Signaling a change in nature of complaints being filed with the Insurance Ombudsman for Orissa, there is a gradual increase in the number of life insurance related complaints compared to non-life complaints.
“ Previously we used to receive more complaints relating to non-life cases but there is a change in the pattern in the last 3-5 months with a gradual increase in the complaints relating to life insurance”, S K Dhal, Insurance Ombudsman for Orissa, said here.
The Insurance Ombudsman said, though the number of complaints received by his office is on the rise, still about 90 percent of the people aren’t aware about existence of such a mechanism for redressal of grievances. The problem is acute in rural areas, he added. While the Insurance Ombudsman received 117 complaints in 2000-01, this increased to 271 by the end of 2008-09. It has reached 290 by the end of February, 2010. Among the complaints received during 2009-10, sixty percent related to life insurance and 40 percent non-life insurance.
He said, the disputes coming to the Insurance Ombudsman includes partial or total repudiation, delay in settlement of claims and converting the one time premium payment to annual premium among others.
Stating that coming to the Insurance Ombudsman for settlement of disputes is advantageous, Dhal said, the cases are disposed off within three months and the order of the Ombudsman is binding on the insurance companies.
During last 10 years, only on four occasions, the insurance companies have moved the Orissa High Court against the judgement of the Ombudsman.
