Governor's Executive Order 2020-17; Continuity of Work - License Requirements

NEW ADDRESS
Arizona Department of Insurance
100 North 15th Avenue, Suite 261
Phoenix, AZ  85007-2630

Starting July 1, 2020, we will be the
Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI).

On March 26, 2020, Governor Ducey issued Executive Order 2020-17, which allows agencies to defer certain license-related requirements under certain conditions.  The following three portions of the Executive Order that relate to the Department of Insurance license applicants and license-holders are as follows:

1.  A state agency can defer license renewal if requirements cannot be fulfilled online.   

  • All Department of Insurance license renewal requirements can be completed online; therefore, licensees must complete renewal requirements by or before the expiration dates on licenses.

2.  A state agency can defer continuing education requirements if continuing education cannot be completed online. 

  • Insurance producers may complete insurance continuing education online.  Until social distancing recommendations are lifted, insurance producers do not need to have post-course examinations proctored.

3.  When a pre-license examination is required that cannot be provided via electronic or remote format, a state agency must issue a provisional license to an applicant, unless prohibited by federal law or regulation, if the applicant has met all requirements for a license other than the examination.   

  • Our insurance license examination testing vendor, Prometric, has closed its testing centers in accordance with guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control. 
     
  • Pre-license examinations are not required of non-resident applicants or for business-entity applicants, who can apply for licenses online at any time using the National Insurance Producer Registry (www.nipr.com).
     
  • Because COVID-19 has caused pre-license insurance examinations and fingerprinting services to be unavailable, we have made provisional (temporary) licenses available to Arizona-resident individuals who meet all license requirements other than passing the exam and submitting fingerprints.  In accordance with the Executive Order,
    • a provisional license expires six months after the date issued;
    • once pre-license insurance examinations and fingerprinting services are made available, the Department shall notify each provisional license-holder by e-mail ("e-mail notification"), and a provisional license-holder shall have 20 days after the e-mail notification to pass the pre-license examination that corresponds to the authority held on the provisional license;
    • a provisional license-holder shall have 30 days after the e-mail notification to submit fingerprints to the Department;
    • a provisional license of a person who fails to pass the pre-license examination within 20 days after the e-mail notification shall be automatically suspended pursuant to Executive Order 2020-17, which will require the person to immediately cease conducting business requiring the license;
    • a provisional license (whether active or suspended) shall be converted to a permanent license once the provisional license-holder passes the pre-license examination and furnishes fingerprints to the Department.
       
  • To apply for a provisional license:
    • Use the National Insurance Producer Registry (www.nipr.com) if you are an individual wanting to apply for provisional Arizona-resident insurance producer authority.
       
    • Download, save, complete and submit Form L-PRV if you are an individual wanting to apply for provisional Arizona-resident adjuster or surplus lines broker license.  
PDF icon eo_2020-17.pdf
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Form L-PRV: Application for Provisional License
  • Use Form L-PRV to apply for provisional adjuster or surplus lines broker authority. 
  • Use the National Insurance Producer Registry (www.nipr.com) to apply for provisional insurance producer authority as well as for all other types of insurance professional licenses.
Governor's Executive Order 2020-07; Proactive Measures to Protect Against COVID-19

Governor Douglas A. Ducey issued a declaration of Public Health Emergency due to the necessity to prepare for, prevent, respond to and mitigate the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Governor Ducey also issued Executive Order 2020-07, which will be accessible from the Governor's Executive Orders web page (https://azgovernor.gov/executive-orders).


The Executive Order instructs the Department of Health Services and the Department of Insurance to require all Arizona-regulated insurers to cover COVID diagnostic testing from all qualified laboratories without regard to whether the laboratory is in-network; waive all cost-sharing requirements for consumers related to COVID-19 diagnostic testing; and, cover telemedicine visits at a lower cost-sharing point for consumers than the same in-office service to encourage utilization of telemedicine for the duration of the state's public health emergency.


The Executive Order also instructs the Department of Health Services and Arizona health regulatory boards to prohibit, investigate and take action against price gouging by any healthcare professional or healthcare institution in relation to COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment-related services, and requires the Attorney General to investigate and vigorously prosecute complaints of consumer fraud in relation to COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment-related services under consumer protection laws.
Governor's Executive Order 2020-15; Expands Telemedicine Coverage For Arizonans

Governor Ducey issued Executive Order 2020-15, requiring health care insurance companies to expand telemedicine coverage for all services that would normally be covered for an in-person visit. The order helps ensure that Arizonans who may be sick or under quarantine can access care from their homes and avoid potentially risky trips to a health care provider. It remains in effect until the termination of the declared public health emergency. 

“Access to health care is crucial at a time like this,” said Governor Ducey. “This order will ensure that Arizonans can access care without having to leave home while freeing up much needed capacity for our health care providers and hospitals. It’s commonsense and helps ensure our most vulnerable continue to have access to care in a way that protects them and public health.”

Yesterday, Governor Ducey took steps to free up physicians for other needed medical services and ensure access to health care for kids and vulnerable Arizonans receiving care through KidsCare and AHCCCS.

Today’s Executive Order prevents insurers from charging more for a telemedicine visit than they would for an in-person visit. In addition, the order:

  • Requires all Medicaid plans in the State of Arizona to cover all health care services that are covered benefits to be accessible by telemedicine to AHCCCS members, while prohibiting those plans from discounting rates for services provided via telemedicine;
  • Includes all electronic means of delivering telehealth including telephone and video calls;
  • Ensures that a patient’s home is considered an approved location to receive telemedicine services;
  • And prohibits a regulatory board from requiring a medical professional who is authorized to write prescriptions to conduct an in-person examination of a patient prior to the issuance of a prescription.
Executive Order 2020-26: Remote Online Notary Services

On April 8, 2020, Governor Ducey issued Executive Order 2020-26, allowing Arizona notaries public who meet requirements specified by the Arizona Secretary of State to offer remote online notarization, allowing Arizonans and notaries can meet, sign and notarize documents online starting Friday, April 10, 2020.  We will soon be providing more information about how Arizonans can find an approved online notary starting April 10.