State RegulationsOH specificDifficulty 3/5
A Cincinnati producer reviews a client's existing Medicare supplement policy, which fits the client's needs and is priced competitively. The producer recommends replacing it with a similar policy from another issuer solely to earn a new commission. Under Ohio's standards on the appropriateness of recommended purchases, this recommendation is:
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why B is correct
Ohio's appropriateness standards for Medicare supplement sales, under OAC 3901-8-08 and the Ohio Department of Insurance's marketing framework, require that a recommended purchase be appropriate for the applicant's needs and prohibit encouraging replacement where the consumer gains no advantage. A commission-driven swap of an adequate, competitively priced policy fails that test on both counts, exposing the producer and issuer to discipline for improper marketing conduct.
Why the other options are wrong
- A) The client's freedom to decline does not legitimize an inappropriate recommendation; the conduct standard applies to the advice itself.
- C) Benefit parity does not cure a replacement that serves only the producer's commission rather than the client.
- D) Ohio's rule keys on appropriateness and consumer advantage, not on premium comparisons alone.
Memory hook
Replace only when the client wins — a commission is not an advantage.