My rights to know why I was refused insurance

vyle

I have been turned down for "life cover" due to medical reasons, but the insurer refuses to tell me why for "confidentiality reasons." They're insisting that my GP enquires on my behalf, but my GP won't because it's not something they normally do, and he says that they cannot refuse to tell me why, because the information is about me.

Before I try prising the information out of them again, I want to arm myself with any relevant legislation so that I don't get fobbed off. However, my Google fu is weak in this area and all I could find is articles about australian law and about small businesses having trouble getting insurance. I couldn't find anything relevant to what I'm looking for... does anybody know what rights I have, or have any useful links?

Quentin

Ask your gp to let you see what info he has given (actually "sold") to them about you.

kingstreet

See page 13;-

Insurance companies must provide written reasons for any higher than standard premium, rejection of an application, exclusion, rejection of a claim or cancellation of a policy to applicants or insured people, on request. They must not ask applicants’ doctors to explain their actuarial and underwriting decisions. If the company is concerned that the applicant is not aware of a health condition that has influenced the underwriting, or if it believes that further care or treatment may be beneficial, a medical officer of the company should discuss the best way to proceed with the applicant’s GP promptly. Any health concerns that the insurance company has brought to the attention of the GP should be discussed (if the GP felt necessary) in a normal NHS consultation.

https://www.abi.org.uk/Information/64827.pdf

InsideInsurance

Quentin wrote: »

Ask your gp to let you see what info he has given (actually "sold") to them about you.

And expect for it to be resold to you... recent medical records do not come under the normal £10 DPA fee and from memory GPs can charge up to £50 for it (and my GP did want to)

If it requires any additional work (eg writing to the insurers) they may well charge you for that too at their private practice rates

vyle

Quentin wrote: »

Ask your gp to let you see what info he has given (actually "sold") to them about you.

InsideInsurance wrote: »

And expect for it to be resold to you... recent medical records do not come under the normal £10 DPA fee and from memory GPs can charge up to £50 for it (and my GP did want to)

If it requires any additional work (eg writing to the insurers) they may well charge you for that too at their private practice rates

Well when I spoke to my GP it didn't sound like they'd even given the insurer any info as he was very puzzled. I was asked to consent to the insurer obtaining medical information for a different product but that was approved.

kingstreet wrote: »

See page 13;-


www.abi.org.uk/Information/64827.pdf

Thanks that's really useful. I'll get on to the insurer and find out what's going on.

dunstonh

Your adviser will be able to find out. Some insurers will only pass the info via your adviser.

InsideInsurance

vyle wrote: »

Well when I spoke to my GP it didn't sound like they'd even given the insurer any info as he was very puzzled. I was asked to consent to the insurer obtaining medical information for a different product but that was approved.

Did you put any pre-existing conditions down? Did you have a medical?

It would unusual for them not to contact your GP unless you put something so certain on your form for a decline. It could be that the GP didnt respond (I know mine took months with GP saying they hadnt received the request) but ultimately the insurer then told me that they had problems and that the decline would be due to lack of evidence not from an issue with the evidence

vyle

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Did you put any pre-existing conditions down? Did you have a medical?

It would unusual for them not to contact your GP unless you put something so certain on your form for a decline. It could be that the GP didnt respond (I know mine took months with GP saying they hadnt received the request) but ultimately the insurer then told me that they had problems and that the decline would be due to lack of evidence not from an issue with the evidence

I did mention a pre-existing condition....there was some confusion because the lady who took my details insisted on putting down that I had a cough because I was coughing on the phone, despite it being a common cold I had -- which I had only had for two days and which went within the week.

The way she recorded details kept bouncing the application back to me for more info. It was very odd, because the person asking for further information kept noting that she shouldn't have recorded things the way she did and that it was a bit of a mess.

I don't know if they used medical information obtained for other cover from the same provider...it's all a bit odd tbh.

InsideInsurance

vyle wrote: »

I don't know if they used medical information obtained for other cover from the same provider...it's all a bit odd tbh.

GPs charge a fair penny for reports and so if there was a recent report done they will reuse that one.

What was the other policy? Did they accept it or decline that too?

Generally life tends to be easier to get than the likes of PHI given it takes a lot to kill someone but not so much to stop them being able to work.

vyle

I managed to get through to somebody who put me through to the underwriters.

It turns out that the mortgage broker wrote the wrong thing on my letter of rejection. I had been rejected for earnings protection due to my medical condition, NOT life insurance as stated.

It's because they factored my age and the length of the mortgage that's being covered, as well as the likelihood that my condition would hamper my employment and decided not to cover it. That makes more sense than them denying me life cover for a totally non-fatal condition.

katejo

vyle wrote: »

I did mention a pre-existing condition....there was some confusion because the lady who took my details insisted on putting down that I had a cough because I was coughing on the phone, despite it being a common cold I had -- which I had only had for two days and which went within the week.

The way she recorded details kept bouncing the application back to me for more info. It was very odd, because the person asking for further information kept noting that she shouldn't have recorded things the way she did and that it was a bit of a mess.

I don't know if they used medical information obtained for other cover from the same provider...it's all a bit odd tbh.

Perhaps someone assumed that the mention of a cough was something much more serious