Aviva Medios Healthcare - are we being treated fairly?

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Paulson correctly reported that there has already been an initial Adjudication decision in Aviva’s favour.

However, my understanding from others is that FOS is looking into concerns raised by a lead case, which might or might not involve a change in the initial Adjudication decision. This further consideration is the reason FOS requires more time for its investigation. Policyholders must also remember that Aviva sought to misdirect FOS and the FSA through presenting selective information intended to pre-empt interest in the product history and in the contract entered into between Insurer and Insured.

Also I further understand the FSA’s investigation is continuing.

Policyholders might best be served by taking on Paulson’s comments when he directs them to the following Postings:
4 January 2013 by Davidstone
This identifies all the mischief that Aviva got up to and identifies how Guaranties were improperly removed. Further details can be found in earlier Postings from that source and others.

22 November 2012 by Burtwood
This explains how Aviva plundered policyholders’ Guaranties and ensures that losses result whenever Age-Related costs need to be paid-out.

24 December 2012 by Guardog
Provides up to date examples of complaint submissions.

AdamsP_2

I recognise my own experience from two of this forum’s latest contributors.

Like Paulson, I didn’t know Aviva had betrayed our trust as well as its own integrity.
I now find I have been robbed of the life-time available cover and non-losable Guaranty upon which my 15 year term policy relied.
If present Guaranty and policy cessation provisions had been in place when the policy was first offered, then there would have been no financial sense to this product.
Only AVIVA'S MISDIRECTION, DECEPTION AND REPEATED MISREPRESENTATIONS kept this information from me.

Like Maytops I endorse the complete honesty of policyholders’ complaints.
That's because I have checked and confirmed them against Aviva’s own documentation.

Aviva seems to make-up its own laws as it ignores those that govern everyone else.
It does that through pretending certain of the policy’s key features never existed.
It changed other key features without proper authorisation.
Hence the reason for Aviva needing to misdirect, deceive and misrepresent.
Only the Age-Band key feature remains as the policy cannot operate without it.
However, even that feature is solely detailed in Aviva’s original key feature document.

New Entrants were the last part of our Guaranty that Aviva destroyed.
By then, Aviva’s contempt for policyholders held no bounds.
Aviva simply just breached that obligation by stopping New Entrants.
Successive Terms from Aviva then misrepresented New Entrants as a continuing base to our Guaranty.
That only changed when costs increased due to a resulting ageing policyholder population.
However, Aviva forgot the cause was its own contract breach.
That had been some 3 years earlier and had been covered-up and concealed.
Consequently, Aviva sought from policyholders the damage caused by its own contract breach!
Once Aviva thought it had got away with one wrongdoing, it just committed another even worse than the one before, until every aspect of our Guaranty was invalidated.

LIES and MISDIRECTION to its Regulator and FOS are corollaries of all this deception.
Its presentation to them was the equivalent of a ‘forged’ policy.
Absent entirely were how the policy was sold and the improper changes made through misdirection, deception and repeated misrepresentations.
Unsurprisingly we also read how Aviva has been caught in flagrante in such pursuit.
It needed to perpetuate its wrongdoings at all costs to escape justice.
Even a Government Minister seems to be a victim of its efforts to deceive.
False accounting and capital shortcomings also seem to be involved.
Certainly, that would occur if premiums are wrongly taken to income without proper provision for Guaranty costs, as appears to have been done by Aviva.
Aviva’s latest concealment of its change to 2013’s policy schedule not only demonstrates the falseness of its defence but shows a contempt for all that’s right.
Aviva has completely lost its moral compass through an arrogant pursuit of profit and an unquestioned belief that it is not bound by the laws and standards placed upon others.

I, my family, probably our friends and possibly their friends and so on will not, through choice, do business of any kind with an INDUSTRY PARIAH such as Aviva.
Aviva has forgotten the reason it is in business and that is likely to flaw any potential for future success as much as anything else that industry guardians might throw at it.
Certainly, I agree with Maytops that we must fight for justice and use Aviva’s own documentation to demonstrate its culpability.

