.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
