COTA Australia endorsed the joint consumer submission to the Insurance Council of Australia’s consultation on the Redrafted General Insurance Code of Practice, while highlighting issues of particular importance to older Australians in our own direct submission.
We support a strong, contractually enforceable Code, but argue enforceability must not come at the cost of weaker consumer protections, vague commitments or reduced independent oversight.
For older people, insurance affordability is increasingly tied to housing security and financial resilience. The Code must better address premium hardship and instalment costs, preserve non-digital access and preferred communication channels, provide clear complaints and claims timeframes, and include enforceable protections for people experiencing vulnerability, elder abuse and financial abuse.
COTA Australia also calls for clearer protections for strata lot owners, accessible identity-verification alternatives for people without standard documents, plain English information about rights, and strong independent Code governance with a consumer voice. The final Code should strengthen—not dilute—existing protections and provide practical, enforceable standards that older Australians can rely on.