'Miniscule' PMI complaints level should be applauded - AMII

The Association of Medical Insurance Intermediaries (AMII) has applauded the latest Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) complaints statistics as a success for the health insurance sector.

Earlier this week FOS revealed it had received 95 complaints about private medical insurance (PMI) in the first three months of this year.

Less than half of these were upheld and the total is currently on pace to be less than last year's 506, which itself was down significantly on the previous year.

This has prompted the body to recognise the moves made by providers to assist the complaints process.

Andrew Tripp, chairman of AMII, said: "The FOS figures show that PMI insurers have worked really hard to resolve issues that arise, and over recent years there has been a consistent downward trend on the number of complaints about PMI being referred to the FOS.

"Obviously whilst any complaint is an unwelcome event, the PMI sector insures over six million people in the UK and pays out over £11m every working day, so in that context the number of complaints being upheld by the FOS is miniscule compared to other areas of protection.

"A good intermediary can help resolve claims issues before they even give rise to a complaint, and specialist healthcare intermediaries are usually very willing to liaise with insurers on a claimants' behalf in the rare instances when a problem arises," he added.

Complaints from the health insurance and protection markets make-up a fraction of those received by the FOS, something recognised by the Ombudsman at last year's COVER Forum.