NEWS 29


Airmic calls for tougher EL rules


Risk managers’ association, Airmic, has called on the government to come down more strongly on organisations that fail to buy employers’ liability insurance for their staff or that buy less than they are required to do.


In its response to the Cabinet Offi ce’s Review of Health and Safety and the Compensation Culture, the association describes enforcement of the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act as “woefully inadequate”. The same can be said, it adds, of health and safety regulations.


“Apart from the obvious moral and legal imperative to protect staff, it is unfair that our members are placed at a competitive disadvantage because they observe the letter of the law. Firms that save money by taking shortcuts on employee safety are getting away with it because of inadequate enforcement,” said technical director Paul Hopkin.


Airmic goes on to call for a relaxation or removal of workplace rules that are over-prescriptive, leading to increased costs without improving safety.


Finally, the response says there should be a review of the personal injury claims process, which it says has allowed costs to spiral in recent years.


“Recent Government consultations and reviews have failed to improve the situation in relation to case track limits and the claims process for personal injury claims. There is considerable scope for claims to be handled in a much more cost-effective manner and Airmic hopes that the government will take this opportunity to review, simplify and thereby signifi cantly reduce claims handling costs,” says the response.


Airmic represents risk managers and insurance buyers, including around 75 per cent of FTSE 100 companies.


He knows his stuff: Brian Walters (left) is congratulated by AMII’s Michael Payne


Exam success for Brian Walters


Brian Walters from Regency Health (an appointed representative of Premier Choice) is the fi rst individual to have sat and passed the new Association of Medical Insurance (AMII)/Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) IF7 examination introduced.


Mr Walters sat the examination in Bristol, then travelled up to join the AMII Annual Conference in Hinckley, Coventry to receive a special award to mark his success from AMII’s general secretary, Michael Payne, at the evening’s Gala Dinner.


The examination consists of 100 multiple choice questions and covers seven key areas: • The structure of the UK healthcare insurance market


• Key features of healthcare provision in the UK and overseas


• Healthcare product types • Different roles and responsibilities of intermediaries and providers


• Applying risk assessment, rating and underwriting considerations


• Applying the claims function • Applying legal and regulatory considerations.


Mr Payne said, “Brian has made history by being the fi rst person to successfully sit our new examination. Interest shown in the coursework and exam across our industry has been very encouraging and we look forward to hearing about many more successful candidates over coming months.”


Mr Walters added, “I’m fully behind AMII’s drive to professionalise our sector and I wanted to demonstrate that by taking the exam on the day it launched. This is a positive development for our industry that can only help to promote consumer confi dence and bolster our message that private medical insurance is best purchased with specialist advice”.


July/August 2010 Insurance Brokers’ Monthly


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