Mass. Gen. Laws » Part I Title XXII Chapter 175
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 175, § 1 (2026)

Definitions

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 1. The following words, as used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires or a different meaning is specifically prescribed, shall have the following meanings:

''Behavioral health services'', mental health and substance use disorder prevention, recovery and treatment services including, but not limited to, inpatient, 24-hour levels of care, 24-hour and non-24-hour diversionary levels of care, intermediate levels of care and outpatient services.

''Commissioner'', the commissioner of insurance.

''Company'', all corporations, associations, partnerships or individuals engaged as principals in the business of insurance including reciprocal exchanges as defined (as ''Exchange'', ''Domestic Exchange'' or ''Foreign Exchange'') in section ninety-four A.

''Contract on a Variable Basis'', any life policy or contract, annuity contract or any other policy or contract which provides for benefits, values or payments in variable amounts in accordance with the provisions of section one hundred and thirty-two F or section one hundred and thirty-two G.

''Domestic company'', a company incorporated or formed in the commonwealth.

''Emergency services programs'', all programs subject to contract between the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership and nonprofit organizations for the provision of community-based emergency psychiatric services, including, but not limited to, behavioral health crisis assessment, intervention and stabilization services 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, through: (i) mobile crisis intervention services for youth; (ii) mobile crisis intervention services for adults; (iii) emergency service provider community-based locations; and (iv) adult community crisis stabilization services.

''Foreign company'', a company formed by authority of any state or government other than this commonwealth.

''Industrial life insurance policy'' or ''policy of industrial life insurance'', a policy of life insurance (a) the premiums on which are payable weekly, or (b) the premiums on which are payable monthly or oftener, but less often than weekly, and the face amount of insurance of which is less than one thousand dollars and on the face of which the words ''industrial policy'' are plainly printed.

''Insurance company'' or ''insurer'', the same meaning as ''company''.

''NAIC'', the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or its successor organization.

''Net assets'', the assets of a company, less the total liabilities of the company, both as shown on the latest statement of financial condition prepared in accordance with section 25.

''Net value of policies'', the liability of a company upon its insurance contracts, other than accrued claims, computed by rules of valuation established by sections nine to twelve, inclusive.

''Primary care provider'', a health care professional qualified to provide general medical care for common health care problems who; (1) supervises, coordinates, prescribes, or otherwise provides or proposes health care services; (2) initiates referrals for specialist care; and (3) maintains continuity of care within the scope of practice.

''Profits'' of a mutual company, that portion of its cash funds not required for payment of losses and expenses nor set apart for any purpose allowed by law.

''Receiver'', receiver, liquidator, or conservator as the context requires.

''Resident'', with respect to any incorporator, officer or director of a company, a person who shall have resided within the commonwealth at least one year immediately prior to the election, or the exercise of the authority, referred to in the context.

''Retroactive claims denial'', an action by an insurer, an entity with which the insurer subcontracts to manage behavioral health services or an entity with which the insurer has entered into an administrative services contract or a contract to manage behavioral health services to deny a previously paid claim for such services and to require repayment of the claim or to impose a reduction in other payments or otherwise withhold or affect future payments owed to a provider in order to recoup payment for the denied claim.

''Statistical agent'', an entity with proven systems for protecting the confidentiality of individual insured and insurer information; demonstrated resources for, and history of, ongoing electronic communications and data transfer with its member or subscriber insurers, which ensure the integrity of the transferred data; and a history of aggregation of data and accurate promulgation of the experience modifications in a timely fashion.

''Unearned premiums'', as defined in the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Accounting Practices and Procedures Manual, unless modified by the commissioner as the commissioner considers appropriate.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 9 cases, 1960–2010 · leading case: Wheatley v. Massachusetts Insurers Insolvency Fund, 925 N.E.2d 9 (Mass. 2010).
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Wheatley v. Massachusetts Insurers Insolvency Fund, 925 N.E.2d 9 (Mass. 2010). · cites it 2× “” G. L. c. 175, § 1. Our reasoning, which relies on the particular language and interconnection of G.”
State Tax Comm'n v. John Hancock Mut. Life Ins., 170 N.E.2d 711 (Mass. 1960). “” Section 9 requires: that the insurance “commissioner shall each year compute the .”
Loyal Prot. Life Ins. v. Massachusetts Indem. & Life Ins., 287 N.E.2d 412 (Mass. 1972). “” Similarly, the term “domestic company” is defined in G. L. c. 175, § 1, as meaning “a company incorporated or formed in the commonwealth.”
Springfield Ins. Co. v. State Tax Comm'n, 174 N.E.2d 455 (Mass. 1961). “See G.L.c. 175, § 1. The tax imposed by § 22 is similar to, although by no means precisely like, premium taxes imposed by many other States.”
Osborn v. Metro. Life Ins., 225 N.E.2d 322 (Mass. 1967). “Because the plaintiff’s position in the court below has been shifted in this court, as above noted, the trial judge’s findings are not completely applicable.”
Carrasquillo v. Richardson, 2004 Mass. App. Div. 5 (Mass. Dist. Ct., App. Div. 2004). “” G.L.c. 175, §1. A “[djomestic company” is then defined as “a company incorporated or formed in the commonwealth.”
Springfield Ins. v. State Tax Comm'n, 342 Mass. 505 (Mass. 1961). “See G. L. c. 175, § 1. The tax imposed by § 22 is similar to, although by no means precisely like, premium taxes imposed by many other States.”
Propac-Mass, Inc. v. Comm'r of Ins., 648 N.E.2d 407 (Mass. 1995). “Section 5, which concerns the revocation or suspension of licenses and does not provide for a prerevocation agency hearing, by its terms applies only to a foreign company, that is, one formed by authority of another State or country (G. L. c. 175, § 1 [1992 ed.]). An…”
Arkwright Mut. Ins. v. Comm'r of Ins., 221 N.E.2d 740 (Mass. 1966). “The parties appear to agree that if the word “profits” is given the meaning assigned to it by G. L. c. 175, § 1, then it does not include unrealized appreciation in the market value of the common and preferred stocks held by Arkwright and Boston.”
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