Norwich Union Healthcare has transformed its flexible Income Protection Solutions product by introducing electronic application and teleinterviewing - significantly improving the customer experience both at application and claims stage.
Norwich Union Healthcare has transformed its flexible Income Protection Solutions product by introducing electronic application and teleinterviewing - significantly improving the customer experience both at application and claims stage.
From the 6 April, intermediaries can use a new short electronic application to capture and submit the financial and occupational details for all new customers. The customer will then receive a follow-up call to help them complete a medical interview capturing medical and lifestyle details. This allows intermediaries to focus on their client's financial needs without needing to interpret and capture medical details at point of sale. It also provides protection to the intermediary as all teleinterviewing calls will be recorded.
The teleinterview will be conducted by a team of interviewers (including nurses), trained in communication skills and equipped with the medical knowledge to lead the customer through the questionnaire. The customer is sent a copy of the report to verify the medical information, before the policy starts.
This approach enables customers to ask any questions, ensuring they understand what is being asked of them and provide data at a time and place convenient to them, where they can have relevant information to hand. It may also avoid them feeling embarrassed as they will not be giving sensitive data face to face.
In addition to noticeably speeding up the enrolment process, the teleinterviewing approach has proven to significantly reduce non-disclosure - particularly around sensitive issues such as drug use and psychiatric problems. The interview also helps control the need for additional medical information once the application is received.
The application process will be supported by a dedicated telephone line for intermediaries with customer quotes and applications initially available through The Exchange, and Webline.
Rebecca Freebody, head of propositions management and market development at Norwich Union Healthcare, said: "These changes to Income Protection Solutions have significantly improved the service we offer to both intermediaries and our customers. The new approach not only speeds the application process, but also helps ensure that all appropriate medical information is captured at the point of application. This has proven to significantly reduce non-disclosure, giving our customer greater reassurance that should they need to claim everything should run smoothly."
Norwich Union Healthcare have also taken this opportunity to revise Activities of Daily Work definition "Personal Capability Assessment", to offer greater cover to these clients.
-ends-
For further information, please contact:
Amber Scott
Telephone: 02380 359383
E-mail: chablea@norwich-union.co.uk
Notes to editors:
About Income Protection Solutions
Income Protection Solutions is one of the most comprehensive, competitively priced and products on the market, offering a choice of Guaranteed or Reviewable rates, as well as a range of product features.
About Norwich Union Healthcare
Norwich Union Healthcare was founded in 1990 as the healthcare arm of Norwich Union and now provides a range of private medical insurance, income protection, occupational health and group life products and services that cover over 2,400,000 lives. It is one of the largest providers of income protection and private medical insurance in the UK.
Norwich Union Occupation Health, a sister company of Norwich Union Healthcare, provides occupational health solutions and services to a wide range of industry sectors. By utilising their large fleet of purpose built mobile clinics and approved medical centres, staffed by a team of experienced occupational physicians and nursing staff, the services are designed to meet the individual needs of clients.
Norwich Union Healthcare is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority and is a member of the Association of British Insurers and the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Norwich Union's news releases and a selection of images are available from Aviva's internet press centre at www.aviva.com/media.
About Aviva
Aviva is Norwich Union's parent company. The global brand, Aviva plc, was launched in July 2002 as the new name for CGNU plc. A world leader in the provision of financial services, Aviva is the world's fifth-largest insurance group and the largest insurance services provider in the UK. They are one of the leading providers of life and pension products in Europe and are actively growing their long-term savings business in Europe, the Asia Pacific region and North America.
Aviva's main activities are long term savings, fund management and general insurance. With premium income and investment sales of £49.2 billion and £359 billion of assets under management, the group has more than 57,000 employees servicing the needs of 45 million customers in 27 countries around the world.
Aviva, as a member of the international business community, recognises its corporate social responsibility commitments in its various roles which include insurer, investor, employer and consumer. In 2007 Aviva invested over £6.75 million in numerous community and charitable activities worldwide.
From 1 June 2009, Norwich Union will be known as Aviva.