Thailand
Thailand: Regulator steps in to simplify Covid claims
Insurance companies have been ordered to use Covid-19 RT-PCR tests instead of medical certificates as proof of a claim for a lump-sum payment, in order to ease the burden on buyers.
The Office of Insurance Commission’s (OIC) secretary-general Suthiphon Thaveechaiyagarn said the worsening pandemic had caused a surge of Covid patients, making it increasingly difficult for buyers to obtain a medical report certified by a doctor in order to file a claim for a lump-sum payment.
Moreover, the need for a medical report has also heightened the risk of creating new clusters, as people are flocking to hospitals to get examinations.
Thus, to ease the burden on customers, the OIC issued two registrar orders, one for life insurers and the other for non-life insurers, regarding the use of documents for payment of benefits under the Covid insurance policy, on Aug 7 to set the clear guideline for the industry to act in the same direction.
The orders require all insurance companies to accept an RT-PCR test report issued by any laboratories authorised by the Department of Medical Sciences as a substitute for a medical report from hospitals as proof of a claim.
Mr Suthiphon said the issuance of these two registrar orders is on the more severe end of the spectrum of measures which the OIC uses to ensure insurers comply with regulations.
Previously, the OIC had merely asked insurance firms to cooperate, but it found many insurers still applied different practices regarding the use of documents for the claim process, causing confusion and inconvenience to claimants.
Mr Suthiphon said many lump-sum payments had been delayed due to confusion regarding the regulations.
Therefore, to help alleviate the suffering of buyers and fast-track the claim settlement process, legal steps were needed to ensure compliance and eradicate legal loopholes regarding the use of supporting documents in the claim process, he said.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2162743/regulator-steps-in-to-simplify-covid-claims