Note: these Q & As are offered for general guidance only. For specific terms and conditions that apply, please see the relevant policy terms and conditions and technical guides. There shouldn't be any discrepancy between what they say and the information here, but, if there is, it's the policy terms and conditions and technical guide versions that apply!
ABOUT ELLIPSE IN GENERAL
Ellipse?
As a new company, we have been able to take advantage of the latest, web-based technology to create systems that are user-friendly, fast and efficient. Where other insurers might have, or be considering, web-based systems as a supplement to their existing business, Ellipse has built its whole business around them.
This means you get:
• Fast, clear communications in a secure environment
• Competitive premiums because we keep our expenses to a minimum
And you can have confidence in our financial strength as part of Munich Re.
Ellipse is the trading name of the UK branch of ERGO Lebensversicherung AG, a wholly owned subsidiary of Munich Re.
ERGO Lebensversicherung AG was established in the UK (under the previous name of Hamburg- Mannheimer AG) on the 14th of August 2009 under the Freedom of Establishment regulations and trades as Ellipse. Its business is 100% reinsured by Munich Re AG through UK Life Branch.
Yes. We are the UK branch of ERGO Lebensversicherung AG, one of the leading providers of insurance products in Germany, which is itself part of Munich Re. For our current financial strength ratings from the main rating agencies, please visit http://www.ellipse.co.uk/financial-strength
We are the UK branch of ERGO Lebensversicherung AG, one of the leading providers of insurance products in Germany.
As the UK branch of ERGO Lebensversicherung AG we are authorised, and our liquidity and solvency are regulated, by Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin), the German financial regulator. Our registration number is 1184.
How we conduct our business is regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Full details of how we are regulated by the Financial Services Authority can be found in SUP13A Annex1 and Annex 2 of the FSA Handbook through the following links:
http://fsahandbook.info/FSA/html/handbook/SUP/13A/Annex1
http://fsahandbook.info/FSA/html/handbook/SUP/13A/Annex2
THE COVER WE OFFER
Event limits apply to group life schemes and are limits placed on the value of claims payment that will be paid following a single catastrophic event, or a series of linked events. Using the specific postcode of the location, Ellipse has categorised the whole of the UK into risk areas to calculate the event limit available. We can generally offer up to £100m within one postcode, but on a case-by-case basis we can provide £300 million or even £500 million. If you have any clients with more than £100m covered at one particular location please contact us on 0844 338 0493 with the postcode of the location and we will tell you the potential event limit available. Please note, postcodes must reflect actual workplace locations and not P.O. box numbers.
Generally, yes. There are a few countries that we feel are just too dangerous to provide cover in, but otherwise we can usually cover scheme members outside the UK as long as they are eligible to join a UK scheme, with a UK contract of employment and liable to UK tax. We are a UK insurer, though, so we do expect the majority of any scheme's members to be resident and working in the UK.
It’s our automated, web-based systems and the way we handle group risk insurance that set us apart from the competition rather than the products themselves. However, opting for our automated service doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice any policy features. We’ve researched the market carefully and designed our products to offer the best features available anywhere, and we will continue to do this in the future.
Ellipse offers group life and group critical illness policies.
Thanks to automatic acceptance limits members of schemes typically enjoy cover as soon as they satisfy the scheme’s eligibility conditions, as long as they are ‘actively at work’. In effect, this means that they are working normally. Our standard terms require members to be actively at work when their cover with us commences, but we will normally waive this requirement for schemes with more than 50 members.
Yes, as long as once a member has been assessed we can provide cover with ordinary rates applying (i.e. no loading), or where we have loaded the premium by no more than +500%, or if we have applied an exclusion. ‘Once and done’ underwriting will not apply if we have loaded benefits by more than +500% or if we have declined to offer some or all cover for that member.
Where we take over the insurance of existing schemes whose members have enjoyed 'once and done' underwriting, we will not usually do any further assessments of them until the previous scheme's once and done limit has been exceeded.
Once and done applies up to sums assured of £5 million per member (including the capitalised value of any death in service pension).
Yes. Once the limit is exceeded, we assess cover in £500,000 blocks, i.e. once a member's benefit is accepted at its current level, no further assessment will be done until the benefit exceeds 'current level + £500,000'.
