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Monday, 27 July 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
From left: Ceylinco General Insurance Director/Chief Operating Officer Duncan Nugawela, Ceylinco General Insurance Head of Finance Nihal Peiris, Ceylinco General Insurance Managing Director Patrick Alwis, Ceylinco General Insurance CEO Ajith Gunawardena, Ceylinco Insurance PLC Chairman Godwin Perera, Ceylinco General Insurance Deputy Managing Director Upali Witharana, Ceylinco General Insurance Director Technical Jagath Alwis, Ceylinco General Insurance Director/Deputy Chief Operating Officer Rex Gunatilake – Pic by Shehan Gunasekara
By Himal Kotelawala
Ceylinco General Insurance has introduced a free emergency hospitalisation insurance cover of up to Rs. 4 million to its 1.1 million strong VIP On the Spot customer base.
The insurance giant hopes the introduction of a premium-less health cover to its new and existing motor insurance policyholders will help keep Ceylinco at the top as an industry leader while elevating the industry to a new zenith. Ceylinco VIP On the Spot customers currently comprise 35% of the country’s motor insurance policyholders, with an average of 580 accidents reported per day.
The new benefits will include cover of Rs. 1.3 million for hospitalisation expenses in the event of a road accident within Sri Lanka, and for any follow-up treatment overseas based on medical recommendation. Any VIP policy holder travelling overseas will be entitled to a hospitalisation cover of Rs. 1.3 million due to any medical emergency and an additional Rs. 2.6 million cover for hospitalisation expenses in the event of an accident, up to 15 days per trip.
Overseas travellers will also be entitled to a Personal Accident Cover of Rs. 1.3 million that will include Death and Total Permanent Disablement covers while overseas, and Permanent Partial Disablements will be covered up to Rs. 650,000.
The benefits will be applicable to comprehensive policyholders who have insured their cars, vans, Jeeps, double cabs, buses lorries, while comprehensive motorcycle policyholders will be entitled to a hospitalisation cover of Rs. 300,000 for any accidents that occur in Sri Lanka and all the benefits applicable for vehicles in the event of overseas travel. At least 12% of Ceylinco motor policyholders travel abroad.
Third party customers too will benefit with a cover of Rs. 200,000 for hospitalisation for an accident that occurs within the country for vehicles, and Rs. 100,000 for motorcycles.
The new cover will be valid for new policies, while existing policyholders will be entitled to it from the date of their next renewal. In the case of individual customers, the insured will be entitled to the benefit, while corporate customers or fleet owners must name an individual (user or driver) as beneficiary.
Speaking to the media at a pre-launch ceremony held last Friday to mark the introduction of the free health cover, Chief Executive Officer of Ceylinco General Insurance Ltd. Ajith Gunawardena said that it would empower their customers.
“This is just the kind of service that crowns the customer as king and gives him/er the power to decide. In today’s complex world, it is all about delivering a level of service that delights customers. Ceylinco General Insurance has created a unique and unparalleled product that gives never-before-offered benefits to customers, all of which they will be entitled to absolutely free, without paying a cent more as an additional premium, in addition to the host of other benefits they already enjoy,” he said.
According to Managing Director Ceylinco General Insurance Patrick Alwis, these other benefits include a replacement vehicle in the event the accident repair exceeds four days, emergency roadside assistance personal accident cover of up to Rs. 200,000 for each passenger, entitlement to No Claim Bonus regardless of claims, the insured value of the vehicle increasing by 10% every year, and the payment of lease installments of up to two months in the event a repair exceeds 30 days.
“This new benefit will undoubtedly ease the burdens on our customers to a great extent,” he said.
