2015 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 38a - Insurance
Chapter 699a - Readable Language in Insurance Policies
Section 38a-298 - (Formerly Sec. 38-68v). Method of measurement for Flesch reading ease test score.

(a) For the purposes of section 38a-297, a Flesch reading ease test score shall be measured by the following method:

(1) For policy forms containing ten thousand words or less of text, the entire form shall be analyzed. For policy forms containing more than ten thousand words, the readability of two two hundred word samples per page may be analyzed instead of the entire form. The samples shall be separated by at least twenty printed lines;

(2) The total number of words in the text shall be counted and divided by the total number of sentences. The figure obtained shall be multiplied by a factor of 1.015;

(3) The total number of syllables shall be counted and divided by the total number of words; the figure obtained shall be multiplied by a factor of 84.6;

(4) The sum of the figures computed under subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection subtracted from 206.835 equals the Flesch reading ease score for the policy form.

(b) For purposes of subdivisions (2), (3) and (4) of subsection (a) of this section, the following procedures shall be used:

(1) A contraction, hyphenated word or numerals and letters, when separated by spaces, shall be counted as one word;

(2) A unit of words ending with a period, semicolon or colon, excluding headings and captions, shall be counted as a sentence;

(3) A syllable is a unit of spoken language consisting of one or more letters of a word as divided by an accepted dictionary;

(4) Where the dictionary shows two or more equally acceptable pronunciations of a word, the pronunciation containing fewer syllables shall be used;

(5) Numerals when separated by spaces may be counted as one syllable.

(c) The term “text” as used in this section includes all printed matter except the following:

(1) The name and address of the insurer, the name, number or title of the policy, the table of contents or index, captions, and subcaptions, specification pages, schedules or tables;

(2) Policy language required by any collectively bargained agreement;

(3) Any medical terminology;

(4) Words which are defined in the policy; and

(5) Any policy language required by state or federal law, regulation or governmental agency, provided the insurer identifies the language or terminology excepted by this subdivision and certifies, in writing, that the language or terminology is entitled to be excepted under this subdivision. At the option of the insurer, riders, endorsements, application and other forms made a part of the policy may be scored as separate forms or as part of the policy with which they are to be used.

(P.A. 79-300, S. 4; P.A. 05-29, S. 7; P.A. 15-118, S. 38.)

History: Sec. 38-68v transferred to Sec. 38a-298 in 1991; P.A. 05-29 made a technical change in Subsec. (b); P.A. 15-118 made a technical change in Subsec. (a)(4).