Submission to the Independent Review of the 2020 General Insurance Code of Practice

The 2020 General Insurance Code of Practice is being independently reviewed. PIAC has made a short submission to reinforce our calls for the Code to contain commitments to support customers with mental health conditions and improve compliance with anti-discrimination laws.

Recommendations:

1. The practices outlined in the Guide on Mental Health should become clear commitments in the Code and should be binding and enforceable. The Insurance Council of Australia should consult with consumer and mental health stakeholders to incorporate the Guide in the Code.
2. The Code should require insurers to provide a clear explanation of the grounds for their decision to decline cover or offer non-standard terms, and to provide directly to an applicant or insured on request, the actuarial and statistical data and relevant factors relied on to make a decision to decline cover or offer cover on non-standard terms.
3. The Code should include a commitment by insurers to regularly report to the Insurance Council of Australia on the processes, procedures and policies they have implemented to ensure compliance with anti-discrimination laws and to meet their Code obligations. The Insurance Council of Australia should provide those reports to the Australian Human Rights Commission.