Yes. If an existing scheme transfers, then we will accept acceptance decisions with a maximum loading of 400% and made less than 5 years ago on a no worse terms basis (including honouring existing ‘once and done’ terms). We will transfer existing levels of cover up to £5 million (including capitalised death in service pensions). If an employee has been previously underwritten and the decision was to decline or postpone then they will be covered for their previous level of insured cover. If the decision was to restrict cover to the AAL, then they will be covered for either the higher of the old AAL or the previous level of cover insured.
Yes. We offer temporary cover of up to £5 million for 30 days, which is plenty of time for members to be assessed online (especially because they will be using our fast member assessment process). We know other insurance companies typically offer longer periods of temporary cover, but it’s a reflection of how much longer they can take to assess members!.
And unlike some of our competitors, we don't charge any premium for temporary cover.
Temporary cover is subject to the following conditions:
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if a claim arises directly or indirectly as a result of any medical condition (whether known by the member or not) suffered within the last 2 years immediately prior to the temporary cover starting, the temporary cover will not apply (benefits paid will be limited to the amount the member was previously entitled to) |
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ii. |
temporary cover will not be given to any individual. |
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- who has previously been declined, offered cover on non-standard terms or where a decision on their benefits has been postponed. |
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- who has failed to provide medical evidence that has been requested. |
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- who is joining outside of the eligibility conditions or is being offered a benefit greater than the rules of the scheme provide for. |
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- who is a late entrant. |
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iii. |
temporary cover is limited to a maximum of £5m of total benefit. |
Temporary cover starts from the date you notify us that the member's benefit has exceeded the AAL, its therefore important that you notify us immediately to ensure that the member does not have any gaps in cover.
Our security policies conform to standards as outlined by the W3C – the World Wide Web Consortium – which is the main international standards organisation for the World Wide Web (WWW).
We use SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption for the dialog forms provided on our web pages. SSL protects the data you send us against unauthorised third-party access.
All logon sessions automatically expire after a period of inactivity requiring the user to log back into the system to resume their session.
There is no limit on the number of people within your organisation who can register.
Anyone within your firm can register. Once they have, they will be able to access all the information about your company’s account with Ellipse, including client policy documentation, correspondence and agency account details.
One person within a client firm must be designated as the administration contact, who will be the point of contact with Ellipse and will receive notifications of new documents being available. Either the same person, or a second one (who can be your adviser, if you prefer), can be designated as a data contact, who uploads data when this is due. The registered administrator at the client can also set up access for other users within their organisation. This will allow access to the document store to receive documents as appropriate.
Contact our client service team at
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or on 0844 338 0490.
GETTING QUOTATIONS (Information for advisers)
Yes. Combine both schemes and process through the online system as if they were only one scheme. If you then want to go on-risk, please tell us of the need to split the scheme between two (or more) trusts. The premium you have been quoted won't change.
Ellipse has built an online quotation system which will allow registered advisers to obtain quotes in 9 steps. This is for group life, dependants' death in service pensions and group critical illness schemes with between 5 and 500 lives (300 max for CI).
A unit rate is an average cost applied across a scheme to all members, regardless of their age, sex, occupation or anything else. We don't use them. Instead, we take the age and sex of each member and charge the rate specific to the amount of cover each of them has within the scheme. There is no cross-subsidising or averaging involved. The only thing that's similar to a unit rate about our approach is that we guarantee that the basis for calculating your premiums will be fixed for 2 years. At the end of each two year period, we look at the premium basis applying to your scheme and let you know if it needs to change at all, explaining the impact on the actual premiums you will be paying for the subsequent two years.
Yes. If you have any Group Life schemes with more than 500 members or Group Critical Illness schemes with more than 300 members, please send a scheme specification and full data to
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.
There is no upper limit to the number of members we can quote for. As is the case for quotes of any size, your company will need to have set up an agency before any quotes can be provided.
We not only can, we're very keen to, and for schemes with any number of members, too. Our systems have been designed to integrate seamlessly with benefits platforms.
Please send the details of what you need, including full member data to
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Our industry and activity lists are broadly based on the 2007 Standard Industry Codes sections and divisions – if you aren't sure which area to put a company in, the explanatory notes you can find at the following link contain more detail on which type of company goes where. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/methods_quality/sic/downloads/sic2007explanatorynotes.pdf If you cannot find an option that fits your client exactly, pick one that is close enough to be reasonable. We aren't going to penalise you or your client if you pick an option that is incorrect but not blatantly so.
If your client operates in more than one field, use the one which involves the majority of the workforce.
