Before an applicant completes an application for a Medicare supplement policy in Massachusetts, which document must be provided to help the applicant compare the features of available Medicare supplement coverage?
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
Massachusetts requires that a buyer's guide be provided in connection with the sale of Medicare supplement coverage so applicants can compare policy designs before committing. The disclosure framework for Medicare supplement policies, including the buyer's guide, is set out in 211 CMR 71.13, and buyer's guide requirements for health coverage are further addressed by 211 CMR 40.15, both administered by the Massachusetts Division of Insurance. The practical effect is that an applicant receives standardized educational material before application, not merely the sales pitch of whichever insurer the producer represents.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) An insurer's financial statement is a solvency disclosure, not the consumer comparison document required at the point of Medicare supplement sale.
- C) A certificate of creditable coverage documents prior health coverage for purposes such as enrollment transitions; it is not the comparison guide required by 211 CMR 71.13.
- D) A commission schedule is the producer's internal compensation information and serves no consumer comparison function in the disclosure framework.
Memory hook
Guide first, application second: the buyer's guide is the compare-before-you-buy document.