§2010.50. Form and Content of Advertisements

a)         The format and content of a Medicare supplement insurance advertisement shall avoid deception or the capacity or tendency to mislead or deceive.  Whether an advertisement has a capacity or tendency to mislead or deceive shall be determined by the Director from the overall impression that the advertisement may be reasonably expected to create upon a person of average education or intelligence, within the segment of the public to which it is directed.

 

b)         Advertisements shall be truthful and not misleading in fact or in implication.  Words or phrases whose meanings are clear only by implication or by the consumer's familiarity with insurance terminology shall not be used.

 

c)         An insurer must clearly identify its Medicare supplement insurance policy as an insurance policy.  A policy trade name must be followed by the words "Insurance Policy" or similar words clearly identifying the fact that an insurance policy or health benefits product (in the case of health maintenance organizations, prepaid health plans and other direct service organizations) is being offered.

 

d)         No insurer, producer or other person shall solicit a resident of this State for the purchase of Medicare supplement insurance in connection with or as the result of the use of any advertisement by such person or any other person, where the advertisement:

 

1)         Contains any misleading representations or misrepresentations, or is otherwise untrue, deceptive or misleading with regard to the information imparted, the status, character or representative capacity of such person or the true purpose of the advertisement; or

 

2)         Otherwise violates the provisions of this Part.

 

e)         No insurer, producer or other person shall solicit residents of this State for the purchase of Medicare supplement insurance through the use of a true or fictitious name which is deceptive or misleading with regard to the status, character, or proprietary or representative capacity of such person or the true purpose of the advertisement.