That's deliberate. None of the process takes long, but loading up the data is the most time-consuming part. We don't want you to spend time doing this, only for us then to say 'Thanks, but we cannot quote'. Our questions are asked in the order they are so that IF we cannot quote, we let you know as soon as possible and none of your time is wasted.
Yes. Please process as one single scheme, to obtain one quote. If you would like to accept the quote, please notify us that the scheme is to be split and tell us which bit needs to be in a registered scheme and which in an excepted one. The premium you have been quoted won't change.
Apart from obvious things, like the nature of your client's business and what benefits are required, make sure you know the following:
For all schemes: The following data for each member
- Salaries
- Dates of birth
- Gender
- Postcode locations
Having provided salaries and the benefit basis, our system will work out each member's benefit. The only exception is if you are getting a quote for death in service pensions based on members' prospective retirement pensions. In this case, there is no way our system can calculate the benefit, so you will need to know the actual amount required for each member.
Are any members based outside the UK? Do any travel on business outside the UK? If the answer to either of these is 'yes' establish which countries are involved.
For schemes that already exist:
How many claims have there been and what benefits paid out over the last five years?
Have any members benefits' been declined, postponed or restricted to the automatic acceptance (aka free cover) limit?
For schemes with more than 50 members:
Are there any long-term absentees (been off for more than a month) or ill-health early retirers due to illness or injury? If there are, what are the specific causes of the absence (e.g. cancer, heart problems, broken limbs, etc)? How much cover does each of the long-term absentees have? Which of them has the highest benefits and how much are they?
Yes. You should obtain a group life quote as normal and then if you would like to proceed please notify us then that you require an excepted policy. There will be no change to our quoted premium.
If your scheme has more than 500 lives for group life or 300 lives for group critical illness, or is part of a flexible benefits arrangement, please send details, including member data, to
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. As with our online service, you will need to have an agency with Ellipse before we can provide any quotes.
No. Ellipse's unique approach to rating group schemes relies just on knowing what business your client is in and combining that information with members' salaries. It saves you having to find out what every single member's occupation is.
The way to handle this is to obtain separate quotes for each benefit but, if you then decide to place the business with us, contact us before you need cover to start. One automatic acceptance limit will apply across both benefits, as will the event limits.
We only need to know if members have had benefits declined or postponed. If a member has been restricted due to non-provision of medical evidence, or has been loaded, we do not need to know at quote stage. Restricted members will remain restricted to the higher of the old automatic acceptance limit or their previous level of cover insured, and loaded members will have their benefits loaded accordingly at inception.
No. Our business operates on the basis that information that is material to the price, terms and conditions applicable to each policy should be provided up front.
Yes. There is an option for you to select 'Unknown' conditions, but this will tend to push our price up and in some cases may mean that we can't quote. To get the best price from us, please make every effort to establish the specific conditions suffered.
Yes, you can select the free text option and enter in your own definition. Although you will be able to get a quote, it will be marked as 'illustrative' and if you decide to set up a policy our underwriters will need to confirm the category definition you have entered is acceptable before we can go on-risk. That being the case, we encourage you to use the definitions already given as much as possible, to ensure you receive an immediate, binding quote.
This is an excel spreadsheet already formatted in the specification required by the website. When you open it, save a copy of this file. Then, open your data file in the same Excel window (by clicking 'File, open').
Then, copy across your data into the relevant columns on the other - 'Your data' - tab. NB: Rather than just pasting, select 'Paste special' and select 'values' - this will make your data more likely to be accepted without any errors that might otherwise be caused by, for example, formulae being present. Please note the system uploads from a single worksheet, so member data must be shown only in the 'Your data' tab, and this tab must be kept to the left of any other tabs in the file.
We have set up the spreadsheet so that it should convert your data into a format recognised by our system.
Once you have entered your data, save the file in 2007 format, i.e. as a .xlsx file type. Please do not encrypt the file or add any password protection - you will be uploading to a secure environment. Next, use the 'Browse' button to locate it on your network. Then click 'Next' and the file will be uploaded.
After the data has been uploaded, you will be asked to confirm the headers applicable to each column in order to validate that the upload has been performed correctly. If any column headers are missed, data in these columns will not be recognised and multiple errors generated.
Yes, you can use the 'Manage quotes' section of the secure website to retrieve quotes and then requote them with, for example, a new benefit structure. If you are working with new membership data, you will need to start a new quotation, but you can save time by importing some information, such as membership categories, from the earlier quote.
