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Short-Term Insurance Act, 1998 (Act No. 53 of 1998)

Policyholder Protection Rules

Policyholder Protection Rules (Short-Term Insurance), 2017

Chapter 3 : Products

Rule 2A : Microinsurance Product Standards

2A.6 Waiting periods

 

2A.6.1 A microinsurance policy, underwritten under the accident and health class of non-life insurance business as set out in Table 2 of Schedule 2 to the Insurance Act, may not impose a waiting period exceeding the shorter of one quarter of the term of the policy or 6 months, in respect of which policy benefits are payable on the happening of a death, disability or health event resulting from natural causes.

 

2A.6.2 A microinsurance policy may not impose a waiting period in respect of policy benefits payable on the happening of a death, disability or health event resulting from an accident.

 

2A.6.3 A microinsurance policy may not impose a waiting period when it is renewed.

 

2A.6.4 A microinsurer may not impose a waiting period under a microinsurance policy if the policyholder or member of a group scheme confirms that—
(a) the policyholder or member of a group scheme, at least 31 days before entering into a new microinsurance policy with that microinsurer, had a previous microinsurance policy or non-life insurance policy with another insurer;
(b) the policy benefits under that previous policy provided cover in respect of similar risks as those covered under the new microinsurance policy; and
(c) the policyholder or member of a group scheme had completed the waiting period in respect of that previous policy.

 

2A.6.5 An insurer underwriting the new microinsurance policy may impose a waiting period equal to the unexpired part of the waiting period under a previous microinsurance policy, if—
(a) the waiting period of the policyholder or member under the previous policy had not expired at the time that the policyholder or member enters into the new microinsurance policy; and
(b) the new microinsurance policy provides cover in respect of similar risks as those covered under the previous microinsurance policy.

 

2A.6.6 A microinsurer must for purposes of determining a waiting period, before entering into a microinsurance policy request the potential policyholder or potential member of a group scheme to confirm whether or not the potential policyholder or potential member had—
(a) a previous microinsurance policy; and
(b) completed a waiting period under that previous microinsurance policy.

 

2A.6.7 Rule 2A.6.6 does not apply to a microinsurance policy underwritten under the consumer credit class of non-life insurance business as set out in Table 2 of Schedule 2 to the Insurance Act.

 

2A.6.8 A microinsurer must, upon request by a microinsurer referred to in rule 2A.6.6 confirm whether or not the confirmation by the potential policyholder or potential member of a group scheme received in accordance with rule 2A.6.6 is correct.

 

[Rule 2A.6 inserted by rule 6(b) of Notice No. 996, GG 41928, dated 28 September 2018]