Methods, acts, and practices which are unfair or deceptive

What this document is

Minn. Stat. s. 72A.20: Methods, acts, and practices which are unfair or deceptive is a state statute published by Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. It is one of the Minnesota documents that insurance license exam questions are written from, including minnesota life & health, minnesota property & casualty practice questions. This page summarizes it and points to the official version, which is the text to rely on.

Sections cited in practice questions

Each practice answer shows the exact passage it comes from. These are sections of this document that questions cite, with a short excerpt from the source text.

• Minn. Stat. § 72A.20, subd. 4 (Boycott, coercion, and intimidation)

  “Entering into any agreement to commit, or by any concerted action committing, any act of boycott, coercion, or intimidation, resulting in or tending to result in unreasonable restraint of, or monopoly in, the business of insurance, shall constitute an unfair method of competition and an unfair and...”

• Minn. Stat. § 72A.20, subd. 3 (Defamation)

  “any oral or written statement or any pamphlet, circular, article, or literature which is false, or maliciously critical of or derogatory to the financial condition of an insurer, and which is calculated to injure any person engaged in the business of insurance, shall constitute an unfair method of...”

• Minn. Stat. § 72A.20, subd. 1 (Misrepresentations and false advertising of policy contracts)

  “any estimate, illustration, circular, or statement misrepresenting the terms of any policy issued or to be issued or the benefits or advantages promised thereby or the dividends or share of the surplus to be received thereon, or making any false or misleading statement as to the dividends or share...”

• Minn. Stat. § 72A.20, subd. 9 (Discrimination between individuals of the same class)

  “Making or permitting any unfair discrimination between individuals of the same class and of essentially the same hazard in the amount of premium, policy fees, or rates charged for any policy or contract of accident or health insurance or in the benefits payable thereunder, or in any of the terms or...”

• Minn. Stat. § 72A.20, subd. 20 (Contact With Government)

  “An insurance company may not terminate or otherwise penalize an insurance agent solely because the agent contacted any government department or agency regarding a problem that the agent or an insured may be having with an insurance company.”

• Minn. Stat. § 72A.20, subd. 12 (Unfair Service)

  “Causing or permitting with such frequency to indicate a general business practice any unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent act concerning any claim or complaint of an insured or claimant including, but not limited to, the following practices: (1) misrepresenting pertinent facts or insurance policy...”

• Minn. Stat. § 72A.20, subd. 12(7) (Unfair service; compelling litigation)

  “compelling insureds to institute litigation to recover amounts due under an insurance policy by offering substantially less than the amounts ultimately recovered in actions brought by the insureds”

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