Once you have got your online quote, if you decide to take it up, please contact us through
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or on 0844 338 0493 with the following information:
1. Client name
2. Quote code
3. Client's Companies House registration number
4. Contact name and email address for the client (it should be someone with authority to form a contract)
5. For registered group life schemes, the PSTR number
You can also reach our Sales team on 0844 338 0493 if you have any queries before putting a scheme with us.
On receipt of your instructions we will issue a pre-populated application form to the document store and send an email to your client with a copy to you requesting its completion.
Any remaining information, including the email addresses of any members over the AAL (if applicable), should be entered. The client should then sign and return both the application form and direct debit mandate to us at:
5th Floor
15 Bermondsey Square,
London
SE1 3UN
You or your adviser should then send confirmation of on-risk by email with an actual on-risk date of the scheme. Ellipse will then to confirm by e-mail that cover has commenced for the scheme.
Once the scheme is on-risk, within 14 days Ellipse will require the inception data for the scheme, including members' National Insurance numbers.
Please note that we need the signed application form before cover can commence. We recommend scanning and emailing the completed form back to
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. We do not need the original form, but please note that we DO need the original, signed DDM posted to us. At the moment, banks will not accept copies. If time is short the client can scan and email the application form to us at
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If the quote you have obtained is marked as 'illustrative' please follow the same process, but be aware that we will need to confirm our acceptance prior to going on-risk.
Yes, please. We retain a copy of the mandate and send the original over to your bank in order that they can process and set up the direct debit.
If you are setting up a new group life scheme, you will need a PSTR from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) first. Visit www.hmrc.gov.uk the and click on the 'Pension schemes' tab to see what HMRC need. Pending allocation of a PSTR, you will be given an 'Activation code' by HMRC, which we can accept in lieu of a PSTR as long as the PSTR itself is forthcoming within 14 days.
The link below will take you to your long-in screen. Once you have entered your sign-in details (obtained at registration) your home page offers an ‘Upload data’ option. Click on this to find a generic spread sheet for using when sending us your data upload. The data format requirements are also shown for each column. Please do not add any encryption or password protection to your data – none is required as you will be uploading data into a secure environment.
https://edocs.ellipse.co.uk/Grs.Security.UI/Login.aspxWe accept premiums paid by direct debit or bank transfer – no cheques, cash or credit cards, please!
Monthly and quarterly. For large schemes (over 500 members), we can also accept annual premiums.
Unlike names or dates of birth, N.I. numbers are unique identifiers for each individual member. Fully automated systems, like ours, need such unique identifiers to be able to process member data accurately. We also make use of N.I. numbers within our security process for members requiring individual assessments.
You will receive email reminders when we need data updates, according to the frequency of data updates you asked for in your application form.
With members with benefits above the automatic acceptance limit, or for whom the limit does not apply, we require them to complete an online questionnaire. We notify them via email, so we need to know email addresses in order that we can invite them to register and then complete the questionnaire.
The online assessment is entirely confidential in terms of the information provided by the member, but we produce frequent member assessment reports that give you the current position of all member assessments in progress or completer for each scheme.
As part of your regular data uploads (see How do I send you membership data?), we ask you to provide the joining/leaving dates of members who have joined/left since you last provided data. This is all we need for the vast majority of members to whom the automatic acceptance limit applies. For new members with benefits in excess of the limit, or who are discretionary or late entrants, you should notify us immediately so that we can carry out an individual assessment. Only after the assessment has been completed can we advise what cover can be provided.
Usually yes, but we need to be informed BEFORE they reach that age so that we can confirm if it can continue and on what basis.
ADVISER QUERIES
When is commission paid?
We pay commission on a monthly basis. Once we receive a premium, any commission related to that premium will be transferred to your bank account within the first five working days of the following month.
Why do I need a terms of business agreement (TOBA) and how can I obtain one?
We require (and so does the regulator) a terms of business agreement to ensure that the terms on which we will do business are clearly set out and understood up front.
To set up an agency with Ellipse, please visit www.ellipse.co.uk/set-up-an-agency and follow the instructions.
Once we have received the signed agreement, we will setup the agency and issue registration details for our website, so that you can obtain quotes from us.
We are only able to quote for those advisers who have a signed agreement with us.
What is an 'Adviser Administrator'?
