FSA launches online PPI comparison tables
by Gill Montia
Story link: FSA launches online PPI comparison tables
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has launched a new set of tables to help consumers who are looking for Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) to compare policies and identify which meet their needs.
PPI has been at the centre of years of controversy, with consumer group Which? and the Citizens’ Advice Bureau campaigning for more competition in […]
Consumer cut backs could cost insurers £1.5 billion
by Gill Montia
Story link: Consumer cut backs could cost insurers £1.5 billion
A report from Deloitte, the professional services firm, is suggesting that the insurance sector could be facing a significant downturn in revenue as a result of the credit crisis.
Research conducted for Deloitte by YouGov (involving 2,286 consumers) found that 26% of respondents planned to cut back their insurance cover during the next twelve months, potentially […]
AXA launches PMI policy for under 18s
by Gill Montia
Story link: AXA launches PMI policy for under 18s
AXA has launched a private medical insurance (PMI) policy designed for children.
The group’s First Healthcare plan provides cover for children and young people up to the age of 18.
Existing PMI family policies do cover children but this new policy is believed to be the first of its kind because the premium reflects the age group […]
Genetic testing moratorium extended to 2014
by Gill Montia
Story link: Genetic testing moratorium extended to 2014
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) is extending its moratorium on the use of predictive genetic testing, to 2014.
The moratorium was established in 2001 and covers policies worth up to £500,000 for life insurance; £300,000 for critical illness insurance and £30,000 a year for income protection insurance.
The extension leaves consumers free to apply for […]
Corporate PMI cover lacks clarity on cancer cover
by Gill Montia
Story link: Corporate PMI cover lacks clarity on cancer cover
Private medical insurance providers (PMI) have been criticised for being less than clear about the cover they provide for members of company health insurance schemes who develop cancer.
Employee benefit consultant Mercer and charity Cancerbackup, have examined the corporate medical insurance offered by 11 leading UK PMI providers for transparency and clarity in the terms they […]
Business & Domestic Insurance launches Lifestyle Protect
by Gill Montia
Story link: Business & Domestic Insurance launches Lifestyle Protect
Business & Domestic Insurance Services (B&DIS), the broker specialising in creditor, extended warranty and personal property insurance, has launched Lifestyle Protect Insurance, a new payment protection policy.
B&DIS forms part of the Motorway Direct Group, which provides warranty and F&I solutions to the motor industry.
The new product will be available via the group’s 1,200 plus auto […]
LV= launches Mortgage & Lifestyle Protection
by Gill Montia
Story link: LV= launches Mortgage & Lifestyle Protection
Friendly society, LV=, has launched Mortgage & Lifestyle Protection, a new policy that provides cover against accident, sickness and unemployment.
The policy offers level mortgage cover and customers can choose between level or index-linked living expenses protection.
Mortgage repayments and living expenses cover can be arranged over different terms, taking into account the fact that the need […]
Bupa signs deal with EMS Ship Management
by Richard Kilner
Story link: Bupa signs deal with EMS Ship Management
Health insurer Bupa International has won the contract for a major new maritime deal providing cover for almost two thousand seafarers and their dependents working for Norwegian firm EMS Ship Management.
The EMS Maritime Plan has been customised for EMS Ship Management’s specific needs by Bupa.
The deal will see every qualifying EMS seafarers and dependents covered […]
Wesleyan appoints BUPA to protection panel
by Gill Montia
Story link: Wesleyan appoints BUPA to protection panel
Wesleyan Assurance Society, which specialises in insuring the medical, dental, legal and teaching professions, has appointed Bupa Individual Protection (BIP) to its protection panel.
From this month, BIP life and critical illness products, which have recently attained a five star accreditation from Defaqto, will be available to the society’s members.
According to Callum Girvan, Wesleyan’s Director […]
Bupa invites patients to have a say
by Gill Montia
Story link: Bupa invites patients to have a say
Private healthcare provider, Bupa, is undertaking a survey of over 35,000 patients in 200 hospitals across the UK.
The research will be carried out by the Picker Institute, which specialises in using patients’ experiences to provide feedback on the quality of care they have received.
