State RegulationsMA specificDifficulty 2/5
An advertisement for a Massachusetts Medicare supplement policy displays a seal that suggests the policy is approved or endorsed by the federal Medicare program. Under 211 CMR 71.17, the advertisement is:
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why B is correct
211 CMR 71.17 requires Medicare supplement advertisements to accurately represent the policy and bars misleading implications — including any suggestion that the federal Medicare program has endorsed or approved the product. Medicare supplements fill gaps in Medicare, but the federal program does not approve, endorse, or certify any particular policy. An advertisement that trades on that confusion misleads the very seniors the rule protects, and the Massachusetts Division of Insurance treats it as unlawful advertising.
Why the other options are wrong
- A) The mere connection between Medicare and supplement coverage does not make an endorsement seal accurate; the federal program endorses no policy, so the ad misleads.
- C) Repeating the seal on the declarations page cannot cure a misleading advertisement; 211 CMR 71.17 judges the message the ad conveys.
- D) The rule contains no group-business carve-out; the misleading endorsement implication is unlawful regardless of the insurer's other products.
Memory hook
No seals, no stamps: Medicare never endorses a policy.