You may have heard about the ‘Don’t pay a premium’ campaign that was run by Which?.
The aim, from the perspective of consumers, has been to get insurers to be fairer about renewal premiums. Which? campaigned hard to get insurers to show the previous year’s premium on renewal documents, and in a survey an overwhelming 85% of consumers thought this would be useful. Well, their campaign has come to a successful end.
Change for the better
The debate kicked off much activity. The Association of British Insurers held talks with the Financial Conduct Authority, with a call for renewal documents to include the premium that the customer started the year paying, shown alongside the renewal quote for easy comparison.
The FCA agreed with this, and in December 2015 decided to this made sense. Wheels don’t turn fast in financial services, and in April this year the rules will finally change – at least, when it comes to motor and home insurance. From this date all insurers must flag up how much last year’s policy cost so you can see whether your premium has gone up – which gives you the chance to shop around.
Practice Cover right from the outset supported this change – and in fact we called for it to be introduced in our sector of locum insurance. While our customers are not strictly consumers, and are in fact GPs or their practice, we feel it’s important that they too see what our premiums are, and such a change would make our premiums transparent.
7 years of pegged premiums
While we’re not included in the FCA’s changes, the good news is that we truly are transparent about premiums. In fact, for the 7th year running, 100% of our renewing customers have paid the same or less for their insurance than they did the previous year. That’s why we already show last year’s premium on our renewal documents.
It’s one of the reasons why our customers are so loyal to us. But not the only one.
- We can quote and have a practice, GP or key staff member insured in just a few hours.
- We’re happy to speak to you on the phone, and help you choose the right cover at the right premium to meet your budget.
- We have an enviable claims record, that ensures genuine claims are paid without quibble.
- We can include continuity of cover, which means that if you make a claim for a certain type of illness, we’ll ensure you remain covered for that illness through the life of your policy. On other policies that illness would be excluded from cover.
I challenge you to find another locum insurance provider that does the same!
I’m available personally if a GP would like to discuss any situation in confidence. Call 023 8051 3286 and ask for Lynda Cox.
The opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author on behalf of Practice Cover Limited and they do not constitute individual advice. Practice Cover is a trading name of Practice Cover Limited and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
