January 21, 1998

To: Medicare Supplement Insurers

From: Ron Kotowski

Assistant Deputy Director

Subject: Company Bulletin # 98-2

Duplication of Medicare Supplement Premium Comparison Guides

This bulletin is to advise you of a revised Department policy regarding the dissemination of our annual Medicare Supplement Premium Comparison Guide. In the past, the Department would mail up to five original Guides to companies or agencies requesting the Guide in writing. In practice, this is putting a substantial burden on the Department, since individual agents and agencies statewide are requesting multiple copies of this document. This publication is intended to be for the consumer's use.

Therefore, this is to advise you that effective immediately, the Department of Insurance grants permission for Medicare supplement insurers to duplicate the Guide for their field force. The Guide must be reproduced exactly as is, except that it may be copied in black and white. No insurer's name may appear on the Guide. For instance, you may not include a statement "reproduced by ABC Insurance Company". The duplicated Guide must be no smaller than 8 ½ x 11".

The 1998 edition of the Medicare Supplement Premium Comparison Guide will be available in March. One original copy of each region of the Guide will be mailed to every Medicare supplement insurer licensed in Illinois. The Department will not provide copies of the Guide to producers. The Guide can also be accessed at www.ins.state.il.us/ through the Department's web site.

If you have any questions regarding this issue, please contact Linda Fritz at 217/785-7350 or Chuck Budinger at 217/782-4572. Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated.