14VAC5-41-80. Policy costs and cost comparisons.
A. The words "free," "no cost," "without cost," "no additional cost," "at no extra cost," or words of similar import shall not be used with respect to any benefit or service being made available with a policy unless true. If there is no charge to the insured, then the identity of the payor and the amount of the payment shall be prominently disclosed. An advertisement may specify the charge for a benefit or a service or may state that a charge is included in the premium or use other appropriate language.
B. An advertisement for a policy marketed by direct response techniques or a life insurance policy containing graded or modified benefits shall not use the phrase "affordable," "inexpensive," "low cost," or any phrase or word of similar import when the policy being advertised is guaranteed issue.
C. An advertisement shall not imply or state that all older policies are more or less costly than newer policies.
D. An advertisement of two or more policies sold as a "package" or other combination shall not direct attention improperly at the cost competitiveness of one part of the "package" when the cost competitiveness of that part is not indicative of the cost competitiveness of the "package" as a whole.
E. An advertisement of a single policy shall not direct attention improperly at the cost competitiveness of a part of the policy when the cost competitiveness of that part is not indicative of the cost competitiveness of the entire policy.
F. An advertisement of a policy at a particular issue age, sex, or amount shall not lead prospective policyholders to believe that the cost competitiveness of the policy is similar at other issue ages, sex, or amounts unless that is a fact.
G. An advertisement containing a cost comparison of two or more policies with nonguaranteed policy elements in which the method of investment income allocation differs between or among the policies shall state that fact and shall contain a brief explanation of the implications of the cost comparison.
Statutory Authority
§§ 12.1-13 and 38.2-223 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 27, Issue 14, eff. July 1, 2011; amended, Virginia Register Volume 38, Issue 21, eff. September 1, 2022.