We have been providing our clients with individual updates about how their insurance providers will treat claims linked to Coronavirus aka COVID-19.

We thought it might be helpful to provide a list of links in one place to the various insurers’ announcements.

Please feel free to share this link with anyone you feel it may be relevant to.

There is a general acceptance that pay outs for UK policies will be made should someone die or be long-term sick due to the illness. Please take a look at the individual link to the insurer you use to confirm their view about employees working abroad.

Our understanding is that it may be unlikely for a long-term illness to occur and Income Protection Cover often includes a waiting period before cover will be paid. This varies from policy to policy but often is around 13 weeks.

For Group Life Assurance, there is likely to be a reference to a Catastrophe or Event limit. These are typically the overall pay out limits for policies and tend to be much higher than the individual cover being provided to SME businesses, and even for larger organisations it is highly likely that the limits will be high enough for claims to be paid.

You can check the limit on your policy schedule from your insurer. In some cases, no limit will be mentioned it may be a generic limit that applies to all the insurers policies and information can be found in the policy terms and conditions.

Most Private Medical Insurers in the UK offer online GP services. Members can arrange appointments online or through an app if they have concerns or are worried about they may be showing symptoms.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has a useful Question & Answer section about other types of insurance, such as Business & Travel cover.

https://www.abi.org.uk/products-and-issues/topics-and-issues/coronavirus-qa/#a

AIG
https://www.aig.com/about-us/coronavirus-updates

AVIVA
http://www.aviva-for-advisers.co.uk/adviser/site/public/news/detail/covid-19-updateshttp://www.aviva-for-advisers.co.uk/adviser/site/public/products/group-protection

CANADA LIFE
https://www.canadalife.co.uk/news/coronavirus-the-impact-on-group-insurance

LEGAL & GENERAL
https://www.legalandgeneral.com/adviser/workplace-benefits/group-protection/newsandinsights/news-and-news-archive/coronavirus.html

METLIFE
https://www.metlife.com/content/dam/metlifecom/us/homepage/about-us/corporate-profile/Coronavirus_Supplier_Update.pdf

RAM
http://www.ram-ltd.co.uk/Further_Information/Coronavirus

UNUM
https://www.unum.com/covid-19

ZURICH
http://zcruk1.newsweaver.com/pop58s4qbi/ad5ldh7m7et

AVIVA
https://www.aviva.co.uk/insurance/travel/coronavirus-advice-travel-insurance-customers/

Private Medical Insurance – Covid-19 is an infectious disease currently being dealt with by specialist infectious disease units (such as the ones at the Royal Free/Hallamshire Hospital/Wirral). The majority of private hospitals don’t have the facilities to deal with infectious diseases/pandemics of this nature, even the HCA facilities are stipulating they will not see patients unless they have been symptom free for 14 days.

Therefore the advice we are offering our members are to follow the government guidelines (here – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public) – notably, call 111 and follow their instructions. If members are admitted they will receive treatment at an NHS facility meaning there will be no cover available under the private healthcare plan, other than the cash benefit which may be able to be claimed retrospectively. There may be cover to treat subsequent issues should they satisfy the policy terms (respiratory issues etc), such as being acute in nature for e.g.

All cases would be dealt with on a case by case basis.

AXA PPP
https://www.axappphealthcare.co.uk/update-on-coronavirus/

BUPA
https://www.bupa.co.uk/dental/dental-care/coronavirus-covid-19-notice
https://www.bupa.co.uk/travel-insurance/coronavirus-travel-faqs

CIGNA
https://www.cigna.co.uk/news-room/media-centre/coronavirus.html

VITALITY HEALTH
https://adviser.vitality.co.uk/coronavirus-update/
https://adviser.vitality.co.uk/coronavirus-update/coronavirus-faqs/
https://adviser.vitality.co.uk/coronavirus-update/coronavirus-travel-faqs/