Title 10, Chapter 1, Section 393
( 10-1-393)
(a) Unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of consumer
transactions and consumer acts or practices in trade or commerce are
declared unlawful. (b) By way of illustration only and without limiting the scope of
subsection (a) of this Code section, the following practices are
declared unlawful: (1) Passing off goods or services as those of another; (2) Causing actual confusion or actual misunderstanding as to the
source, sponsorship, approval, or certification of goods or
services; (3) Causing actual confusion or actual misunderstanding as to
affiliation, connection, or association with or certification by
another; (4)(A) Using deceptive representations or designations of
geographic origin in connection with goods or services. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, it is specifically
declared to be unlawful: (i) For any nonlocal business to publish in any local
telephone classified advertising directory any advertisement
containing a local telephone number for the business unless
the advertisement clearly states the nonlocal location of the
business; or (ii) For any nonlocal business to cause to be listed in any
nonclassified advertising local telephone directory a local
telephone number for the business if calls to the number are
routinely forwarded or otherwise transferred to the nonlocal
business location that is outside the calling area covered by
such local telephone directory and the listing fails to state
clearly the principal place of business of the nonlocal
business. (B) For purposes of this paragraph, the term: (i) "Local" or "local area" refers to the area in which any
particular telephone directory is distributed free of charge
to some or all telephone service subscribers. (ii) "Local telephone classified advertising directory" refers
to any telephone classified advertising directory which is
distributed free of charge to some or all telephone
subscribers in any area of the state and includes such
directories distributed by telephone service companies as well
as such directories distributed by other parties. (iii) "Local telephone number" refers to any telephone number
which is not clearly identifiable as a long-distance telephone
number and which has a three-number prefix typically used by
the local telephone service company for telephones physically
located within the local area. (iv) "Nonclassified advertising local telephone directory"
refers to any telephone directory which is distributed free of
charge to some or all telephone subscribers in any area of the
state and which does not contain classified advertising and
includes such directories distributed by telephone service
companies as well as such directories distributed by other
parties. (v) "Nonlocal business" refers to any business which does not
have within the local area a physical place of business
providing the goods or services which are the subject of the
advertisement or listing in question; (5) Representing that goods or services have sponsorship,
approval, characteristics, ingredients, uses, benefits, or
quantities that they do not have or that a person has a
sponsorship, approval, status, affiliation, or connection that he
or she does not have; (6) Representing that goods are original or new if they are
deteriorated, reconditioned, reclaimed, used, or secondhand; (7) Representing that goods or services are of a particular
standard, quality, or grade or that goods are of a particular
style or model, if they are of another; (8) Disparaging goods, services, or business of another by false
or misleading representation; (9) Advertising goods or services with intent not to sell them as
advertised; (10) Advertising goods or services with intent not to supply
reasonably expectable public demand, unless the advertisement
discloses a limitation of quantity; (11) Making false or misleading statements concerning the reasons
for, existence of, or amounts of price reductions; (12) Failing to comply with the provisions of Code Section 10-1-393.2 concerning health spas; (13) Failure to comply with the following provisions concerning
career consulting firms: (A) A written contract shall be employed which shall constitute
the entire agreement between the parties, a fully completed copy
of which shall be furnished to the consumer at the time of its
execution which shows the date of the transaction and the name
and address of the career consulting firm; (B) The contract or an attachment thereto shall contain a
statement in boldface type which complies substantially with the
following: "The provisions of this agreement have been fully explained to
me and I understand that the services to be provided under
this agreement by the seller do not include actual job
placement." The statement shall be signed by both the consumer and the
authorized representative of the seller; (C) Any advertising offering the services of a career consulting
firm shall contain a statement which contains the following
language: "A career consulting firm does not guarantee actual
job placement as one of its services."; (14) Failure of a hospital or long-term care facility to deliver
to an inpatient who has been discharged or to his or her legal
