33-18-233. Administrative penalty for failure to pay promptly

MT Code § 33-18-233 (2019) (N/A)

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33-18-233. Administrative penalty for failure to pay promptly. (1) The commissioner may, after a hearing, impose an administrative fine as provided in 33-1-317 on an insurer if the commissioner finds that the insurer as a general course of business practice in this state fails to:

(a) use due diligence in processing all claims;

(b) pay claims in a timely manner;

(c) provide proper notice, when required, with respect to the reasons for the insurer's failure to make claim payments when due;

(d) pay, without just cause, proper claims arising under coverage provided by its policies, whether the claims are in favor of an insured, in favor of a third person with respect to the liability of an insured to the third person, or in favor of any other person entitled to the benefits of a policy; or

(e) pay interest pursuant to 33-18-232(2).

(2) If an insurer can demonstrate that it has consistently paid 90% of the total dollar amount outstanding in claims to each claimant within 20 working days and all of the amount within 30 working days of receipt of claims during the 6-month period immediately preceding the hearing date, the insurer is not subject to the fine described in subsection (1).

History: En. Sec. 3, Ch. 300, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 378, L. 2003.

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