Insurers told to clear Karnataka flood claims fast

Chennai: The insurance regulator has asked all general insurance companies and standalone health insurance companies to take immediate steps to register and dispose claims of flood-affected customers in Karnataka. It also wants every insurer to appoint a nodal officer for the flood-affected areas.

"There is an urgent need for the insurance industry to take immediate steps to mitigate the hardships of the affected insured population by ensuring immediate registration and settlement of eligible claims," Irdai said. The regulator wants insurers to have a senior officer nominated as nodal officer, who would be coordinating the receipt, processing and settlement of all eligible claims.

The contact details of the nodal officer should be conveyed to Irdai  and publicised for the public.

If there are any death claims and death certificate is difficult to obtain on account of non-recovery of body etc, the process followed in the case of J&K floods Tamil Nadu floods and Kerala floods should be considered.

Details of offices/special camps set up for the purpose and other relevant details should be publicised through website, media and through state channels to enable filing of claims.