Examples of good and bad practice by the insurance industry and banks. Anne-Sophie Parent, Secretary General

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1 1 Examples of good and bad practice by the insurance industry and banks Anne-Sophie Parent, Secretary General

2 Examples of good and bad practice by the insurance industry and banks 2 1.Survey of AGE members: January - March Travel insurance 3.Complementary health insurance 2.Mortgages and loans 3.Conclusions 4.AGE recommendations

3 Survey of AGE members on age limits in access to certain insurance and banking products 3 Survey among AGE members on age limits in their countries on access to travel insurance, complementary health insurance and mortgages Carried out between January - March 2011 AGE members gathered examples of both age limits and good practice in their countries AGE has obtained comprehensive information on situations in 23 Member States

4 Examples of age limits in access to intra-eu travel insurance (including health costs) 4 Generarli-La Estrella (Spain): Travel insurance is not available for new subscribers over the age of 65 Prudential (UK): No travel insurance is provided beyond the age of 70 including to former employees who draw a company pension Direct Ireland (Ireland): Excess fee of 85 for cancelation/curtailment doubles to 170 for people aged 66 or over

5 5 Examples of age limits in travel insurance (including health costs) Wander (UK): No travel insurance available to people aged 60+ Axa Biztosító (Hungary): Surcharges of 100% are applied to those aged 65+ CORIS (Slovenia): Subscribers over 70 have to sign a special contract and pay higher charges

6 Example of age differentiated premiums limits for intra-eu travel insurance AVIVA (Ireland): Standard travel insurance only available up to 64 years. Holiday travel insurance more than doubles in cost at 65+. Travel insurance cover stops at 74 years. 6 Up to 5/6 days: standard price standard price 31 Up to 10 days: standard price standard price 40 Up to 17 days: standard price standard price 44

7 7 Examples of good practice in intra-eu travel insurance (no age limits) Aktia (Finland): No age limit Marks and Spencer Money (UK): No age limit for a single trip

8 8 Examples of age limits to join complementary health insurance schemes Atlas healthcare (Malta): Cover is not available to those over 59. Health Insurance Fund B (Germany): Maximum age for cover is 60. Grawe Insurance (Romania): Maximum age for the insured person is 75 years. IF (Finland): health care insurance is issued to people between ages It changes automatically to accident insurance at 65.

9 Examples of country situations concerning complementary health insurance 9 France: All companies adjust tariffs and coverage according to a person s age when they subscribe. Poland: A new law is to be introduced in 2011 on complementary health insurance which will mean most items will now be covered by private insurance. This insurance is either impossible or very expensive for people 60+ to obtain. Netherlands: No age limits for (very) basic health insurance although some age limits on other health packages.

10 10 Examples of good practice in complementary health insurance Zaverovalnica Vzarjemna (Slovenia): No age limits. Caser Salud Integral (Spain): Maximum age to join is 64 but there are no age limits to remain as a subscriber. Patient Choice Access Hospital Treatment Plan Single (UK): Provides cover for people aged 90.

11 Examples of age limits in access to mortgages and loans 11 Česká spořtelna (Czech Republic): Maximum age to hold a mortgage is 67. Intesa Sanpaolo Bank (Romania): Maximum age to hold a mortgage is 70 years and the maximum age to hold a personal loan is 65. SEB (Lithuania): No age restrictions to obtain a credit card but there is a minimum income requirement (1150 lita/ month). Most older people fall below this threshold.

12 12 Examples of age limits in access to mortgages and loans: case studies Société Générale (France): An AGE member of 72 could not obtain a short-term loan (8 years) to pay for an apartment. It was refused because the bank would not provide the life insurance contract mandatory to taking out a loan. Bank Nordic (Denmark): Loans for only 10 years are given to older people. If the person deceases within that time, the amount of the loan returns to the bank.

13 13 Examples of good practice in access to motgages and loans: no age discrimination Svenska Handelsbanken SHB, SE bank, Nordea (Sweden): Age is not an obstacle. Credit cards, bank loans and mortgages are decided on criteria of how credit worthy the applicant is. Malta: Age is no barrier to taking out a loan. Each case is decided on its own merits based on the credit worthiness of the applicant.

14 14 Conclusions New approaches to insurance/banking are needed. Discriminating against our ageing population is bad for business. It is in the interests of our economies to get rid of barriers to tourism and consumption (silver economy). Upper age limits should be replaced by other risk controlling mechanisms.

15 I Recommendations for next steps 15 Develop symbolic product to mark European Year 2012 on Active Ageing Example: intra-eu travel insurance Demonstrate that insurance industry: - takes on board ageing of population - values older people as growing section of its customers - acknowledges that limits on free movement within EU must be removed - acknowledges legal rights of older people

16 II Recommendations for next steps 16 Identify convergence of interest Work together to explain where we have similar aims i.e. AGE and industry both want as many older people as possible to be able to benefit from insurance products. Join forces to improve public perception Campaign jointly to raise awareness among older persons of what insurance sector is doing to respond to their needs. Engage members in dialogue.

17 Thank you for your attention 17

18 AGE Platform Europe Rue Froissart Brussels, Belgium Contact person: Rachel Buchanan tel. : fax :