| Insurance companies are not in the business of taking | | | | them to do their calculations correctly. |
| on risks without first obtaining as much background | | | | An additional factor is that, in supplying patient's notes |
| knowledge as possible. This applies whether they are | | | | to insurers, GPs are going against the rules on patient |
| insuring your house, your car, your possessions or your | | | | confidentiality. They are permitted to respond to |
| life. There is however a difference in the operation of | | | | insurers requests for information as this will be done |
| such policies. Whilst there is nothing surprising in those | | | | with the full knowledge of the patient. The patient will |
| seeking competitive prices being prepared to change | | | | not however expect the insurer to be supplied with |
| insurers as necessary for cover for the material items | | | | extraneous information which has no bearing on the |
| in their lives, a change of insurer for life cover is much | | | | life insurance question. |
| less likely. | | | | Now the good news is that the BMA (British Medical |
| This factor makes it more important for insurance | | | | Association) and the ABI (Association of British |
| companies to obtain the most accurate information | | | | Insurers) have concluded discussions which have |
| available relating to the medical history of the | | | | resulted in agreement being reached on a way |
| prospective customer. Information available however | | | | forward which should be satisfactory for all concerned. |
| makes it clear that the specific information needed is | | | | On behalf of GPs, the BMA have agreed that reports |
| not always what has been provided. | | | | to insurance companies which are prepared for life |
| What insurance companies need (and in fact what | | | | insurance applications shall be of the high quality patient |
| they pay for) is specific information relating to their | | | | specific type required. In return the ABI have agreed |
| potential customer's past illness which will have, or is | | | | that the charges for these reports shall increase by |
| likely to have a bearing on their life expectancy. This is | | | | 6% per annum over the first five years of the |
| after all what life insurance is all about. | | | | agreement. |
| What has been supplied by GPs has not always met | | | | Compounded, this means that in five years the amount |
| this core requirement, and in some cases the insurance | | | | per report which is paid by the insurance company will |
| company has simply been supplied with a copy of the | | | | rise by around 34%. This will give hard pressed GPs |
| patient's records. To a GP these records should read | | | | the incentive necessary to make time for the |
| like an open book; their training enables them to take a | | | | preparation of accurate medical reports. This point has |
| broad view and provide the most accurate summary | | | | been made by the BMA in advice to GPs regarding |
| available relating to the length of life which the patient | | | | the new agreement. They have pointed out that |
| should be able to expect. | | | | improvement in the accuracy of life insurance |
| Whilst insurers may have experience of life insurance | | | | information on which quotations are based is an |
| cases, they are not trained to be able to assess the | | | | important consideration, impinging as it does on the |
| effects of an illness on an individual, which is why they | | | | quality of life for those patients. |
| pay doctors to provide such information. It must be | | | | It is good to see an apparently satisfactory outcome |
| remembered that the future of their company | | | | to a problem which has been a thorn in the flesh for |
| depends very much on them getting reliable facts, | | | | both the BMA and the ABI for some time. |
| which can be used to assess the risks and enable | | | | |