According to SIRA, the fines stem from breaches of AAMI and GIO's internal review timeframes between April 1, 2018 and August 31, 2020. The regulator began investigations in response to complaints about delays that customers were experiencing when seeking internal reviews. Despite issuing letters of censure to AAMI and GIO, SIRA found further breaches during their monthly performance monitoring of internal reviews in September 2020.
As a result, SIRA launched a further investigation into the ongoing issues between April 2018 and August 2020, identifying breaches and contraventions of the Act, the Motor Accident Guidelines, and their license conditions. Show cause notices were issued to the insurers in May 2022, leading to the decision to impose a civil penalty of $50,000 each for AAMI and GIO. The Act provides for fines of up to $110,000.
In determining the appropriate penalty, SIRA took into consideration the experience of customers, the acknowledgement by AAI Limited of their conduct, the significant efforts made to address the backlog of internal reviews and communicate options to customers, and the development and implementation of a remediation plan. The regulator has stated that they will continue to closely monitor the performance and compliance of the insurers.
This news serves as a reminder of the importance of timely and efficient internal reviews for insurers, as well as the need for compliance with regulatory guidelines. Suncorp's CTP brands, AAMI and GIO, will have to pay close attention to their internal processes in the future to avoid similar penalties.
Published:Friday, 27th Jan 2023
Source: financialservicesonline.com.au
![]() | AFCA Criticizes Insurance Industry Over Delayed Dispute Resolution 20 Mar 2023: .financialservicesonline.com.au The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) has expressed its deep concern on the rising complaint numbers and poor industry response, leading to significant dispute resolution delays. The CEO and Chief Ombudsman, David Locke, warned that complaint numbers could reach 100,000 in the current financial year, an increase from 72,358 in the previous year. The surge in complaint numbers resulted from natural catastrophes, complaints about claims handling and an increase in banking sector-related scams. - read more |
![]() | The Importance of Weather-Related Insurance Coverage for Australian Homeowners 20 Mar 2023: .financialservicesonline.com.au As the weather in southern Australia continues to be a hot topic, homeowners are reminded of the importance of reviewing their insurance coverage. With bushfire warnings being issued due to extreme heat and wind, it's crucial to ensure that your insurance coverage includes weather-related risks. - read more |
![]() | Cyber Liability Insurance: A Must-Have for SMEs in the Digital Age. 16 Mar 2023: .financialservicesonline.com.au Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Australia should take cyber liability insurance more seriously, according to Jane Mason, head of product, channels and risk at insurance brokerage and consultancy BizCover. Cybercrime incidents in Australia are on the rise, occurring every seven minutes on average during FY22, one minute faster than the previous year. - read more |
![]() | Life insurance industry hit hard by $6.6 billion investment losses 10 Mar 2023: .financialservicesonline.com.au The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has released its latest industry update, revealing a significant slump in net profit after tax for the life industry in Australia. The industry suffered a 59.3% decrease in net profit after tax to $500 million for the year ending December, primarily due to investment losses of approximately $6.6 billion. - read more |
![]() | Strengthening Cyber Security: A Fundamental Priority for Australia 07 Mar 2023: .financialservicesonline.com.au The Australian Government is currently soliciting feedback until mid-April for the creation of a 2023-2030 Australian Cyber Security Strategy. The move comes after a roundtable discussion led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who aims to make Australia “the most cyber secure nation.” - read more |
![]() | The importance of Income Protection Insurance for Employees While some people might think that income protection insurance is only for self-employed individuals, this is not accurate. This type of insurance is just as beneficial for employees, because accidents and illnesses can happen to anyone at any time. Workers' compensation provides only limited coverage, and most employees don't have much more than a few weeks' sick leave accrued. Of course, if you have more than one job, the situation becomes more of a concern if you are injured at one workplace resulting in being unable to work at either. - read more
|
![]() | Income protection insurance It's trite but true to say that, for most people, their most valuable asset is their ability to earn an income. But how relevant is income insurance to most Australians? - read more
|
![]() | Life Insurance: How much is enough? When considering life insurance, you're planning and preparing for an event that most of us would rather not think about. But life insurance represents a critical step in managing your personal finances and ensuring your family's well-being. - read more
|
![]() | DIY Review Checklist for your Income Protection Insurance If you have an income protection insurance plan already - or are thinking about buying one, then you need to be aware that these policies require regular maintenance and careful scrutiny to ensure that they adequately meet your needs. Unfortunately, many people purchase income protection insurance policies only to find out about their shortcomings at claim time. - read more
|
![]() | Understanding the Differences: Income Protection vs Total and Permanent Disability Insurance Income protection insurance is a type of policy that provides financial support to individuals who are unable to work due to an illness or injury. The insurance company will pay a portion of the policyholder's earnings, which can be used to cover everyday living expenses and bills. This type of insurance is different from total and permanent disability insurance (TPD) in a few key ways. - read more
|