The British Medical Association (BMA) and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) have finally agr...
The British Medical Association (BMA) and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) have finally agreed on new guidelines for the disclosure of medical information to insurers.
The agreement is positive progress and means doctors will not have to disclose intrusive information about applicants' sexual history if no long-term health problems are predicted. Having to reveal such personal information to insurers has long been resented by consumers, who often fail to see the relevance to their application.
Although both organisations are breathing a sigh of relief to have reached an understanding on at least some issues, it is fair to say opinions are still clashing over certain areas.
It is hard to tell whether this continuing conflict is down to misunderstanding or plain stubbornness. On the debate over fees for GP Reports, Richard Walsh of the ABI suggests it is the latter, saying there are some doctors that: 'Just do not like insurance and do not want to do the work, no matter how much you pay.'
The issues surrounding genetics and insurance are also providing a bone of contention. As this month's 'Think Tank' reveals, we seem no nearer to finding a post-moratorium solution that satisfies all parties.
Both the medical and insurance worlds work to stringent sets of principles. The problem seems these principles do, at times, beg to differ. Compromise is key if we are to make any headway with the current areas of dispute or those that will undoubtedly rear their head in the future. The latest agreement by the BMA and ABI is, at least, a positive start.
Kirstie Redford, editor