representative, not later than six business days after the date of
such discharge, an itemized statement of all charges for which the
patient or third-party payor is being billed; (15) Any violation of 49 U.S.C. Sections 32702 through 32704 and
any violation of regulations prescribed under 49 U.S.C. Section
32705. Notwithstanding anything in this part to the contrary, all
such actions in violation of such federal statutes or regulations
shall be consumer transactions and consumer acts or practices in
trade or commerce; (16) Failure to comply with the following provisions concerning
promotions: (A) For purposes of this paragraph, the term: (i) "Conspicuously," when referring to type size, means either
a larger or bolder type than the adjacent and surrounding
material. (ii) "In conjunction with and in immediate proximity to," when
referring to a listing of verifiable retail value and odds for
each prize, means that such value and odds must be adjacent to
that particular prize with no other printed or pictorial
matter between the value and odds and that listed prize. (iii) "Notice" means a communication of the disclosures
required by this paragraph to be given to a consumer that has
been selected, or has purportedly been selected, to
participate in a promotion. If the original notice is in
writing, it shall include all of the disclosures required by
this paragraph. If the original notice is oral, it shall
include all of the disclosures required by this paragraph and
shall be followed by a written notice to the consumer of the
same disclosures. In all cases, written notice shall be
received by the consumer before any agreement or other
arrangement is entered into which obligates the consumer in
any manner. (iv) "Participant" means a person who is offered an
opportunity to participate in a promotion. (v) "Promoter" means the person conducting the promotion. (vi) "Sponsor" means the person on whose behalf the promotion
is conducted in order to promote or advertise the goods,
services, or property of that person. (vii) "Verifiable retail value," when referring to a prize,
means:
(I) The price at which the promoter or sponsor can
substantiate that a substantial number of those prizes have
been sold at retail by someone other than the promoter or
sponsor; or (II) In the event that substantiation as described in
subdivision (I) of this division is not readily available to
the promoter or sponsor, no more than three times the amount
which the promoter or sponsor has actually paid for the
prize. (A.1) Persons who are offered an opportunity to participate in a
promotion must be given a notice as required by this paragraph.
The written notice must be given to the participant either prior
to the person's traveling to the place of business or, if no
travel by the participant is necessary, prior to any seminar,
sales presentation, or other presentation, by whatever name
denominated. Written notices may be delivered by hand, by mail,
by newspaper, or by periodical. Any offer to participate made
through any other medium must be preceded by or followed by the
required notice at the required time. It is the intent of this
paragraph that full, clear, and meaningful disclosure shall be
made to the participant in a manner such that the participant
can fully study and understand the disclosure prior to deciding
whether to travel to the place of participation or whether to
allow a presentation to be made in the participant's home; and
that this paragraph be liberally construed to effect this
purpose. The notice requirements of this paragraph shall be
applicable to any promotion offer made by any person in the
State of Georgia or any promotion offer made to any person in
the State of Georgia; (B) The promotion must be an advertising and promotional
undertaking, in good faith, solely for the purpose of
advertising the goods, services, or property, real or personal,
of the sponsor. The notice shall contain the name and address
of the promoter and of the sponsor, as applicable. The promoter
and the sponsor may be held liable for any failure to comply
with the provisions of this paragraph; (C) A promotion shall be a violation of this paragraph if a
person is required to pay any money including, but not limited
to, payments for service fees, mailing fees, or handling fees
payable to the sponsor or seller or furnish any consideration
for the prize, other than the consideration of traveling to the
place of business or to the presentation or of allowing the
presentation to be made in the participant's home, in order to
receive any prize; provided, however, that the payment of any
deposit made in connection with an activity described in
subparagraph (B) of paragraph (22) of this subsection shall not
constitute a requirement to pay any money under this
subparagraph; (D) Each notice must state the verifiable retail value of each
prize which the participant has a chance of receiving. Each
notice must state the odds of the participant's receiving each
prize if there is an element of chance involved. The odds must
be clearly identified as "odds." Odds must be stated as the
total number of that particular prize which will be given and of
