The Association is preparing a new Statement of Best Practice that will enable insurers to assess all applications fairly on the basis of relevant and accurate information without intrusive or inappropriate questioning. A consultation document has been published today and is available on the ABI website (www.abi.org.uk).
Richard Walsh, Head of Health at the ABI, said:
"It is important in our view that all customers should feel that they are being treated with respect and that their premiums should fairly reflect the relative risk they bring to the insurance pool. Today's proposals aim to achieve this.
We have already consulted widely with the insurance industry to establish best practice in the light of new experience and views. We have benefited from dialogue with the Terrence Higgins Trust, Pinkfinance.com and others. We are now looking for a wider range of views from all stakeholders, including gay and African rights organisations, financial advisers, doctors, patient support groups, policy makers and interested individuals."
The draft statement covers insurance where HIV can be an issue – term life, critical illness, income protection, long-term care and the life insurance element of whole life and endowments.
Some of the key proposals raised in the consultation document are:
* industry-wide standard questions to assess levels of risk which respect customers and do not use speculation or inference to assume information; for example – assumptions about a relationship between occupation and sexuality. There is also a standard question for all applicants who may be at higher risk because of visits to countries with high rates of HIV infection;
* communication procedures to ensure confidentiality between insurers and applicants including not passing on information without explicit consent and not asking GPs to speculate on risk of infection or non-clinical issues – in line with the joint ABI/BMA guidelines;
* supplementary questions which should and should not be used to establish lower or higher levels of risk when, for example, gay men apply for insurance;
* explanations insurers should give to their clients if they have been asked to take an HIV test and what happens if the test is positive, negative or inconclusive. The Statement re-affirms earlier versions in that any negative tests are irrelevant;
* not asking for information when it is not relevant to the product, for example where Income protection and Long-Term care policies do not cover HIV risk.
Richard Walsh added:
"This Statement marks a significant step forward for both the industry and all our customers. The industry wants to offer terms that fairly reflect risk. Customers do not want intrusive or inappropriate questions. Following this consultation, I am optimistic that we can achieve both of these goals."
