S’pore Life Insurance Association to consider if critical illnesses claims should rely more on disease severity over procedures: Gan Kim Yong

In March, a woman sued Prudential after she underwent brain surgery following a stroke, but her had claim denied.

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Photo from Gan Kim Yong/Facebook and Canva

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In its upcoming review commencing in 2027, the Life Insurance Association, Singapore (LIA) will explore a different approach towards whether certain medical conditions and diseases are claimable under critical illness plans.

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It will consider whether claimable conditions can be defined by the underlying disease and its severity, rather than by specific procedures.

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In an Oct. 7 written response in parliament, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong acknowledged that some critical illness plans use treatment procedures as "objective indicators" of disease severity and consequent financial impact.

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This is because such plans are intended to help policyholders cope with the financial impact of a severe illness, rather than reimburse the cost of medical treatment, he said.

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Gan was responding to a question by MP Hamid Razak, who asked if critical illness policy definitions could be moved away from being anchored to specific surgical procedures, and towards disease instead.

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This is so that insurance cover is not lost solely due to differing treatment approaches, he said.

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Hamid is a practising orthopaedic surgeon.

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In her critical illness insurance…

Original source: https://mothership.sg/