Key Takeaways
- Arizona Insurance Code prohibits misrepresentation, false advertising, and unfair claims practices
- Rebating is prohibited in Arizona—offering inducements not in the policy is illegal
- Twisting and churning are prohibited practices subject to license revocation and fines
- Arizona requires claims to be acknowledged promptly and handled in good faith
- Unfair discrimination in underwriting is prohibited except for actuarially justified factors
Unfair Trade Practices
The Arizona Insurance Code (Title 20) prohibits various unfair or deceptive practices in the P&C insurance industry.
Misrepresentation
Producers and insurers are prohibited from:
False Statements
- Making false statements about policy terms or benefits
- Misrepresenting the financial condition of an insurer
- Using misleading policy illustrations
- Making false statements about competitors
- Misrepresenting the nature of insurance transactions
Examples of Misrepresentation
| Prohibited Statement | Why It's Misrepresentation |
|---|---|
| "This policy covers everything" | No policy covers all losses |
| "Your rates will never increase" | Rates can and do change |
| "This is the only policy you need" | May not be true |
| "You must buy today or lose rate" | False urgency |
| "FAIR Plan is same as regular" | Coverage differs |
False Advertising
Arizona prohibits deceptive insurance advertising:
- Ads must be truthful and not misleading
- Must clearly identify as insurance advertisement
- Cannot use testimonials that are not genuine
- Cannot imply government endorsement
- Must include insurer's name
- Cannot guarantee claims payment beyond policy terms
Rebating
Rebating is offering inducements not specified in the policy:
Prohibited in Arizona
- Returning part of premium to insured
- Offering gifts of substantial value
- Paying for referrals to non-licensed persons
- Sharing commission with non-licensed persons
- Any valuable consideration not in the contract
Exam Tip: Arizona prohibits rebating. Producers cannot offer anything of value not specified in the policy to induce a sale.
What Is NOT Rebating
- Premium financing arrangements
- Legitimate filed discounts
- Dividends specified in policy
Twisting and Churning
Twisting
Making misrepresentations to induce replacement:
- Falsely claiming existing policy is inadequate
- Misrepresenting policy values
- Hiding costs of replacement
- Exaggerating benefits of new policy
Churning
Excessive replacement of policies to generate commissions:
- Multiple replacements for same client
- Pattern of replacements in book of business
- Ignoring client's best interests
Penalties
| Violation | Potential Penalty |
|---|---|
| First offense | Warning to suspension |
| Per violation | Up to $1,000 fine |
| Pattern of violations | License revocation |
| Consumer harm | Restitution required |
Unfair Claims Practices
Arizona has specific claims handling requirements under the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act:
Prohibited Claims Practices
- Misrepresenting policy provisions to claimants
- Failing to acknowledge claims with reasonable promptness
- Failing to communicate claim decisions
- Denying claims without reasonable investigation
- Offering substantially less than reasonable value
- Delaying payment to force settlement
- Not attempting good faith settlement when liability clear
- Compelling litigation by unreasonable delay
- Failing to promptly provide explanation for denial
General Claim Timeline
| Action | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Acknowledge claim | Promptly (reasonable time) |
| Investigation | Commence promptly |
| Accept or deny | Within reasonable time |
| Pay claims | Promptly after settlement |
Unfair Discrimination
Arizona prohibits unfair discrimination in P&C insurance:
Prohibited Factors
Cannot discriminate based on:
- Race
- Color
- Religion
- National origin
- Sex (with actuarial exceptions)
- Marital status
- Physical or mental disability (with underwriting exceptions)
Permitted Underwriting Factors
- Driving record
- Claims history
- Credit score (with proper disclosures)
- Territory
- Years of experience
- Type and use of property or vehicle
Which of the following is considered rebating in Arizona?
What is "twisting" in Arizona insurance law?
Which of the following is a prohibited unfair claims practice in Arizona?