Trade body to broaden remit to wider health issues

Biba is to broaden its Private Medical Insurance Group to include areas such as income protection, critical illness, and group life insurance in addition to private medical insurance.

The group will change its name with immediate effect to the Health Insurance Focus Group.

Biba is inviting large, medium and small members who are involved or specialise in healthcare insurance issues to join the Health Insurance Focus Group, to reflect the group’s new focus.

Biba said it aims to include a cross section of members to represent all issues of health care.

BIBA Health Insurance Focus Group chairman, Glen Smith, said: “I’m looking forward to welcoming new members who have expertise in the areas that the group will now be covering.

“By widening the remit of the group we will now be representing many more of Biba’s members who have a healthcare focus and I look forward to engaging with them. The structure of the group means that any member who joins, large or small, will have an equal share of voice”.

The group is currently formulating principles relating to transfer and reporting authority mandates and is seeking full claims transparency from insurers to enable brokers to undertake full broking exercises.