Circular on Protecting Rights and Interests of Insurance Consumers

Circular on Protecting Rights and Interests of Insurance Consumers

Bao Jian Fa [2012] No. 9

January 17, 2012

All local offices of China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC), all departments of CIRC, all insurance companies, and the Insurance Association of China,

With a view to earnestly implementing and carrying out the spirit of the National Financial Work Conference and the National Insurance Supervision and Administration Work Conference in 2012, faithfully resolving such issues existing in the insurance industry and generally brought to social attention as difficult claim settlement, misleading sale and poor quality service, protecting the lawful rights and interests of insurance consumers, and promoting the stable, sustained and sound development of the insurance industry, the circular on relevant work in properly protecting the rights and interests of insurance consumers is hereby given as follows:

I. Establish and improve the work system and institution for protecting the rights and interests of insurance consumers
1. Insurance regulatory bodies and insurance companies shall strengthen the combing of existing rules and regulations and amend and improve, as soon as possible, those that go against protecting the lawful rights and interests of insurance consumers; immediately annul or amend those in violation of laws and regulatory provisions; establish and improve, at an earliest date possible, those that fail to implement and carry out laws and regulatory provisions.
2. Insurance regulatory bodies shall improve the organizational system for protecting the rights and interests of insurance consumers, establish functional departments, clarify job responsibilities, and enrich keen-witted and capable force. Insurance companies and insurance associations shall establish an insurance consumer affairs commission comprising of relevant departments of such units, integrate force, and enhance cooperation so as to improve the protection efficiency and level of rights and interests of insurance consumers.

II. Intensify information disclosure and safeguard the rights of insurance consumers to know
3. Insurance regulatory bodies shall regularly disclose the information of insurance companies, such as the information on legal and compliant operation, information on complaints of consumers, information on investigation and punishment of illegal acts that infringe upon the rights and interests of consumers, so as to enable consumers to objectively evaluate the operation situation and claim settlement service level of all insurance companies.
4. Insurance companies shall, in light of the requirements of the Administrative Measures for Information Disclosure of Insurance Companies, the Administrative Measures for the Information Disclosure in Relation to New Varieties of Personal Insurance Products and other rules and regulations, faithfully and properly disclose information relevant to the protection of rights and interests of insurance consumers to make consumers intuitively learn the scope covered by insurance contracts, earning risks and exclusions, service items and promises, complaint channels and handling periods and other important information that involves their rights and interests.
5.
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