Aviva has launched an online resource for advisers intended to smooth the application process for life, critical illness and income protection insurance.
The Adviser Underwriting Centre, available through the ‘Aviva for Advisers' site, includes a guide to the type of medical evidence Aviva is likely to need, and what the decision is likely to be if the client has a medical condition such as asthma, or has had a heart attack.
The centre is intended to help advisers build relevant medical knowledge and to arm them with detailed information about the conditions that might affect their clients, supporting meetings with customers and helping them complete application forms more accurately.
Advisers can test their knowledge of medical conditions, with a certificate awarded for their personal development.
Features include:
A medical learning zone providing information about the human body and the conditions that affect it.
Guidance on the medical evidence Aviva is likely to need for the 15 most common medical conditions.
Guidance on the effect these conditions have on underwriting decisions.
Richard Verdin, director of protection at Aviva, said: "If the broker's client has a medical condition, or has had one in the past, it can be difficult to know how it might affect the premium they'll pay, or whether they'll be accepted at all.
"The Adviser Underwriting Centre will help make the application process simpler and quicker by enabling advisers to find out how their clients' medical conditions might affect their application, and what information they should include when applying."
