The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has offered assurances that doctors and healthcare workers will be treated the same as other workers when applying for life insurance or income protection amid the coronavirus pandemic. It’s been clarified that each policy application will be assessed individually, regardless of profession.
“I can confirm that anyone who has had a positive antigen test will be considered on an individual basis and the same as an applicant who is currently experiencing symptoms for COVID-19 but has not yet had a confirmatory test,” wrote ABI director general Huw Evans in response to a letter from the British Medical Association (BMA).
“Healthcare workers will not be disadvantaged in this way and we do not want to discourage people from taking appropriate tests in keeping with government policy to test and trace. Likewise, insurers will take the same approach to any individual who has had a positive antibody test.”
The clarification comes after the BMA raised several concerns on behalf of members seeking to secure income protection and life assurance coverage. “We firmly believe that these individuals should not be discriminated against,” asserted Dr Chaand Nagpaul CBE, BMA council chair.
After discussing the matter in detail, the trade bodies issued a joint statement to stress that there should be no detriment to healthcare workers and that no-one should be discouraged from having tests done.
“A positive test for COVID (either a polymerase chain reaction or antibody test) should not delay an application as long as the individual has recovered and been back at work for the required period,” they said.
