FSC introduces new mandatory Life Insurance Code of Practice

life-insurance/FSC/Insurers/mental-health/

22 June 2022
| By Laura Dew |
image
image image
expand image

The Financial Services Council (FSC) has issued a new Life Insurance Code of Practice for its life insurance members.

This would introduce more than 50 additional consumer protections to ensure consumers received the highest standards of service from their insurer.

These included ensuring claimants were supported if they were interviewed, restrictions on the use of surveillance and ensuring consent is genuine for First Nations people.

It would also ban mental health exclusions in newly-designed contracts, a topic that had been previously been raised by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

FSC chief executive, Blake Briggs, said: “Through consultation with industry, consumer groups, and regulators, the FSC has developed the Life Code to ensure consumers can enjoy the security of life insurance with confidence.

“The Life Code is the industry’s commitment to customers for consistent service standards that cover every aspect of a customer’s journey, from taking out a policy to making a claim, and compliance is monitored by the independent Life Code Compliance Committee.

“The new Life Code includes an enhanced role for the Life Code Compliance Committee by providing the Committee with increased powers to impose sanctions for breaches, including potentially requiring a community benefit payment to a charity.”

It would come into force on 1 July, 2023 which provided the industry with 12 months to transition to the new rules and would be mandatory for the FSC’s life insurance members.

Read more about:

AUTHOR

Recommended for you

sub-bgsidebar subscription

Never miss the latest news and developments in wealth management industry

MARKET INSIGHTS

The succession dilemma is more than just a matter of commitments.This isn’t simply about younger vs. older advisers. It’...

1 week 3 days ago

Significant ethical issues there. If a relationship is in the process of breaking down then both parties are likely to b...

1 month ago

It's not licensees not putting them on, it's small businesses (that are licensed) that cannot afford to put them on. The...

1 month 1 week ago

AMP has settled on two court proceedings: one class action which affected superannuation members and a second regarding insurer policies. ...

3 days 4 hours ago

ASIC has released the results of the latest adviser exam, with August’s pass mark improving on the sitting from a year ago. ...

1 week 6 days ago

The inquiry into the collapse of Dixon Advisory and broader wealth management companies by the Senate economics references committee will not be re-adopted. ...

2 weeks 6 days ago

TOP PERFORMING FUNDS

ACS FIXED INT - AUSTRALIA/GLOBAL BOND
Powered by MOMENTUM MEDIA
moneymanagement logo