TORONTO, Sept. 22, 2015 /CNW/ - The OmbudService for Life & Health Insurance (OLHI) announced record volumes of business and unveiled its newly designed annual report at its Annual General Meeting on September 17, 2015.
Highlights:
- Highest number of contacts in OLHI's history (over 87,000).
- Fifty per cent of investigation cases settled in favour of consumers.
- Media profile enhanced by coverage in national outlets.
"As OLHI's public and media exposure rise, we're being sought out more for advice and information by consumers, regulators and media," said Dr. Janice MacKinnon, Chair. "This is proof that OLHI's expertise is more broadly recognized. As a result, we are revisiting the way we present ourselves, while still remaining true to our model of striking a delicate balance, establishing trust and good faith between all parties."
With volumes at historic levels, efficient stakeholder service is more integral than ever. In tandem with building awareness, OLHI has been focused on its complaints process.
"Improvements over the past two years have made case reviews more thorough and rigorous, hence easier to identify complaints that merit negotiation," said Holly Nicholson, Executive Director. "For example, we consult more with both consumers and insurers to make sure we have all the facts. Changes like this have led to a settlement ratio of 50 per cent in favour of consumers at the investigation stage – a big jump from 30 per cent."
Looking ahead, OLHI will continue to enhance its' value to stakeholders. This will be done by pursuing media opportunities, and by designing a web site that improves user experience and interactivity. A new case management and reporting system will improve efficiency and data collection, allowing us to better identify trends and emerging issues. OLHI will continue to expand its' plain language initiative and will work with stakeholders to ensure that consumers with an independent agent have access to ombudservices.
For more detail on OLHI's operations, including consumer case studies and statistics, the full 2014/2015 Annual Report is available at www.olhi.ca/annual_review.html.
About the OmbudService for Life & Health Insurance
The OmbudService for Life & Health Insurance (OLHI) is a national, independent complaint resolution and information service for consumers of Canadian life and health insurance products and services. These include life, disability, employee health benefits, travel, and insurance investment products such as annuities and segregated funds.
OLHI's free, bilingual services are available to any consumer whose life or health insurer is an OLHI member; currently, 99% of Canadian life and health insurers are OLHI members. OLHI's operations are overseen by the Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators (CCIR). For more information, visit www.olhi.ca.
SOURCE OmbudService for Life & Health Insurance
Media Contact: Andrea Zviedris, 416-777-2962, [email protected]
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