The proportion of investigations resolved by the OmbudService for Life and Health Insurance (OLHI) in consumer’s favour jumped to 50% during the group’s 2014-2015 fiscal year from 30% in its previous fiscal year
The OLHI’s recently released annual report notes that of the 2,400 complaints filed with the OLHI, 42 resulted in investigations over the last year, with half of those leading to settlements in favour of the consumers. The annual report says that, to date, insurers have accepted all final non-binding settlement recommendations in favour of consumers.
“Improvements over the past two years have made case reviews more thorough and rigorous, hence easier to identify complaints that merit negotiation,” says Holly Nicholson, executive director of OLHI, in a statement. “For example, we consult more with both consumers and insurers to make sure we have all the facts. Changes like this have led to a settlement ratio of 50% in favour of consumers at the investigation stage.”
The OLHI also found that the public is increasingly engaging with the organization through its website, which saw more than 71,000 visits over the last year. This is a jump of 22% from the 2013-2014 fiscal year and double the number of visits from four years ago.
The OLHI plans to redesign its website in fiscal 2015-2016 with the goal of improving the user experience and interactivity. The organization is also aiming to implement a new case management and reporting system in April 2016, which is to improve efficiency and the data collection process. And OLHI will continue to expand its plain language initiative, which focuses on clarifying how it communicates complex insurance concepts through promotional materials, consumer communications and its website.