Insurers seek accurate information for claims

Mrs Thelma Odonkor, Managing Director of Adamas Life Assurance Company Limited, has called on Ghanaians to provide insurance companies with accurate information when asking for the payment of their claims.

She noted that insurance companies sometimes delay in the payment of claims to clients due to distorted information which customers sometimes provide.

Mrs Odonkor said this on Tuesday during a training session for journalists to educate them on the importance of insurance policies to the wellbeing of Ghanaians.

The seminar was on the theme: “Timely, Accurate, and Complete Disclosure of Material Information- Key to Corporate Communications.”

She noted that insurance companies would only make payment of claims after conducting investigations to ensure that all information provided by clients concerning the request for claims are truthful and accurate.

Mrs Odonkor urged Ghanaians to take insurance policies seriously as it is one of the best ways to have a meaningful life when there is disaster.

“Insurance protects the individual and helps him or her to plan for the future. It steps in to ensure that the individual or the family is comfortable when disaster strikes,” she said.

She said the training was the first in the series of interactive platforms created by Adamas Life Assurance for key stakeholders including the media, which is considered as strategic partners in the insurance industry.

The engagement platform also seeks to enhance the knowledge of the public on basic insurance matters.

Mrs Odonkor said since the liberalisation of the Ghanaian economy in the1980s, culminating in the establishment of more insurance institutions, the (insurance companies) have embarked on a massive expansion of their branch networks to bring services closer to both their current and potential customers.

She noted that while significant developments had occurred in the insurance industry in recent times, available evidence showed that an average Ghanaian customer lack the requisite knowledge necessary for making important insurance and investment decisions.

“As a result of the lack of basic knowledge of insurance issues, Adamas Life now seeks to provide the missing link, which is education,” she added.

The company would embark on a programme aimed at educating the public basic knowledge on insurance, she said.

Mr Francis Ameyibor, General Co-coordinator, Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult, congratulated Adamas Life Assurance for the programme as it would equip the industry players and stakeholders with up-to-date industrial information to help demystify the negative view surrounding insurance and insurance related issues.

He called for the incorporation of new tools, new processes and competence in the effective management of Corporate Communication.