Section 3904.01 | Insurance information practices definitions.
As used in sections 3904.01 to 3904.22 of the Revised Code:
(A)(1) "Adverse underwriting decision" means any of the following actions with respect to insurance transactions involving life, health, or disability insurance coverage that is individually underwritten:
(a) A declination of insurance coverage;
(b) A termination of insurance coverage;
(c) Failure of an agent to apply for insurance coverage with a specific insurance institution that the agent represents and that is requested by an applicant;
(d) An offer to insure at higher than standard rates.
(2) Notwithstanding division (A)(1) of this section, none of the following actions is an adverse underwriting decision, but the insurance institution or agent responsible for their occurrence shall nevertheless provide the applicant or policyholder with the specific reason or reasons for their occurrence:
(a) The termination of an individual policy form on a class or statewide basis;
(b) A declination of insurance coverage solely because the coverage is not available on a class or statewide basis;
(c) The rescission of a policy.
(B) "Affiliate" or "affiliated" means a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with another person.
(C) "Agent" means a person licensed under Chapter 3905. of the Revised Code to negotiate or solicit applications for a policy or contract of life, health, or disability insurance.
(D) "Applicant" means any person that seeks to contract for life, health, or disability insurance coverage other than a person seeking group insurance that is not individually underwritten.
(E) "Consumer report" means any written, oral, or other communication of information bearing on a natural person's credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living that is used or expected to be used in connection with a life, health, or disability insurance transaction.
(F) "Consumer reporting agency" means any person that does all of the following:
(1) Regularly engages, in whole or in part, in the practice of assembling or preparing consumer reports for a monetary fee;
(2) Obtains information primarily from sources other than insurance institutions;
(3) Furnishes consumer reports to other persons.
(G) "Control," including the terms "controlled by" or "under common control with," means the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract other than a commercial contract for goods or nonmanagement services, or otherwise, unless the power is the result of an official position with or corporate office held by the person.
(H) "Declination of insurance coverage" means a denial, in whole or in part, by an insurance institution or agent of requested insurance coverage.
(I) "Individual" means any natural person who in connection with life, health, or disability insurance:
(1) Is a past, present, or proposed principal insured or certificate holder;
(2) Is a past, present, or proposed policy owner;
(3) Is a past or present applicant;
(4) Is a past or present claimant;
(5) Derived, derives, or is proposed to derive insurance coverage under an insurance policy or certificate subject to sections 3904.01 to 3904.22 of the Revised Code.
(J) "Institutional source" means any person or governmental entity that provides information about an individual to an agent, insurance institution, or insurance support organization, other than any of the following:
(1) An agent;
(2) The individual who is the subject of the information;
(3) A natural person acting in a personal capacity rather than in a business or professional capacity.
(K) "Insurance institution" means any corporation, association, partnership, fraternal benefit society, or other person engaged in the business of life, health, or disability insurance, including health insuring corporations. "Insurance institution" does not include agents or insurance support organizations.
(L)(1) "Insurance support organization" means any person that regularly engages, in whole or in part, in the practice of assembling or collecting information about natural persons for the primary purpose of providing the information to an insurance institution or agent for insurance transactions, including both of the following:
(a) The furnishing of consumer reports or investigative consumer reports to an insurance institution or agent for use in connection with an insurance transaction;
(b) The collection of personal information from insurance institutions, agents, or other insurance support organizations for the purpose of detecting or preventing fraud, material misrepresentation, or material nondisclosure in connection with insurance underwriting or insurance claim activity.
(2) Notwithstanding division (L)(1) of this section, agents, government institutions, insurance institutions, medical care institutions, and medical professionals are not "insurance support organizations" for purposes of sections 3904.01 to 3904.22 of the Revised Code.
(M) "Insurance transaction" means any transaction involving life, health, or disability insurance primarily for personal, family, or household needs rather than business or professional needs and entailing either the determination of an individual's eligibility for a life, health, or disability insurance coverage, benefit, or payment, or the servicing of a life, health, or disability insurance application, policy, contract, or certificate.
(N) "Investigative consumer report" means a consumer report or portion thereof in which information about a natural person's character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living is obtained through personal interviews with the person's neighbors, friends, associates, acquaintances, or others who may have knowledge concerning such items of information.
(O) "Medical care institution" means any facility or institution that is licensed to provide health care services to natural persons, including home-health agencies, hospitals, medical clinics, public health agencies, rehabilitation agencies, and skilled nursing facilities.
(P) "Medical professional" means any person licensed or certified to provide health care services to natural persons, including a chiropractor, clinical dietitian, clinical psychologist, dentist, nurse, occupational therapist, optometrist, pharmacist, physical therapist, physician, podiatrist, psychiatric social worker, and speech therapist.
(Q) "Medical record information" means personal information that relates to an individual's physical or mental condition, medical history, or medical treatment and that is obtained from a medical professional or medical care institution, from the individual, or from the individual's spouse, parent, or legal guardian.
(R) "Personal information" means any individually identifiable information gathered in connection with an insurance transaction from which judgments can be made about an individual's character, habits, avocations, finances, occupation, general reputation, credit, health, or any other personal characteristics. "Personal information" includes an individual's name and address and medical record information but does not include privileged information.
(S) "Policyholder" means any person that is a present owner of individual life, health, or disability insurance, or a present certificate holder under group life, health, or disability insurance that is individually underwritten.
(T) "Pretext interview" means an interview whereby a person, in an attempt to obtain information about a natural person, performs one or more of the following acts:
(1) Pretends to be someone the interviewer is not;
(2) Pretends to represent a person the interviewer is not in fact representing;
(3) Misrepresents the true purpose of the interview;
(4) Refuses to identify self upon request.
(U) "Privileged information" means any individually identifiable information that relates to a claim for life, health, or disability insurance benefits or a civil or criminal proceeding involving an individual, and that is collected in connection with, or in reasonable anticipation of, a claim for life, health, or disability insurance benefits or civil or criminal proceeding involving an individual. However, information otherwise meeting the requirements of this division shall nevertheless be considered personal information if it is disclosed in violation of section 3904.13 of the Revised Code.
(V) "Termination of insurance coverage" or "termination of an insurance policy" means either a cancellation or nonrenewal of a life, health, or disability insurance policy, in whole or in part, for any reason other than the failure to pay a premium as required by the policy.
(W) "Unauthorized insurer" means an insurance institution that has not been granted a certificate of authority by the superintendent of insurance to transact the business of life, health, or disability insurance in this state.
Available Versions of this Section
- June 4, 1997 – Senate Bill 67 - 122nd General Assembly [ View June 4, 1997 Version ]
- January 1, 2021 – Amended by House Bill 339 - 133rd General Assembly [ View January 1, 2021 Version ]