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Shane Said:

Can insurance companies outside of Australia cover Australians for private health cover?

We Answered:

It is a tricky question:
On July 01, 2008, APRA published new regulations regarding DOFIs (Direct Offshore Foreign Insurers), reducing dramatically their ability to offer covers to Australian residents.
Therefore, you must have a good reason to purchase health insurance offshore Australia - especially as the Australian health cover is considered very professional, comprehensive and fair.
Saying that, you may still decide to apply for health insurance offshore Australia. The law does not limit you from shopping online or personally for health insurance anywhere in the world.

Mitchell Said:

Which Australian insurance companies provide cover for sub-letting arrangements?

We Answered:

I have an idea SGIO will cover for that sort of thing

Claude Said:

What does the HiH in the Australian insurance company stand for?

We Answered:

Heath International Holdings

Francis Said:

What happens if I own money to an Australian car insurance company and leave the country.?

We Answered:

Do the right thing and pay for it! You will feel much better about it.

Rosemary Said:

Should Australian Insurance companies be forced to tell buyers exactly whats covered?

We Answered:

Fine print , needs to be deciphered for all to understand ,FLOOD is storm and tempest , then there is FLOOD river rising going through front door , then there is cyclone which is act of God, now which one are you insured for all 3 and is it written in these terms / this the only way it can work I know I have been flooded many years ago and as luck had it on my side it did not come through the front door what saved us it was storm and tempest , AND NOT AN act of God, THIS is when it is wide spread like Queensland and now the cyclone . I really think we must have a money set aside for disasters , having said that must make sure all houses are insured compulsory as the companies still have to foot some of the bill .PEOPLE SHOULD NOT SHIRK THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ALSO . and leave it for the few to insure

Troy Said:

Have insurance companies been getting better money due to climate change.?

We Answered:

Your question is a little confusing and complex...

Confusing because the term "better money" isn't an economic term.
If you mean 'have revenues from natural disaster policies gone up in recent years' the answer is probably yes.
If you mean 'have profits from insurance of natural disasters (policy revenue less claims) gone up in recent years' then the answer is probably no - there have been a lot of expensive pay outs recently.

Complex because who can categorically state that any specific bush fire, storm or drought is due wholly or partly to climate change (there is poor land management, over exploitation of water resources, arson, etc) and if partly, to what percent?

Your essay should explore all the various arguments pro and con and not look for a simple yes-or-no answer. Because of this, I suspect Y!A is not the best place to do your research (you may want to start by looking at share prices of major Australian insurance companies).

Good luck!

Edit:
I just had to respond to Ben O when he says that inusrance company managers or business people are not taking global warming into account - of course they do!

The Association of British Insurers have stated that "climate change is already with us" and that "the insurance industry needs to work with the Government and key stakeholders to reduce risks before the most serious impacts of climate change begin to be felt. Unnecessary costs and damages could be avoided by ensuring that climate change is [considered] at an early stage"
http://www.abi.org.uk/Display/Display_Po…

40 major international insurance companies have founded ClimateWise to look specifically at the impact of climate change on the insurance industry
http://www.climatewise.org.uk/associate-…

The Insurance Australia Group (IAG), in conjunction with WWF, has produced a lengthy document that fully supports the theories and concerns of AGW.
http://www.wwf.org.au/publications/acg_s…

IAG also did a presentation to Australian insurers explaining "why climate change is important to insurers" and the fact that climate change may cause a negative impact on the Australian economy of up to A$60bn or 10% of GDP
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/…

There's a good, high-level, economic paper concerning the ramification of global warming to the insurance industry by the Lawrence Berkeley Labs but it isn't Australia-specific
http://insurance.lbl.gov/

I simply don't undertsand how he can say that there isn't "one single business magazine or newspaper that has ever run a climate change alarmist story":

Wall Street Journal: "About 25% of Fortune 500 companies now have a board committee overseeing the environment" due to "rising investor worries over global warming" http://online.wsj.com/article/SB12184035…

The Economist ran an "alarmist" GW article that, amongst other things, warned polluting companies that they may be in violation of trading regulations because they are not transparent enough about the economic impact of GW
http://www.economist.com/business/displa…
The Economist ran another "alarmist" GW article describing economic, social and environmental concerns http://www.economist.com/opinion/display… and another that noted that 2/3 of Australians want emissions cut due to AGW http://www.economist.com/world/asia/disp…

The Business Council of Australia "has agreed on a policy position to tackle climate change" http://www.bca.com.au/Content.aspx?Conte… and the Insurance Council of Australia has released their annual statement that addresses the impact of GW on insurance companies http://www.insurancecouncil.com.au/

Even the Australian (yes, a conservative, big-business newspaper) has run articles that support AGW theories and warn of negative impacts:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/sto…
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/sto…
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/sto…
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/sto…

CPA Australia talks of the fact that "climate change [is] an issue of business and economic survival" as does KPMG of Australia, both well respected accounting-business organisations http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/cps/rde/x…
http://www.kpmg.com.au/Default.aspx?TabI…

Nicholas Stern, of the UK treasury has written a comprehensive policy document on the economic impact of AGW: http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catal… Similarly the House of Lords Select Committe on Economic Affairs did a study on the negative economic aspects of AGW http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa…

Bernice Said:

Insurance for my Australian registered car in UK...where can I get it?

We Answered:

Hello,

We often take for granted what a convenience our cars are. I was paying a low price for my insurance, but at renewal time, my insurer tried to increase my rates.

My friend sent me a link to this site:


http://www.my-rent-mortgage-help.org

They have a free search to compare auto rates from the major insurers. It saved me a lot of money!

Best of Luck