We and the insurer, Hallmark Life Insurance Company Ltd. (Hallmark Life), are committed to complying with the Life Insurance Code of Practice (the “Code”) to ensure you receive a high standard of customer service throughout your relationship with us.
Hallmark Life subscribes to the Code and you can access the Code on the Council of Australian Life Insurer’s website at www.cali.org.au/life-code.
Hallmark Life’s compliance with the Code is monitored and enforced by an independent body called the Life Code Compliance Committee (Life CCC), and you can find more information at the website above.
The Code aims to protect life insurance customers and sets out the life insurance industry’s key commitments and obligations to you on standards of practice, disclosure, and principles of conduct for life insurance services, such as being open, fair, and honest. It also sets out timeframes to respond to claims, complaints, and requests for information.
You can access a copy of the Life Insurance Code of Practice here.
More information about the Life Insurance Code of Practice
What is the Life Insurance Code of Practice?
The Life Insurance Code of Practice is the life insurance industry's key commitment to mandatory customer service standards.
It has been voluntarily developed by the life insurance industry through the Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) to:
- Promote high standards of service to customers
- Provide a benchmark of consistency within the industry
- Establish a framework for professional behaviour and responsibilities
It is designed to protect you, the consumer.
Some of the key areas covered by the Life Insurance Code of Practice include:
- Product design and disclosure
- Sales practices and advertising
- When you buy insurance
- Policy changes and cancellation rights
- Consumers requiring additional support
- When you make a claim
- Complaints and disputes
This includes timeframes for insurers to respond to claims, complaints and requests for information, as well as information or assistance that insurers need to provide to consumers.
The Life Insurance Code of Practice operates alongside, and is subject to existing laws and regulations, and in no way limits your rights under such laws and regulations.
If you think the Life Insurance Code of Practice has been breached and want to report it to the Life CCC, you can do so here.
Life Insurance Code of Practice Promises
The Life Insurance Code of Practice commits to the following key promises.
- We will be honest, fair, respectful, transparent and timely when we communicate with you, and we will use Plain Language unless medical or other technical terminology is needed.
- We will ensure our staff and Authorised representatives use appropriate sales and retention practices.
- We will offer extra support if you have trouble with the process of buying insurance or claiming.
- If we find that a sale was made using unacceptable sales practices, we will fix it, for example by issuing a refund or replacement policy.
- When you make a claim, we will explain the process and keep you informed about our progress assessing it.
- We will decide on your claim within the Life Code’s timeframes. But if we cannot, we will explain why and tell you how to make a Complaint.
- If we decline your claim, we will explain why in writing and let you know what to do if you disagree.
- We will restrict the use of investigators and Surveillance to preserve your right to privacy.
- The independent Life Code Compliance Committee (Life CCC) will monitor our compliance with the Life Code.
- We will be accountable for Life Code requirements, and the Life CCC can sanction us.