the total number of notices. The total number of notices shall
include all notices in which that prize may be given, regardless
of whether it includes notices for other sponsors. If the odds
of winning a particular prize would not be accurately stated on
the basis of the number of notices, then the odds may be stated
in another manner, but must be clearly stated in a manner which
will not deceive or mislead the participant regarding the
participant's chance of receiving the prize. The verifiable
retail value and odds for each prize must be stated in
conjunction and in immediate proximity with each listing of the
prize in each place where it appears on the written notice and
must be listed in the same size type and same boldness as the
prize. Odds and verifiable retail values may not be listed in
any manner which requires the participant to refer from one
place in the written notice to another place in the written
notice to determine the odds and verifiable retail value of the
particular prize. Verifiable retail values shall be stated in
Arabic numerals; (E) Upon arriving at the place of business or upon allowing the
sponsor to enter the participant's home, the participant must be
immediately informed which, if any, prize the participant will
receive prior to any seminar, sales presentation, or other
presentation; and the prize, or any voucher, certificate, or
other evidence of obligation in lieu of the prize, must be given
to the participant at the time the participant is so informed; (F) No participant shall be required or invited to view, hear,
or attend any sales presentation, by whatever name denominated,
unless such requirement or invitation has been conspicuously
disclosed to the participant in the written notice in at least
ten-point boldface type; (G) Except in relation to an activity described in subparagraph
(B) of paragraph (22) of this subsection, in no event shall any
prize be offered or given which will require the participant to
purchase additional goods or services, including shipping fees,
handling fees, or any other charge by whatever name denominated,
from any person in order to make the prize conform to what it
reasonably appears to be in the mailing or delivery, unless such
requirement and the additional cost to the participant is
clearly disclosed in each place where the prize is listed in the
written notice using a statement in the same size type and
boldness as the prize listed; (H) Any limitation on eligibility of participants must be
clearly disclosed in the notice; (I) Substitutes of prizes shall not be made. In the event the
represented prize is unavailable, the participant shall be
presented with a certificate which the sponsor shall honor
within 30 days by shipping the prize, as represented in the
notice, to the participant at no cost to the participant. In the
event a certificate cannot be honored within 30 days, the
sponsor shall mail to the participant a valid check or money
order for the verifiable retail value which was represented in
the notice; (J) In the event the participant is presented with a voucher,
certificate, or other evidence of obligation as the
participant's prize, or in lieu of the participant's prize, it
shall be the responsibility of the sponsor to honor the voucher,
certificate, or other evidence of obligation, as represented in
the notice, if the person who is named as being responsible for
honoring the voucher, certificate, or other evidence of
obligation fails to honor it as represented in the notice; (K) The geographic area covered by the notice must be clearly
stated. If any of the prizes may be awarded to persons outside
of the listed geographical area or to participants in promotions
for other sponsors, these facts must be clearly stated, with a
corresponding explanation that every prize may not be given away
by that particular sponsor. If prizes will not be awarded or
given if the winning ticket, token, number, lot, or other device
used to determine winners in that particular promotion is not
presented to the promoter or sponsor, this fact must be clearly
disclosed; (L) Upon request of the administrator, the sponsor or promoter
must within ten days furnish to the administrator the names,
addresses, and telephone numbers of persons who have received
any prize; (M) A list of all winning tickets, tokens, numbers, lots, or
other devices used to determine winners in promotions involving
an element of chance must be prominently posted at the place of
business or distributed to all participants if the seminar,
sales presentation, or other presentation is made at a place
other than the place of business. A copy of such list shall be
furnished to each participant who so requests; (N) Any promotion involving an element of chance which does not conform with the provisions of this paragraph shall be considered an unlawful lottery as defined in Code Section 16-12-20. The administrator may seek and shall receive the assistance of the prosecuting attorneys of this state in the commencement and prosecution of persons who promote and sponsor promotions which constitute an unlawful lottery; (O) Any person who participates in a promotion and does not receive an item which conforms with what that person, exercising ordinary diligence, reasonably believed that person should have received based upon the representations made to that person may bring the private action provided for in Code Section 10-1-399 and, if that person prevails, shall be awarded, in addition to any other recovery provided under this part, a sum which will allow that person to purchase an item at retail which reasonably conforms to the prize which that person, exercising ordinary diligence, reasonably believed that person would receive; and (P) In addition to any other remedy provided under this part,