Adamson_2

Aviva’s deceptions, improper policy changes, reneging on key features, contract breaches, misrepresentations and cover-ups are becoming known to an increasing number of policyholders. However, little has been said about how policyholders’ lives have been wrecked by Aviva.

I have held my Medios policy for some 15 years and am now aged 71 and my wife is in her late 60s.

Aviva’s improper removal of lifetime available cover has turned our lives upside down.
Other insurers have little interest in taking me on, now I have attained my 71st year.
I didn’t take earlier action as I was unaware of Aviva’s breach of its lifetime cover commitment.
Aviva made sure of that through repeated misrepresentations, misleading statements and cover-ups.
Also, my wife has existing claims but no other insurer will take those on either.
The same goes for illnesses that arose over the 15 year term of my policy.
Aviva has dug a hole in the ground for us, from which there seems to be no return.
We are desolate.

The breaching of every aspect of our Guaranty (one supposedly incapable of being lost) means we must write-off the 40% extra premium cost we have paid for 15 years continuously.
We paid that 40% extra cost because we accepted Aviva’s representation of protection for life from Age-Related Premium Increases.
Now we no longer have rising incomes but fixed incomes, we are less able to pay premium increases for Age-Related matters.
This financial reversal causes us great foreboding.
Our full and proper provision for future Age-Related Increases has become meaningless as Aviva has wrecked our Guaranty in order to evade its liabilities.

Already we have experienced how Aviva’s wrongdoings will affect us.
Large Age-Related Increases have been imposed upon us for the last 2 years (the 2nd year maintained the 1st year increase plus added a year’s inflation).
Aviva says that the 1st year increase was because of an ageing policyholder population.
Yet the very fact Aviva’s explanation included “Age” meant it had to be Age-Related.
Worst still the ageing population problem only happened as Aviva breached its Guaranty obligation on New Entrants. As other Posters say, Aviva made us pay for the damage it caused by its breach.

As all policyholders already know, their large excesses rise with premium increases.
Consequently, both my wife and I have paid-out excess increases that are even larger than our premium increases.
As worrying as that is, we are more worried by Aviva’s contract breach in stopping New Entrants.
That breach places enormous pressure on the policy’s viability; already under pressure if Aviva falsely accounted for premiums through inadequate provision for future Age-Related Costs.
Reductions in service and benefits would then seamlessly follow so Aviva could better avoid being found out once more.

Aviva’s cocktail of wrongdoings causes us to feel utterly helpless.
Aviva’s sheer deceit and betrayal of trust creates feelings of endless despair.
I think about this daily. Not surprisingly, it adds to blood pressure and curtails outside interests.
Aviva is well aware of the consequences of its actions as it knows the importance policyholders attach to health insurance, without which the industry cannot prosper.

This is our experience. This is our outlook. This is our tragedy.
This is why another Poster describes Aviva as an industry pariah.

Jean819

Holders of all insurance policies know that engaging in behaviour such as Aviva’s would disqualify them from success with any claim.
Similarly, we know that getting caught engaging in that sort of behaviour would probably end-up with us going to jail.

It takes one’s breath away that Aviva has yet to be brought to account.
It’s mind boggling the way Aviva has exploited, misled and turned-over policyholders through deception, contract breach, evasion, misrepresentations and much other despicable trickery.
Aviva’s own paperwork shows it up as the pariah that people are increasingly recognising it for.
Aviva represents everything rotten about what’s wrong with our financial system.

Adamson’s above comments have received so much support and thanks from other policyholders as they totally identify with everything said in that post.
Aviva has turned policyholders’ lives upside down.
Aviva has decimated policyholders’ lives as health is the one thing we worry about most when getting older.
The old, sick and infirm are the victims that Aviva has deliberately sought to harm and take advantage of, so as to evade its liabilities.

