Health: Private Insurance

Lord Crisp Excerpts

Wednesday 30th June 2010 Lords Chamber

Asked By

[Lord Crisp]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what controls they propose to put in place to ensure that private health insurance companies adhere to their industry codes of practice.

[The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Sassoon)]

My Lords, all private health insurers must comply with Financial Services Authority requirements, including those for treating customers fairly, which include adherence to industry codes. The Financial Ombudsman Service takes account of all Association of British Insurers codes of practice in determining whether a complaint should be upheld and, if so, what the redress should be.

[Lord Crisp]

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Does he agree that it is outrageous that an insurer that says it offers full cancer coverage can stop payment for a cancer drug during treatment in complete defiance of that industry code of practice? Will he ensure that the consumer protection and markets authority, which I believe is being created, will properly cover the selling, and perhaps the mis-selling, of private health insurance?