§ 4024. Health insurance reinstatement

(a) REINSTATEMENT OF HEALTH INSURANCE- A servicemember who, by reason of military service as defined in section 4023(a)(1) of this title, is entitled to the rights and protections of this chapter shall also be entitled upon termination or release from such service to reinstatement of any health insurance that--

(1) was in effect on the day before such service commenced; and

(2) was terminated effective on a date during the period of such service.

(b) NO EXCLUSION OR WAITING PERIOD- The reinstatement of health care insurance coverage for the health or physical condition of a servicemember described in subsection (a), or any other person who is covered by the insurance by reason of the coverage of the servicemember, shall not be subject to an exclusion or a waiting period, if--

(1) the condition arose before or during the period of such service;

(2) an exclusion or a waiting period would not have been imposed for the condition during the period of coverage; and

(3) in a case in which the condition relates to the servicemember, the condition has not been determined by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to be a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty (within the meaning of section 105 of title 38).

(c) EXCEPTIONS- Subsection (a) does not apply to a servicemember entitled to participate in employer-offered insurance benefits pursuant to the provisions of chapter 43 of title 38.

(d) TIME FOR APPLYING FOR REINSTATEMENT- An application under this section must be filed not later than 120 days after the date of the termination of or release from military service.

(e) LIMITATION ON PREMIUM INCREASES --

(1) Premium protection.-- The amount of the premium for health insurance coverage that was terminated by a servicemember and required to be reinstated under subsection (a) may not be increased, for the balance of the period for which coverage would have been continued had the coverage not been terminated, to an amount greater than the amount chargeable for such coverage before the termination.

(2) Increases of general applicability not precluded.-- Paragraph (1) does not prevent an increase in premium to the extent of any general increase in the premiums charged by the carrier of the health care insurance for the same health insurance coverage for persons similarly covered by such insurance during the period between the termination and the reinstatement.