where a contract is entered into while participating in a
promotion which does not conform with this paragraph, the
contract shall be voidable by the participant for ten business
days following the date of the participant's receipt of the
prize. In order to void the contract, the participant must
notify the sponsor in writing within ten business days following
the participant's receipt of the prize; (17) Failure to furnish to the buyer of any campground membership
or marine membership at the time of purchase a notice to the buyer
allowing the buyer seven days to cancel the purchase. The notice
shall be on a separate sheet of paper with no other written or
pictorial material, in at least ten-point boldface type, double
spaced, and shall read as follows: "Notice to the Buyer Please read this form completely and carefully. It contains
valuable cancellation rights. The buyer or buyers may cancel this transaction at any time
prior to 5:00 P.M. of the seventh day following receipt of this
notice. This cancellation right cannot be waived in any manner by the
buyer or buyers. Any money paid by the buyer or buyers must be returned by the
seller within 30 days of cancellation. To cancel, sign this form, and mail by certified mail or
statutory overnight delivery, return receipt requested, by 5:00
P.M. of the seventh day following the transaction. Be sure to
keep a photocopy of the signed form and your post office
receipt. ________________________________________________________________
Seller's Name ________________________________________________________________
Address to which cancellation is to be mailed ________________________________________________________________ I (we) hereby cancel this transaction. ________________________________________________________________
Buyer's Signature ________________________________________________________________
Buyer's Signature ________________________________________________________________
Date ________________________________________________________________
Printed Name(s) of Buyer(s) ________________________________________________________________
Street Address ________________________________________________________________
City, State, ZIP Code" (18) Failure of the seller of a campground membership or marine
membership to fill in the seller's name and the address to which
cancellation notices should be mailed on the form specified in
paragraph (17) of this subsection; (19) Failure of the seller of a campground membership or marine
membership to cancel according to the terms specified in the form
described in paragraph (17) of this subsection; (20)(A) Representing that moneys provided to or on behalf of a debtor, as defined in Code Section 44-14-162.1 in connection with property used as a dwelling place by said debtor, are a loan if in fact they are used to purchase said property and any such misrepresentation upon which is based the execution of a quitclaim deed or warranty deed by that debtor shall authorize that debtor to bring an action to reform such deed into a deed to secure debt in addition to any other right such debtor may have to cancel the deed pursuant to Code Section 23-2-2, 23-2-60, or any other applicable provision of law. (B) Advertising to assist debtors whose loan for property the
debtors use as a dwelling place is in default with intent not to
assist them as advertised or making false or misleading
representations to such a debtor about assisting the debtor in
connection with said property. (C) Failing to comply with the following provisions in
connection with the purchase of property used as a dwelling
place by a debtor whose loan for said property is in default and
who remains in possession of this property after said purchase: (i) A written contract shall be employed by the buyer which
shall summarize and incorporate the entire agreement between
the parties, a fully completed copy of which shall be
furnished to the debtor at the time of its execution. Said
contract shall show the date of the transaction and the name
and address of the parties; shall state, in plain and bold
language, that the subject transaction is a sale; and shall
indicate the amount of cash proceeds and the amount of any
other financial benefits that the debtor will receive; (ii) This contract shall contain a statement in boldface type
which complies substantially with the following: "The provisions of this agreement have been fully explained
to me. I understand that under this agreement I am selling
my house to the other undersigned party." This statement shall be signed by the debtor and the buyer; (iii) If a lease or rental agreement is executed in connection