Compensation needs to cover policyholders’ inability to insure all and any aspect of their health through the standard policies and standard pricing of any top 4 UK health insurer (to the extent such risks are covered by any existing Medios policy).
Obviously, that also needs to embrace existing claims.
Premium increases and excesses wrongly charged need to be reimbursed with interest.
Compensation for distress deliberately caused also needs high focus.
Past premiums might also need to be repaid because of Aviva’s misrepresentations on New Entrants.

The method of compensation should vary to the extent that some policyholders might be content to remain with Aviva whilst others cannot because of Aviva’s misrepresentations and the shattering of trust that Aviva has perpetrated.
For policyholders continuing with Aviva, providing an unbreakable Guaranty is insufficient as they also need to be protected against any future Aviva move to reduce policy benefits;
that’s because Aviva will be greatly motivated to claw-back costs in any way possible as already plentifully evidenced by its past actions.
Those policyholders not wanting to continue with Aviva need to be provided with full compensation for their Guaranty loss (which might include continuing cover from Aviva for risks not insurable with top 4 insurers through standard policies and standard premiums).

This tragedy for policyholders cannot be allowed to continue if justice exists at all.

Garrett

I have watched from the sidelines as terrible injustices against Medios policyholders have been discovered and documented on this site.
Unfortunately, Aviva’s disgusting behaviour and greed does demonstrate all that’s wrong with our financial system, as others have said.
Worst, it will continue until culprits are marked out as common criminals and treated as such.
That's what should be done with Aviva if that's possible.

As a minimum, Aviva needs to be brought to account for abusing trust through misuse of its authority, repeated breaches of the Misrepresentations Act 1967, and various breaches of contract fundamentals.
If laws have been broken that should also disqualify Aviva from remaining autonomous as should its untrustworthiness.
If that change doesn’t occur through the marketplace, then Aviva’s apparent predilection to act above the law, for unbridled greed, must be curbed through much more intensive regulatory surveillance.

As for compensation to victims, whether old, sick or infirm, they must be offered the opportunity to take their compensation and arrange cover elsewhere.
A continuing role for Aviva must only remain if adequate cover cannot be obtained from top insurers at standard prices, and in that circumstance Aviva must be made to provide such cover without charge to policyholders.

AvivaVictim4001

We have felt unable to complain as we have a history of claims.
They rarely exceed the combined amount of our excess and premium but we are probably too old to interest another health insurer.
Consequently, we do not want ‘to rock the boat’ as we have nowhere else to turn for health insurance and are too scared to rely upon an unfit-for-purpose NHS.

Like many others on this site we would not have known what Aviva had done to us without the incredible efforts and know-how of others.
We are so thankful to them but still remain caught in a trap as we dare not complain.

The lifetime commitment and Guaranteed premium protection we paid for presently 'hang by a thread', as they are dependent upon how Aviva acts out its greed and trickery.
Without hope of alternative cover, we cannot jeopardise what remains of our cover.
Whatever that might be and whatever its limitations, we cannot lose it.
Equally, we can’t afford to pay twice for lifetime cover and premium protection.
Also Aviva’s Healthier Solutions alternative is too expensive for us as premiums rise dramatically after claims, even when premiums exceed those claims.

Obviously, Aviva is well aware that many share our predicament.
That must encourage it to ‘walk all over’ and take advantage of us through effectively ‘stealing’ our past premiums by, apparently, not setting any aside for related costs.
Aviva's stopping of New Entrants also irretrievably creates a massive adverse cost change.
Until becoming a recent follower of this web site, we were unaware of any of this.

Aviva is made-up of people and we hope they are thoroughly ashamed of themselves. Their actions depend upon exploiting our fears and are targeted at easy victims like us.

Therefore our plea to everyone concerned in determining compensation is please do not forget those like us, who are unable to complain.

Adamson_2

Just checking whether others have been directly approached by the Press.

Seems hunt is on for personal stories relative to Aviva’s wrongdoings and current events.

