AIA New Zealand has announced that it will be waiving the first month’s premium on new eligible policies. The offer will apply to policies placed between September 01 and October 31, 2021.
AIA NZ CEO Nick Stanhope (pictured) said he hoped the offer would help both advisers and customers during the current outbreak of Delta in the community, as well as giving support to the Aucklanders still under Alert Level 4 restrictions.
Stanhope said the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown had resulted in an uptick in enquiries about hardship, but noted that the volume of enquiries had been smaller than that seen last April.
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“At AIA NZ, the latest COVID-19 lockdown has seen an uplift in customers contacting us to query policy coverage relating to the impacts of COVID-19, with close to 200 suspension requests processed over the past six weeks,” Stanhope said.
“In the months prior, we were processing on average 150 requests per month.”
“Our busiest month for suspension requests remains April 2020, when we processed approximately 400 requests,” he continued. “In total, we’ve processed approximately 2,600 suspension requests since the April 2020 lockdown.
“Health claim volumes are currently down due to delayed procedures, and will be an area we will continue to watch for Auckland customers; however, we expect these will start to increase outside of Auckland with the move in alert levels this week.”
Stanhope noted that the lockdown was also a difficult time for insurance advisers, who rely heavily on being able to meet their clients face to face, and being able to generate new business through networking.
He said that insurers play a vital role in increasing resilience and sustainability among communities, and enabling Kiwis to retain their cover during difficult times is a key part of that.
“Our customer care team remain dedicated to supporting all our AIA NZ customers during this time, and ensuring they receive the best service possible,” Stanhope said. “We know from past experience COVID-19 lockdowns can be challenging for our advisers, as it limits opportunities for them to meet with new clients. We wanted to quickly get an offer in market that will support all our advisers to continue to do business during this tough time.”
“We all know the important part the insurance industry plays in addressing the sustainability challenges our communities face,” he concluded.
“Life and health insurance provides people with peace of mind, knowing that they are protecting themselves and their families against life’s uncertainties. With rising consumer debt and increased cost of living, it’s now more important than ever for Kiwis to review their insurance needs, to ensure they are adequately protected for the future.”
