IRDA Website to Help Clear Doubts on Buying Insurance

Insurance policy holders and people looking to get insurance can now find all the information they need on a single portal after Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority announced the launch of a new website, www.policyholder.gov.in, to educate consumers on buying insurance cover. The portal will also provide tips on buying insurance, standard claim procedures and documentation, besides do's and don't for a policyholder. It will also provide general alerts to consumers, ways to deal with intermediaries and answers to general queries.

Despite nationalization of the insurance sector in 1956, its penetration has just increased to 5.1 per cent in 2010, from 2.71 per cent in 2001 mainly due to financial vulnerability across most of the income segments.

"The objective of having an exclusive website is to educate consumers about insurance in particular, regarding buying insurance, making a claim etc. The website is an attempt to reach out to all to give certain basic generic information on the subjects in order that consumers begin to think and seek answer to questions such as what they need to buy, whether they are being offered the right product," said J Hari Narayan, chairman of IRDA.

There are 24 life and 27 non-life insurance companies in India currently.

Source-ANI