Company Y not wanting to pay out my insurance claims

Dear Mr. Tan,
I was diagnosed and operated upon for my brain cancer. The cancer is classified as terminal. With the doctor's recommendations & letters, CPF paid all my savings into my bank account. Company X initially refused to allow me to claim my DPS but after I send them the CPF statement - they paid me as well.

I did a similar claim with Company Y for 3 policies. For more than a year, they have been giving excuses after excuses in not wanting to pay me by saying the requirement for us to pay a claim for Total & Permanent Disability is:-

"totally & permanently disability so that life assured cannot engage in any occupation, business or activity which pays any income"

OR

"suffers total and irrecoverable loss of effective use of
- both eyes; or
- any 2 limbs at or above the wrist or ankle;
- or one eye and any one limb at or above the wrist or ankle"

Company Y is adamant in not wanting to pay me - I even got a letter from my last employer as to why they could not hire me back and they verbally told me they need more proof of further rejection letters. I had paid my insurance premiums monthly for the last 23 years without any default to date.

I hope you can take advise me on how best to approach Company Y.

REPLY
You can lodge a complaint with the Insurance Commissioner's Office in MAS. Show them evidence of payment by CPF and Company X. MAS will ask Company Y to justify their delay.

You can also make a complaint to Fidrec, www.fidrec.com.sg. As your claim exceed $100,000, you can select one or two policies that fall within this limit to lodge your complaint.

Lesson: Insurance companies usually make it difficult for the customer to claim under its permanent disability of critical illness cover, especially for large sums. This is why I recommend against insuring for large sums under critical illness. There is no point in paying so much premium and to face difficulty in making a claim.