Insurance Industry Asked To Implement Claim Relaxation For Victims Of The Aceh Sumatran Disaster

Illustration of the impact of flash floods in Padang Sumatra (doc BNPB)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Life Insurance Association (AAJI) has asked all member companies to proactively help customers affected by flash floods and landslides in Aceh Sumatra, including providing convenience in the claim submission process.

Chairman of the AAJI Management Board Budi Tampubolon expressed his concern over the disaster that occurred and ensured that in this emergency situation, the insurance industry was still present to provide certainty and convenience for policyholders.

"AAJI urges and has issued a circular, also coordinates with the OJK (Financial Services Authority), so that life insurance companies on the first occasion are likely to be productively trying to find out our policyholder customers who may have been affected by the Aceh Sumatra flood disaster," Budi said in his statement, Tuesday, December 9.

He encouraged insurance companies not only to wait for claim reports from customers, but to take action by contacting customers in affected areas to ensure their condition through marketing offices and local service offices.

Nevertheless, Budi understands that there are various obstacles in the field, including the cut off of access to communication and transportation, so that there is no electricity in a number of areas due to the flash floods and landslides.

"I know some insurance companies have tried to contact their customers, even trying to contact their employees in the area, but it turns out that contact is not always easy (to do) for the past week. Hopefully in the next weeks (communication) it will be easier," he said.

Furthermore, his party also emphasized the importance of relaxation or relaxation related to claim requirements documents, considering that the disaster scale is very large.

Budi realized that under these conditions, physical documents belonging to customers, including insurance policies and other supporting documents, were very likely lost or damaged.

He hopes that the policy can ease the burden on policyholders who are victims of the disaster, so that the benefits of protecting insurance products can really be felt by the community.

"We anticipate that there are several support documents (support documents) to file claims that may be lost, which may be damaged. We cannot force them, but we ask and appeal to (companies) members to please find solutions (related to the absence of claim documents)," said Budi Tampubolon.