State RegulationsMA specificDifficulty 3/5
Which of the following is within the general duties and powers of the Massachusetts Commissioner of Insurance?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why D is correct
M.G.L. c. 175, § 3A and M.G.L. c. 176D, § 5 vest the Commissioner with broad authority to administer and enforce the insurance laws: examining the books and records of licensees, conducting investigations, holding hearings, and issuing orders. Setting commission rates, underwriting risks, and settling estates are private or judicial functions that sit outside the Commissioner's supervisory role.
Why the other options are wrong
- A) Commission rates are business terms set between insurers and their producers; the Commissioner supervises the market but does not fix those rates.
- B) Underwriting individual applications is the insurer's own risk-selection function; the Commissioner regulates insurers rather than underwriting for them.
- C) Estate administration and beneficiary disputes belong to the probate courts, not to the Commissioner's insurance-supervision powers under M.G.L. c. 175, § 3A.
Memory hook
Administer, examine, investigate, hear, enforce — the Commissioner polices, never plays.