China’s Covid-19 patients face insurance battle over pandemic-related payouts

Name: Trace, test, lock down, repeat: Three years under China’s zero-Covid strategy
Uploaded: 2022-12-17T11:27:02.000Z
Duration: 11 min 33 s
Description: Trace, test, lock down, repeat: Three years under China’s zero-Covid strategy

Weibo user complains claim was denied because ‘Omicron is not Covid’, while others say policies only cover severe disease

Many insurers have taken popular products off the market since Beijing announced its departure from zero-Covid earlier this month

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Covid-related insurance complaints have been increasing in China in recent months. Photo: AP

Cyril Ip

Published: 7:27pm, 17 Dec 2022Updated: 8:35pm, 17 Dec 2022

As a coronavirus surge sweeps China, many who bought Covid-19 insurance are questioning whether they will receive their payouts after falling ill.

A Weibo user said on Thursday that an insurer denied his compensation claim after he was infected with Covid-19 because “Omicron is not Covid” and the insurance product had been discontinued.

The post sparked heated discussion and became a leading search topic on the social media site.

On Friday, a news portal under the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission quoted the insurance company as saying it was following up on the complaint and the claimant should qualify for compensation.

It is unclear how big of a financial burden the current wave of Covid-19 cases could pose for insurance companies, but many internet users have taken to social media to complain about the complicated process of filing claims.

“It is very difficult for coronavirus claims to be approved, so many conditions have to be fulfilled,” one user wrote. “I bought Covid-19 insurance for three people at the time, and [claims for all] have been rejected due to a lack of information.”

“How would one dare to buy these products that ride on trends?” wrote another.

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Trace, test, lock down, repeat: Three years under China’s zero-Covid strategy