(215 ILCS 5/297.1) (from Ch. 73, par. 909.1)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2027)

Sec. 297.1. Benefits.

(a) A society may provide the following contractual benefits in any form:

(1) Death benefits;

(2) Endowment benefits;

(3) Annuity benefits;

(4) Temporary or permanent disability benefits;

(5) Hospital, medical or nursing benefits;

(6) Monument or tombstone benefits to the memory of deceased members; and

(7) Such other benefits as authorized for life insurers and which are not inconsistent with this amendatory Act.

(b) A society shall specify in its rules those persons who may be issued, or covered by, the contractual benefits in subsection (a), consistent with providing benefits to members and their dependents. A society may provide benefits on the lives of children under the minimum age for adult membership upon application of an adult person.

(c) After the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, a society shall provide an applicant for contractual benefits a disclosure statement that reads substantially as follows:

". . . . . . .(name of the society) is licensed to do business in the State of Illinois as a fraternal benefit society. As such, it is not included in the Illinois Life and Health Guaranty Association (otherwise known as the Guaranty Association). This means that fraternal benefit societies cannot be assessed for the insolvency of other life insurers or other fraternal benefit societies. By law, a fraternal benefit society is responsible for its own solvency. If there is an impairment of reserves, a certificate holder may be assessed a proportionate share of the impairment. This process is described in the certificate issued by the society.".

The statement must appear immediately above the applicant's signature on the society's membership application or certificate or policy application, in uppercase and bold type or boxed.

(Source: P.A. 98-814, eff. 1-1-15.)