The survey will span a range of topics, including how well doctors […]
Online Private Medical Insurance to be launched
by Richard Kilner
Story link: Online Private Medical Insurance to be launched
The City-based aggregator Onlyinsurance.com is to offer a variety of PMI products from a range of providers (including BUPA and AXA-PPP).
The PMI offers will be the most recent addition to Onlyinsurance.com’s portfolio of insurance, ahead of predicted rises in the demand for PMI in the near future.
The Only Group head of personal lines, Ian Hall, […]
BUPA enhances Lifeline expatriate cover
by Gill Montia
Story link: BUPA enhances Lifeline expatriate cover
BUPA International, which provides health insurance for expatriates worldwide, is improving the cover provided under its Lifeline policy.
In cases of chronic disease, new customers will not only be covered for diagnosis but also for the control of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma, all of which are becoming more prevalent.
Diabetes in particular is […]
Bolton Hospital collaborates with Grace to bolster care advice provision
by Richard Kilner
Story link: Bolton Hospital collaborates with Grace to bolster care advice provision
Ivan Lewis, health minister, has raised the issue of care advice, and the lack of provision made for it.
The minister, speaking in the House of Commons, explained that he and others had been told by a large number of elderly people and families that the difficult choices they are faced with regarding are compounded by […]
Dental insurance proposed as fewer Britons able to visit dentists
by Richard Kilner
Story link: Dental insurance proposed as fewer Britons able to visit dentists
Health insurer HSA has conducted research revealing that up to 20% of adult Britons have delayed visiting a dentist due to cost-related issues.
The declining numbers of dentists willing to take on NHS patients has been well-publicised, and 40% of those surveyed expressed the view that NHS dentistry provision would become non-existent in the future.
When asked […]
Friends Provident withdraws scary income protection mailshot
by Gill Montia
Story link: Friends Provident withdraws scary income protection mailshot
Friends Provident has been criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for sending out a mailshot that could be mistaken for medical test results.
The marketing material was sent to 10,000 people in a brown envelope that looked as if it contained test results or hospital medical records.
The envelope was marked “X-Ray film, please […]
Specialist insurance vital for “health tourists”
by Gill Montia
Story link: Specialist insurance vital for “health tourists”
The Post Office is warning so called health tourists that they need to purchase specialist travel insurance before they make a trip abroad for the purpose of undergoing medical treatment.
The number of Britons taking advantage of faster and cheaper treatments abroad is rising by around 30% per annum, with over 70,000 people choosing to have […]
Women starting to see diets as permanent rather than short-term
by Richard Kilner
Story link: Women starting to see diets as permanent rather than short-term
PruHealth has conducted research which reveals that British women, far from succumbing to short-term diet fads, are tending to make longterm lifestyle changes when attempting to become slimmer.
Over two-thirds of women begin diets at the start of the year, with a third of them considering it to be a permanent process as opposed to a […]
BUPA reduces critical illness premiums
by Gill Montia
Story link: BUPA reduces critical illness premiums
BUPA, the private healthcare operator, has reduced premiums on its Individual Protection insurance, with immediate effect.
Premium rates for its critical illness policies bought alongside a mortgage have reduced by around 7.3%, while for stand-alone critical illness cover the reduction is around 5.7%.
The changes mean that a female non-smoker aged 30 next birthday, taking out £75,000 […]
L&G critical illness claims 88.2% successful
by Gill Montia
Story link: L&G critical illness claims 88.2% successful
Legal & General (L&G) paid out £110 million in critical illness insurance claims during 2007, giving claimants a success rate of 88.2%, compared with 83.3% in 2006.
Non-disclosure was cited as the reason for the 7.7% of unsuccessful claims made last year.
The £17.9 million rise in payouts is described by Bernie Hickman, managing director of protection […]
Heart disease on the climb, insurers offer incentives to be healthy
by Richard Kilner
Story link: Heart disease on the climb, insurers offer incentives to be healthy
After three decades of decline, heart disease is now rising again, according to research conducted by a team from University of British Columbia, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Particularly at risk are the younger generations.
The rates of heart disease have begun to level off for those between 35 and 55 years of age, with […]