with said sale, it shall set forth the amount of monthly rent
and shall state, in plain and bold language, that the debtor
may be evicted for failure to pay said rent. Should an option
to purchase be included in this lease, it shall state, in
plain and bold language, the conditions that must be fulfilled
in order to exercise it; and (iv) The buyer shall furnish to the seller at the time of closing a notice to the seller allowing the seller ten days to cancel the purchase. This right to cancel shall not limit or otherwise affect the seller's right to cancel pursuant to Code Section 23-2-2, 23-2-60, or any other applicable provision of law. The notice shall serve as the cover sheet to the closing documents. It shall be on a separate sheet of paper with no other written or pictorial material, in at least ten-point boldface type, double spaced, and shall read as follows: "Notice to the Seller Please read this form completely and carefully. It contains
valuable cancellation rights. The seller or sellers may cancel this transaction at any
time prior to 5:00 P.M. of the tenth day following receipt
of this notice. This cancellation right cannot be waived in any manner by
the seller or sellers. Any money paid to the seller or sellers must be returned by
the seller within 30 days of cancellation. To cancel, sign this form, and return it to the buyer by
5:00 P.M. of the tenth day following the transaction. It is
best to mail it by certified mail or statutory overnight
delivery, return receipt requested, and to keep a photocopy
of the signed form and your post office receipt. ____________________________________________________________
Buyer's Name ____________________________________________________________
Address to which cancellation ____________________________________________________________
is to be returned I (we) hereby cancel this transaction. ____________________________________________________________
Seller's Signature ____________________________________________________________
Seller's Signature ____________________________________________________________
Date ____________________________________________________________
Printed Name(s) of Seller(s) ____________________________________________________________
Street Address ____________________________________________________________
City, State, ZIP Code" (D) The provisions of subparagraph (C) of this paragraph shall
only apply where all three of the following conditions are
present: (i) A loan on the property used as a dwelling place is in
default; (ii) The debtor transfers the title to the property by
quitclaim deed, limited warranty deed, or general warranty
deed; and (iii) The debtor remains in possession of the property under a
lease or as a tenant at will; (21) Advertising a telephone number the prefix of which is 976 and
which when called automatically imposes a per-call charge or cost
to the consumer, other than a regular charge imposed for
long-distance telephone service, unless the advertisement contains
the name, address, and telephone number of the person responsible
for the advertisement and unless the person's telephone number and
the per-call charge is printed in type of the same size as that of
the number being advertised; (22) Representing, in connection with a vacation, holiday, or an
item described by terms of similar meaning, or implying that: (A) A person is a winner, has been selected or approved, or is
in any other manner involved in a select or special group for
receipt of an opportunity or prize, or that a person is entering
a contest, sweepstakes, drawing, or other competitive enterprise
from which a winner or select group will receive an opportunity
or prize, when in fact the enterprise is designed to make
contact with prospective customers, or in which all or a
substantial number of those entering such competitive enterprise
receive the same prize or opportunity; or (B) In connection with the types of representations referred to
in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, representing that a
vacation, holiday, or an item described by other terms of
similar meaning, is being offered, given, awarded, or otherwise
distributed unless: (i) The item represented includes all transportation, meals,
and lodging; (ii) The representation specifically describes any
transportation, meals, or lodging which is not included; or (iii) The representation discloses that a deposit is required
to secure a reservation, if that is the case. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply where the party
making the representations is in compliance with paragraph (16)
of this subsection; (23) Except in relation to an activity which is in compliance with
paragraph (16) or (22) of this subsection, stating, in writing or
by telephone, that a person has won, is the winner of, or will win
or receive anything of value, unless the person will receive the
prize without obligation; (24)(A) Conducting a going-out-of-business sale for more than 90
days. (B) After the 90 day time limit in subparagraph (A) of this
paragraph has expired, continuing to do business in any manner
contrary to any representations which were made regarding the
nature of the going-out-of-business sale.