Also asked questions about identity of MP/Government Minister that’s involved.

If so, please let me know through direct email.

heathcote_2

I received a notification about my complaint from the Ombudsman.


.....I can confirm that the ombudsman has now completed their final review of these issues. While it was previously indicated we would be issuing a lead adjudication, we have instead contacted Aviva direct to see whether it is prepared to resolve these types of complaints in line with our initial review. If required, a final decision could then be issued to clarify our position if either party to the complaint remain unhappy with the outcome.

As before, in these circumstances we cannot give you a definitive timescale for your case to be dealt with. However, we should be in a position to issue some form of more substantive communication in the near future regarding the outcome of our contact with Aviva.

Does anyone know what 'the initial review' concluded?

Has anyone actually got anything out of either the Ombudsman or FoS that indicates they have some sympathy with our circumstances?

davidstone

The Ombudsman has ruled in favour of policyholders and requires Aviva to put matters right in accordance with its Ruling. That information was effectively communicated within the part of FOS’s message that said

“we have instead contacted Aviva direct to see whether it is prepared to resolve these types of complaints in line with our initial review”.

This process provides the loser with the opportunity to respond to and challenge the Ombudsman ruling. It’s a rebuttal opportunity that’s standard where an Ombudsman ruling does not solely repeat a prior Adjudicator decision - in this case there is no repetition as the Adjudicator actually favoured Aviva, albeit that view was subsequently withdrawn by FOS for reconsideration.
If Aviva and the Ombudsman cannot agree then the Ombudsman will issue a Final Ruling which Aviva must comply with – it has no choice.

What is not known is whether the Ombudsman’s ruling grants policyholders £1 or the full amount of their claimed loss – being the value of their lost Guaranty plus recovery of initial costs associated with that lost Guaranty (e.g. overcharged premiums and the extent to which that overcharge was multiplied through excesses).
A determination is also required on whether policyholders are to be imprisoned by Aviva or whether compensation allows transfer to another insurer.

Policyholders are excluded from participating in the above ongoing discussion, contrary to FOS’s prior statement that

“a lead adjudication (will be issued to) the business (Aviva) and a selected complainant (on) how we consider that the matter should be resolved”,

which suggests there is nothing for policyholders to respond to, albeit that might or might not be the reality.

This will be Aviva’s final chance to change the Ombudsman’s views, so nothing will be held back.
The norm is to divert, obscure and dilute the Ombudsman’s views so as to reduce compensation.
Aviva will claim that no loss has been suffered by policyholders.
It will ignore that it usurped its authority to change anything but standard terms.
Its misrepresentations on New Entrants will be as if they had never existed.
It will represent that removal of the base line of New Entrants has no effect, notwithstanding the extra charge already made for an ageing population group or, more importantly, its huge negative effect on overall financial viability.
It will ignore that it held out that its Healthier Solutions policy was cheaper.
Its price comparisons will ignore the large excesses that Medios policyholders additionally pay.
It will ignore that premiums are supposed to equate to ‘joining’ age as “In our eyes you never grow older” (e.g. premiums were much higher at start but held out as considerably lower later on).
It will not talk about taking the benefit of all past premiums and holding nothing back for claims.
Nor will it recall its Key Feature promises of “This cover can be continued for life” and “you cannot lose your Guaranteed Loyalty Bonus”.
Instead Aviva will throw everything else in to divert, obscure and dilute – and we all know that Aviva has already been caught-out lying, so we can only expect that and other mal-behaviour to continue.

Unfortunately, policyholders must accept their exclusion from this process.
Ongoing uncertainty must continue for one of the most important aspect of their lives as must their resultant daily nightmares.

Barry_Man

I see the last couple of posting here (heathcote and davidstone above) refer to communications from the Ombudsman - I've not received any such thing as yet (my complaint was lodged with them c. 20-Jan-2013). Any chance of a full(er) quotation of their emission?