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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>79956</law_id><section_number>38.2-501</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>38.2-5103</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="38.2">Insurance</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="5">Unfair Trade Practices</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Insurance policy</span>&#x201D; or &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">insurance contract</span>&#x201D; includes annuities and any group or individual contract, certificate, or <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of coverage, including, but not limited to, those issued by a <span class="dictionary">health services plan</span>, health maintenance organization, legal services organization, legal services plan, or dental or optometric services plan as provided for in Chapters 42 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Applicability of chapter" href="/38.2-4200/">38.2-4200</a> et seq.), 43 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/38.2-4300/">38.2-4300</a> et seq.), 44 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/38.2-4400/">38.2-4400</a> et seq.) and 45 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Applicability of chapter" href="/38.2-4500/">38.2-4500</a> et seq.) of this title issued, proposed for issuance, or intended for issuance, by any <span class="dictionary">person</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Lending institution</span>&#x201D; means any corporation, <span class="dictionary">company</span> or organization that accepts deposits from the public and lends money in this Commonwealth, including banks and savings institutions.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Person</span>,&#x201D; in addition to the definition in Chapter 1 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/38.2-100/">38.2-100</a> et seq.) of this title, extends to any other legal entity transacting the business of insurance, including agents, brokers and adjusters. &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Person</span>&#x201D; also means health, legal, dental, and optometric service plans and health maintenance organizations, as provided for in Chapters 42, 43, 44 and 45 of this title. For the purposes of this chapter, such service plans shall be deemed to be transacting the business of insurance. &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Person</span>&#x201D; also means premium finance companies.</p></section></text><history>1952, c. 317, &#xA7; 38.1-50; 1977, c. 529; 1980, c. 404; 1986, c. 562; 1989, c. 653; 1992, c. 7; 2001, c. 707.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