(C) The prohibitions of this paragraph shall not extend to any
of the following: (i) Sales for the estate of a decedent by the personal
representative or the personal representative's agent,
according to law or by the provisions of the will; (ii) Sales of property conveyed by security deed, deed of
trust, mortgage, or judgment or ordered to be sold according
to the deed, mortgage, judgment, or order; (iii) Sales of all agricultural produce and livestock arising
from the labor of the seller or other labor under the seller's
control on or belonging to the seller's real or personal
estate and not purchased or sold for speculation; (iv) All sales under legal process; (v) Sales by a pawnbroker or loan company which is selling or
offering for sale unredeemed pledges of chattels as provided
by law; or (vi) Sales of automobiles by an auctioneer licensed under the
laws of the State of Georgia; (25) The issuance of a check or draft by a lender in connection with a real estate transaction in violation of Code Section 44-14-13; (26) With respect to any individual or facility providing personal
care services: (A) Any person or entity not duly licensed or registered as a
personal care home formally or informally offering, advertising
to, or soliciting the public for residents or referrals; (B) Any personal care home, as defined in subsection (a) of Code Section 31-7-12, offering, advertising, or soliciting the public to provide services: (i) Which are outside the scope of personal care services; and (ii) For which it has not been specifically authorized. Nothing in this subparagraph prohibits advertising by a personal care home for services authorized by the Department of Human Resources under a waiver or variance pursuant to subsection (b) of Code Section 31-2-4; (C) For purposes of this paragraph, "personal care" means
protective care and watchful oversight of a resident who needs a
watchful environment but who does not have an illness, injury,
or disability which requires chronic or convalescent care
including medical and nursing services. The provisions of this paragraph shall be enforced following
consultation with the Department of Human Resources which shall
retain primary responsibility for issues relating to licensure of
any individual or facility providing personal care services;
(27) Mailing any notice, notification, or similar statement to any
consumer regarding winning or receiving any prize in a promotion,
and the envelope or other enclosure for the notice fails to
conspicuously identify on its face that the contents of the
envelope or other enclosure is a commercial solicitation and, if
there is an element of chance in winning a prize, the odds of
winning as "odds"; (28) Any violation of the rules and regulations promulgated by the Department of Human Resources pursuant to subsection (e) of Code Section 40-5-83 which relates to the consumer transactions and business practices of DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Programs, except that the Department of Human Resources shall retain primary jurisdiction over such complaints; (29) With respect to any consumer reporting agency: (A) Any person who knowingly and willfully obtains information
relative to a consumer from a consumer reporting agency under
false pretenses shall be guilty of a misdemeanor; (B) Any officer or employee of a consumer reporting agency who
knowingly and willfully provides information concerning an
individual from the agency's files to a person not authorized to
receive that information shall be guilty of a misdemeanor; and (C) Each consumer reporting agency which compiles and maintains
files on consumers on a nation-wide basis shall furnish to any
consumer who has provided appropriate verification of his or her
identity two complete consumer reports per calendar year, upon
request and without charge; (30) With respect to any individual or facility providing home
health services: (A) For any person or entity not duly licensed by the Department
of Human Resources as a home health agency to regularly hold
itself out as a home health agency; or (B) For any person or entity not duly licensed by the Department
of Human Resources as a home health agency to utilize the words
"home health" or "home health services" in any manner including
but not limited to advertisements, brochures, or letters.
Unless otherwise prohibited by law, nothing in this subparagraph
shall be construed to prohibit persons or entities from using
the words "home health" or "home health services" in conjunction
with the words "equipment," "durable medical equipment,"
"pharmacy," "pharmaceutical services," "prescription
medications," "infusion therapy," or "supplies" in any manner
including but not limited to advertisements, brochures, or
letters. An unlicensed person or entity may advertise under the
category "home health services" in any advertising publication
which divides its advertisements into categories, provided that: (i) The advertisement is not placed in the category with the
intent to mislead or deceive; (ii) The use of the advertisement in the category is not part
of an unfair or deceptive practice; and
(iii) The advertisement is not otherwise unfair, deceptive, or
misleading. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "home health agency" shall have the same definition as contained in Code Section 31-7-150, as now or hereafter amended. The provisions of this paragraph shall be enforced by the administrator in consultation with the Department of Human Resources; provided, however, that the administrator shall not have any responsibility for matters or functions related to the licensure of home health agencies; (30.1) Failing to comply with the following provisions in
connection with a contract for health care services between a
physician and an insurer which offers a health benefit plan under
which such physician provides health care services to enrollees: (A) As used in this paragraph, the term: (i) "Enrollee" means an individual who has elected to contract
for or participate in a health benefit plan for that
individual or for that individual and that individual's
eligible dependents and includes that enrollee's eligible
dependents. (ii) "Health benefit plan" means any hospital or medical
insurance policy or certificate, health care plan contract or
certificate, qualified higher deductible health plan, health
maintenance organization subscriber contract, any health
benefit plan established pursuant to Article 1 of Chapter 18
of Title 45, or any managed care plan. (iii) "Insurer" means a corporation or other entity which is
licensed or otherwise authorized to offer a health benefit
plan in this state. (iv) "Patient" means a person who seeks or receives health
care services under a health benefit plan. (v) "Physician" means a person licensed to practice medicine
under Article 2 of Chapter 34 of Title 43. (B) Every contract between a physician and an insurer which
offers a health benefit plan under which that physician provides
health care services shall be in writing and shall state the
obligations of the parties with respect to charges and fees for
services covered under that plan when provided by that physician
to enrollees under that plan. Neither the insurer which provides
that plan nor the enrollee under that plan shall be liable for
any amount which exceeds the obligations so established for such
covered services. (C) Neither the physician nor a representative thereof shall
intentionally collect or attempt to collect from an enrollee any
obligations with respect to charges and fees for which the
enrollee is not liable and neither such physician nor a
representative thereof may maintain any action at law against
such enrollee to collect any such obligations. (D) The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to the
amount of any deductible or copayment which is not covered by
the health benefit plan. (E) This paragraph shall apply to only such health benefit plan
contracts issued, delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in
this state on or after July 2, 2001. (31) With respect to telemarketing sales: (A) For any seller or telemarketer to use any part of an
electronic record to attempt to induce payment or attempt
collection of any payment that the seller or telemarketer claims
is due and owing to it pursuant to a telephone conversation or
series of telephone conversations with a residential subscriber.
Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to: (i) Prohibit the seller or telemarketer from introducing, as
evidence in any court proceeding to attempt collection of any
payment that the seller or telemarketer claims is due and
owing to it pursuant to a telephone conversation or series of
telephone conversations with a residential subscriber, an
electronic record of the entirety of such telephone
conversation or series of telephone conversations; or (ii) Expand the permissible use of an electronic record made
pursuant to 16 C.F.R. Part 310.3(a)(3), the Federal
Telemarketing Sales Rule. (B) For purposes of this paragraph, the term: (i) "Covered communication" means any unsolicited telephone
call or telephone call arising from an unsolicited telephone
call. (ii) "Electronic record" means any recording by electronic
device of, in part or in its entirety, a telephone
conversation or series of telephone conversations with a
residential subscriber that is initiated by a seller or
telemarketer in order to induce the purchase of goods,
services, or property. This term shall include, without
limitation, any subsequent telephone conversations in which
the seller or telemarketer attempts to verify any alleged
agreement in a previous conversation or previous
conversations. (iii) "Residential subscriber" means any person who has
subscribed to residential phone service from a local exchange
company or the other persons living or residing with such
person. (iv) "Seller or telemarketer" means any person or entity
making a covered communication to a residential subscriber for
the purpose of inducing the purchase of goods, services, or
property by such subscriber. This term shall include, without
limitation, any agent of the seller or telemarketer, whether
for purposes of conducting calls to induce the purchase, for
purposes of verifying any calls to induce the purchase, or for
purposes of attempting to collect on any payment under the
purchase; or (32) Selling, marketing, promoting, advertising, providing, or
distributing any card or other purchasing mechanism or device that
is not insurance or evidence of insurance coverage and that
purports to offer or provide discounts or access to discounts on
purchases of health care goods or services from providers of the
same or making any representation or statement that purports to
offer or provide discounts or access to discounts on purchases of
health care goods or services from providers of the same, when: (A) Such card or other purchasing mechanism or device does not
contain a notice expressly and prominently providing in boldface
type that such discounts are not insurance; or (B) Such discounts or access to such discounts are not
specifically authorized under a separate contract with a
provider of health care goods or services to which such
discounts are purported to be applicable. (c) A seller may not by contract, agreement, or otherwise limit the
operation of this part notwithstanding any other provision of law. (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of the law to the contrary,
the names, addresses, telephone numbers, social security numbers, or
any other information which could reasonably serve to identify any
person making a complaint about unfair or deceptive acts or
practices shall be confidential. However, the complaining party may
consent to public release of his or her identity by giving such
consent expressly, affirmatively, and directly to the administrator
or administrator's employees. Nothing contained in this subsection
shall be construed to prevent the subject of the complaint, or any
other person to whom disclosure to the complainant's identity may
aid in resolution of the complaint, from being informed of the
identity of the complainant, to prohibit any valid discovery under
the relevant discovery rules, or to prohibit the lawful subpoena of
such information. |