Insurer

Bupa has become the second insurer to give further clarity about its complaints levels, suggesting providers may want further details to be published by the Ombudsman to put figures into a wider context.

PruProtect has said it is "bullish" about the future for the protection market and that it is aiming to be a major player in the UK market.

The private medical insurance (PMI) market's two biggest players have seen a rise in the number of complaints escalated to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

Any move abroad by Prudential is "unlikely" to affect either PruProtect or PruHealth, COVER understands.

PruProtect has announced a significant rise in new business premiums and the number of lives it now covers.

With less than a year before the ECJ ruling on gender discrimination comes into effect, there is still confusion as to how insurers should respond, according to specialists.

The strain of the payment protection insurance (PPI) mis-selling scandal shows no sign of slowing as figures from the FSA show redress payments surged to a new monthly high in December.

British consumers feel the insurance industry lags behind others in how it addresses their needs and have given their strongest hint that greater simplicity would be welcomed.

Ageas continued its protection market growth and halved its pre-tax loss in 2011.

Phil Jeynes warns that removing components from simple products may mean weaker cover for clients.