AMII calls for more to take IF7 exam

The Association of Medical Insurance Intermediaries (AMII) has announced excellent results for the AMII/CII IF7 Healthcare Products Exam and called for more advisers to take it.

Speaking at the AMII annual conference Michael Payne, general secretary of AMII, said: "A dilemma our industry faces is, on an individual basis, our customers trust us, they wouldn't buy off someone they didn't, however we are not just individual practitioners.

"We are part of the financial services industry. In the public's mind, in the media and the Government and regulators, we are in the same basket as bankers and those who miss sold endowments.

"Reality and perception are not all the same and if we want insurance to be perceived as a profession, rather than a job, then we must demonstrate this.

"Health insurance has become more complex in recent years, the need for independent advice is more important than ever but it must be seen as a profession. As such we need a training framework to drive the industry forward."

There have been 333 exam passes since June 2010 and 435 study guides purchased since April of last year.

Payne added that AMII is already in the advanced stages of announcing a next stage PMI examination