Life Insurance Code of Practice

MetLife is proud to have adopted the Life Insurance Code of Practice – an industry code introduced  in 2017 and now governed by the Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI). The Code ensures a consistently high level of product and service standards for all Australians.

Code Objectives

The Code has been voluntarily developed by the life insurance industry with the objectives of:

• Promoting high standards of service to consumers;
• Providing a benchmark of consistency within the life insurance industry;
• Establishing a framework of professional behaviour standards and responsibilities for life insurers.

Code Standards

Standards established in the Code cover aspects such as:

• The design of life insurance products;
• How life insurance is advertised and sold;
• Consumer rights to information;
• Timeframes which must be met when delivering life insurance services;
• Support for customers with special needs or in financial hardship; and
• Accessible and effective complaints and disputes handling practices.

Key Code Promises

1. We will be honest, fair, respectful, transparent, timely, and where possible we will use plain language in our communications with you.
2. We will monitor sales by our staff and our authorised representatives to ensure sales are appropriate.
3. If we discover that an inappropriate sale has occurred, we will discuss a remedy with you, such as a refund or a replacement policy.
4. We will provide additional support if you have difficulty with the process of buying insurance or making a claim.
5. When you make a claim, we will explain the claim process to you and keep you informed about our progress in making a decision on your claim.
6. We will make a decision on your claim within the timeframes defined in the Code, and if we cannot meet these timeframes you can access our complaints process.
7. If we deny your claim, we will explain the reasons in writing and let you know the next steps if you disagree with our decision.
8. We will restrict the use of investigators and surveillance, to ensure your legitimate right to privacy.
9. The independent Code Compliance Committee will monitor our compliance with the Code.
10. If we do not correct Code breaches, sanctions can be imposed on us.

An independent body will monitor life insurers’ compliance with the Code.

Code standards apply from 1 July 2017. For further information or to download a copy of the Code, please refer to the  Life Code Compliance Committee or Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) website.