Great Eastern Life 2

Whenever people cast aspersion on insurance companies' conduct, I always tell them about my family's experience with Great Eastern Life.

Upon my dad's demise, I started the process of claiming insurance payment from his life insurance policy. These were the required documents as stated on Great Eastern Life website:

The main issue then was death certificate: the National Registration Department ("NRD") was close during MCO (their official website confirmed this), which was shocking to me because that would mean there were illegal babies born in Malaysia, right?

I made sure I got everything else. I stopped reading at "Additional requirements for Accidental Death", which wasn't relevant to me but that meant I missed reading "Additional requirements for Death due to Natural Causes (Illnesses)". Yikes. More on this later.

At that time, I had a couple of main questions, which I asked them over the phone:

(1) Was it possible to substitute the death cert with something else e.g. police report?
Ans: No.

(2) According to the website (and past experience), I was required to personally submit these forms and documents at any of their offices. Would police officers stop me at roadblock?
Ans: Didn't know. However, processing claims was considered essential by the government. Luckily they gave me an easier way: submission via email was acceptable during MCO.

I was back home in PJ when I received news from my sister that the funeral parlour managed to somehow get NRD to issue the death cert. I still don't know how they did it.

Submitted everything (or so I thought) on Friday. It was only after that I realised I missed out the "Doctor's Statement" form @@. Problem was that all dad's doctors were in Penang. I filled up as much of the form as possible, sent a scanned copy to the hospice nurse and asked her help to ask the PCU specialist whether she could help us or not. Unfortunately, we were asked to go through Penang GH's Record Dept first :(

I bounced some ideas with Ban and here was my plan:
(a) Hope that the insurance company process the claim anyway;
(b) If they still ask for the form, I would point out that I was in PJ while my dad's doctors in Penang and I doubted very much I would be allowed to travel (by police at roadblock) to GH just to give the form and later on to collect it back. I would then refer to the death cert and also offer to submit ambulance and police report too to ask for flexibility in waiving the requirement of the form;
(c) If they still insist on the form, then I would try my best to get it completed by either Dr D or Dr P, who practise privately, via email;
(d) If not, I have no choice but to wait until MCO is lifted to get it done.

The next working day i.e. on Monday, they replied, "During this Movement Control Order period, our respond might be slower than expected due to limited resources available.  We would like to apologize in advance and rest assured, we shall process your case as soon as possible."

So to my surprise, 4 working days later i.e. on Friday, I received the payout in my bank account. Wow! My family was impressed once again. I wrote them an email:

" For your information, I have received the claims amount, but more importantly, I would like to commend your department specifically and Great Eastern Life generally on the rather quick turnaround during this MCO. Four working days was actually what I had expected during "normal" times.

Previously, Great Eastern Life had gone the extra length to help my family that began with some questions we had then. I was greatly impressed then, especially given that insurance companies were (and still are!) viewed badly when it comes to processing claims. Once again, you all have impressed my family. Like previously, I will continue to hold your company as a shining example of a good insurance company, especially whenever people start sprouting negative sentiments about the industry. "