Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 33. INSURANCE AND INSURANCE COMPANIES

CHAPTER 18. UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES

Part 6. Montana Use of Credit Information in Personal Insurance

Definitions

33-18-604. Definitions. For the purposes of this part, the following definitions apply:

(1) "Adverse action" means, in regard to the terms of coverage or amount of coverage of any insurance, existing or applied for, in connection with the underwriting of personal insurance, any of the following:

(a) denial, nonrenewal, or cancellation of coverage;

(b) an increase in any charge for coverage;

(c) failure to give an otherwise available credit-related discount; or

(d) a reduction or any other adverse or unfavorable change in the terms of coverage or the amount of coverage.

(2) "Affiliate" means a company that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with another company.

(3) "Applicant" means an individual who has applied to be covered by a personal insurance policy with an insurer.

(4) "Consumer" means an insured whose credit information is used or whose insurance score is calculated in the underwriting or rating of a personal insurance policy or of an applicant for a personal insurance policy.

(5) "Consumer reporting agency" means any entity that, for monetary fees or dues or on a cooperative nonprofit basis, regularly engages in whole or in part in the practice of assembling or evaluating consumer credit information or other information on consumers for the purpose of furnishing consumer reports to third parties.

(6) "Credit information" means any credit-related information derived from a credit report, found on a credit report itself, or provided on an application for personal insurance. Information that is not credit-related may not be considered credit information regardless of whether it is contained in a credit report or in an application or is used to calculate an insurance score.

(7) "Credit report" means any written, oral, or other communication of information by a consumer reporting agency bearing on a consumer's creditworthiness, credit standing, or credit capacity that is used or expected to be used or collected in whole or in part for the purpose of serving as a factor to determine personal insurance premiums, eligibility for coverage, or tier placement.

(8) "Insurance score" means a number or rating that is derived from an algorithm, computer application, model, or other process that is based in whole or in part on credit information for the purposes of predicting the future insurance loss exposure of an individual applicant or insured.

History: En. Sec. 4, Ch. 363, L. 2005.