Airmic launches guide for claims handling

A new best practice guide should improve claims handling standards, insurers say.

Airmic, which released the guide today, said all the big insurance companies – including Ace, AIG, AXA, RSA, Zurich and XL – would report in the summer on how they measured up.

Neil Jackson, claims specialist at RSA, said his company had been involved with the guide since the idea was first mooted. “We see this as a significant step towards improving standards across the industry and are reviewing our practices and procedures to ensure these support the guide where practical.”

Paul Hopkin, Airmic’s technical director and the guide’s author, said it was intended for experienced professionals. “It points to the awkward questions that buyers should ask and the kind of responses and evidence that they have a right to receive.”

Airmic said it wanted the document to have two main functions – as a tool for insurance buyers and as a reference point for insurers.