At its annual general meeting on Sept. 17, the OmbudService for Life and Health Insurance (OLHI) announced record volumes of business.

OLHI says that in 2014 it was contacted 87,000 times, which is the highest number recorded in the organisation’s history. It also notes that 50% of the cases it investigated were settled in favour of the consumer, up from the 30% reported in the previous year.

"Improvements over the past two years have made case reviews more thorough and rigorous, hence easier to identify complaints that merit negotiation," comments OLHI’s executive director Holly Nicholson. "For example, we consult more with both consumers and insurers to make sure we have all the facts."

OLHI says it is now working on a new case management and reporting system to improve efficiency and data collection, allowing it to better identify trends and emerging issues, and that it also plans to expand its plain language initiative.