题图：New Zealand’s outdated insurance laws are getting a refresh. 新西兰过时的保险法正在焕然一新。
Changes to insurance law mean consumers will face more questions before being offered a policy, but experts say that’s a good thing.
【澳纽网编译】保险法的修改意味着消费者在获得保单之前将面临更多问题，但专家表示这是一件好事。
The Contracts of Insurance Bill was designed to modernise New Zealand’s insurance law and passed its third reading in Parliament on Thursday.
《保险合同法案》旨在使新西兰的保险法现代化，并于周四在议会通过了三读。
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The changes it introduced would mean consumers no longer had to “rack their brains and guess” what information was relevant to their insurance policy, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly said.
商务和消费者事务部长安德鲁·贝利 （Andrew Bayly） 表示，它引入的变化将意味着消费者不再需要“绞尽脑汁猜测”哪些信息与他们的保险单相关。
Under existing law, consumers must disclose any information that might influence a “prudent insurer“.
根据现行法律，消费者必须披露任何可能影响“谨慎保险公司”的信息。
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However, that term was poorly understood and had led to insurers declining claims when consumers accidentally or unknowingly failed to disclose information, Bayly said.
然而，Bayly 说，这个词很难理解，并且导致保险公司在消费者意外或不知情地没有披露信息时拒绝索赔。
“Now, the onus is on insurers to ask the right questions and consumers must simply provide honest answers.”
“现在，保险公司有责任提出正确的问题，而消费者必须简单地提供诚实的答案。”
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Financial ombudsman Susan Taylor said it had long been a problem that consumers didn’t know what information was important for an insurer, which often led to claims being declined.
金融监察员苏珊·泰勒 （Susan Taylor） 表示，长期以来，消费者不知道哪些信息对保险公司来说是重要的，这经常导致索赔被拒绝。
In the 2023/24 year, business and travel insurance were the two largest categories of insurance-related complaints to dispute resolution service Financial Services Complaints Ltd.
在 2023/24 年度，商业和旅行保险是向争议解决服务 Financial Services Complaints Ltd. 提交的两大保险相关投诉类别。
Disclosure issues — whether about the nature and scope of a business when applying for cover or pre-existing medical conditions when applying for travel insurance or life and health cover — were a recurring theme, Taylor said.
Taylor 说，披露问题——无论是申请保险时的业务性质和范围，还是申请旅行保险或人寿和健康保险时预先存在的医疗状况——都是一个反复出现的主题。
“These issues also arise in insurance advice complaints, particularly where a consumer alleges that they weren’t guided adequately to ensure full and accurate disclosure.”
“这些问题也出现在保险建议投诉中，特别是当消费者声称他们没有得到充分的指导来确保全面和准确的披露时。”
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But the new law put the responsibility on the insurer to ask questions to help the consumer disclose everything they need to.
但新法律规定保险公司有责任提出问题，以帮助消费者披露他们需要披露的一切。
“We believe the new legislation’s provisions around fairer disclosure requirements will help reduce consumers accidentally or unknowingly failing to disclose information, potentially leading to fewer disputes,” she said.
“我们相信，新立法中关于更公平披露要求的规定将有助于减少消费者意外或不知情地披露信息，从而可能减少争议，”她说。
The bill also introduced a requirement for insurers to write policies in plain language and pay claims within a reasonable time.
该法案还要求保险公司以通俗易懂的语言撰写保单并在合理的时间内支付索赔。
After the select committee stage, it was updated to protect consumers’ access to life and health insurance if they had taken a genetic test, Bayly said.
贝利说，在特别委员会阶段之后，它进行了更新，以保护消费者在进行基因检测后获得人寿和健康保险的机会。
While genetic testing was a valuable, emerging technology that could unlock significant health and productivity benefits, there were international examples of insurers limiting cover, or increasing premiums, due to genetic testing results, he said.
他说，虽然基因检测是一项有价值的新兴技术，可以释放显着的健康和生产力优势，但国际上也有保险公司因基因检测结果而限制承保范围或增加保费的例子。
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“While we don’t believe this is happening regularly in New Zealand now, the bill includes provisions which mean the Government can, if needed in the future, regulate the use of genetic testing results by insurers.
“虽然我们认为这种情况现在在新西兰并不经常发生，但该法案包括的条款意味着如果将来需要，政府可以监管保险公司对基因检测结果的使用。”
“This change brings New Zealand closer in step with our partners. Canada has laws stopping insurers from seeing genetic test information, and recently Australia announced it will ban life insurers from using genetic test results.“
“这一变化使新西兰与我们的合作伙伴更加紧密地保持同步。加拿大有法律阻止保险公司查看基因检测信息，最近澳大利亚宣布将禁止人寿保险公司使用基因检测结果。
Insurance Council of New Zealand chief executive Kris Faafoi said the law change would tidy up the “mishmash” of outdated insurance laws and bring New Zealand in line with international best practice.
新西兰保险委员会首席执行官克里斯·法弗伊 （Kris Faafoi） 表示，法律修改将整理过时保险法的“大杂烩”，并使新西兰与国际最佳实践接轨。
“The legislation strikes a balance between strengthening protections for consumers while promoting fairness, certainty and sustainability in the insurance sector,” he said.
“该立法在加强对消费者的保护与促进保险业的公平性、确定性和可持续性之间取得了平衡，”他说。
“We know there’s still a lot to do as the insurance industry works toward putting in place the changes required under the legislation.“
“我们知道，随着保险业努力实施立法要求的改变，还有很多工作要做。”
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