CommInsure appoints firms for independent reviews

In a statement, the insurer said it has appointed Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu to independently select and review a representative sample of declined claims over the five years to 30 April 2016.

Deloitte will also form a view on whether the declined claims warrant further action, and will provide recommendations to the CommInsure board for any enhancements that could be made to claims policies and procedures.

CommInsure has also commissioned legal firm DLA Piper to investigate ethical concerns that were aired in media reports during March and April 2016, including those concerning policy wording and definitions.

The firm will also look at claims handling, interaction with medical practitioners, and medical file and record keeping, as well as the treatment of staff and governance.

Meanwhile, a new member has been appointed to CommInsure's Claims Review Panel.

Robyn Napier is a general practitioner, chair of MDA National's Cases (Eastern) Committee and Corporate Social Responsibility Committee as well as an AMA (NSW) medical secretary and medical director.

The Claims Review Panel was formed after concerns were raised in the media about claims processes at CommInsure.