COVID-19: People Risk Key Coverages and Claims Considerations

Published on 8th May 2020

As COVID-19 continues to impact and interrupt businesses at an unprecedented rate, it is paramount that employers are continually reviewing their People Risk exposures and risk profile, in conjunction with assessing how their insurance coverages may be impacted.

Whilst generally there are no explicit COVID-19 exclusions under the key people risk insurance classes, the current circumstance has unearthed complexities around how some of the coverages may respond and whether a claim is deemed compensable. We have also seen a shift in insurer risk appetite when assessing new applications.

We outline some of the key issues and insurer positions presently impacting employers across New Zealand in light of the current pandemic.

In respect of the Life and Disability Market, we explore:

• Income Protection
• Life Insurance & Total and Permanent Disablement (TPD)
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Delays with medical assessments
• Delays with claim payments
• Financial hardship for voluntary cover
• Continuation of insurance cover
• Change in employee remuneration
•  Redundancy Cover
• Premium Relief

We also look into areas of the Health Insurance Market. Specifically:

• Health insurance as a whole
• International students
• ACC claims

(The stance taken by insurers is varied and is likely to continue to evolve. The majority of this update is accurate as of 01/05/2020. Contact your broker to stay informed in this dynamic environment.)