Publishing Insurers' Manual under Work Injury Compensation Act and Measures to Ensure Compliance
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the publication of the insurers' manual under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) and the enforcement of claim investigation standards. MP Leon Perera asked about public access to the manual and the measures taken against insurers who fail to meet investigation requirements. Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng explained that the manual is for internal reference, whereas claimants can access relevant information on the Ministry’s website. He emphasized that insurers must adhere to strict licensing conditions and performance standards, which are monitored through audits and performance reviews. The Minister noted that non-compliance can result in administrative financial penalties of up to $30,000 or the suspension and revocation of licenses.
Transcript
51 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry will consider publishing the insurers' manual under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA); (b) what processes does the Ministry use to ensure that insurers are able to meet the WICA claim investigation standards; and (c) whether the Ministry has taken action against any insurers for not meeting reasonable requirements in investigating and processing WICA claims since WICA 2019 came into effect.
Dr Tan See Leng: MOM worked closely with designated Work Injury Compensation (WIC) insurers when they transitioned to processing all insured claims from 1 January 2021. This included briefing the insurers on their responsibilities and providing an insurers’ manual on claims processing. The manual contains detailed guidelines to assist insurers in processing WIC claims and is intended for insurers’ reference. Information that employers and claimants require with respect to WIC claims is available on the MOM website. In addition, employers and claimants who object to insurers’ assessment of the claim can file a dispute and MOM will oversee a dispute resolution process to settle the claim.
Designated WIC insurers must comply with MOM’s licensing conditions, including the processing timelines and performance standards set out in the insurers’ manual. MOM audits the claims processed by insurers and monitors insurers’ performance. Insurers that fail to meet the requirements set out in MOM’s licensing conditions may face administrative financial penalties of up to $30,000 for each such failure or, in more serious cases, have their licences suspended or revoked. MOM is monitoring the performance of WIC insurers and will take the needed action when it is merited.