Once access to our secure website is granted, people within adviser firms can use the secure website to retrieve quotations, view commission statements, access information about your client's schemes and view the current status of scheme member medical underwriting and client accounts. Obviously, this information is sensitive, so access is only allowed to individuals once their registration has been verified by an 'Adviser Administrator'.
Each agency with Ellipse will have at least one 'Adviser Administrator'. As well as having access to the information available to normal users, they will also determine which of your colleagues can access the secure website and if they too can have Adviser Administrator status. The first Adviser Administrator will be nominated during the agency application process.
Adviser Administrators are able to:
• Confirm or deny access to your agency's records to newly registered users from within the adviser firm
• Promote other registered colleagues to administrator level
• Manage permissions such as locking and unlocking accounts
Their key role is therefore to ensure that the security of your agency records is maintained by controlling who has access to them. As people in your company register to use the Ellipse secure website, they will receive an email saying that their registration has been received, but access will be subject to an Adviser Administrator's approval. This ensures the only people accessing your firm's information are those who should have access to it.
What happens if anyone leaves or joins the firm?
If a new colleague joins, an 'Adviser Administrator' at your firm can forward on your agency code and FSA number so that they can register. The 'Adviser Administrator' can then authorise their registration.
If a colleague leaves, the 'Adviser Administrator' can delete that individual's membership through the 'Account management' facility.
As part of your regular data uploads (see How do I send you membership data?), we ask you to provided the joining/leaving dates of members who have joined/left since you last provided data. This is all we need for the vast majority of members to whom the automatic acceptance limit applies. For new members with benefits in excess of the limit, or who are discretionary or late entrants, you should notify us immediately so that we can instigate an individual assessment. Only after the assessment has been completed can we advise what cover can be provided.
The 'Document store' is where documentation and correspondence relating to schemes is provided and stored. Whenever a new document is issued, the appropriate contacts will receive an email to tell them that the document is available. Individuals whose sign-in details have the appropriate permissions will also be able to view the document.
How can I contact Ellipse?
| Quotes/New Business queries: |
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0844 338 0493 |
| Existing Service queries: |
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0844 338 0490 |
| Claims queries: |
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0844 338 0491 |
| Medical underwriting queries: |
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0844 338 0492 |
| Commission queries: |
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0844 338 0494 |
We hope that we never give you any reason to feel dissatisfied with our products or services, but if you do we would really like to put things right. So, if there's anything about us you are unhappy with, please contact us on
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or call us on 0844 338 0495.
We hope that we never give you any reason to feel dissatisfied with our products or services, but if you do we would really like to put things right. So, if there's anything about us you are unhappy with, please contact us on
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or call us on 0844 338 0495.
If you have a general query, or one that doesn't fit into any of the above categories, contact us on
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.
Address
5th Floor
15 Bermondsey Square
London
SE1 3UN
Telephone
020 3003 6200
Calls to all telephone numbers may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes.
FOR MEMBERS
If you have benefits that exceed your scheme's automatic acceptance limit, or if you are a late or discretionary entrant to the scheme, we will ask you to complete an online questionnaire giving us information about your health and pastimes.
If we need to conduct an assessment, we will email you and ask you to complete a health and lifestyle questionnaire online. The questionnaire is reflexive, which means the questions you are asked will vary according to previous answers given. For example, if you say you have never had any heart problems, you won't be asked loads of questions about heart problems that don't apply to you.
You should be able to complete the questionnaire easily, but if you need to pause, e.g. to check a date or because you have been interrupted, you can save the questionnaire at the point you've reached and come back to it later. In many cases, your cover will be confirmed as soon as you have finished the questionnaire. Sometimes, we may request certain tests, such as an HIV test or blood test. If so, the tests will be carried out by a nurse from Medicals Direct at a time and place that suits you.
If we need to do an assessment, we send you an email with full instructions of what you have to do.
Medicals Direct are a company Ellipse use to carry out medical tests and collect medical information. Sometimes, we are unable to confirm cover solely on the basis of answers given in the online questionnaire, but instead require tests to be carried out or information from your GP or someone else who has been attending you.
This is when we bring in Medical Direct. Rather than require you to go along to a hospital or clinic for a test, a nurse is sent to a location convenient for you – your home or place of work – at a time that suits you, too.
If we need a report from, say, your GP, Medicals Direct will request the report and ensure it is chased for prompt completion and return.
We will not pass your contact details - or your doctor's - on to Medicals Direct unless we have been given your express permission (requested online before you start the the questionnaire) to do so. Any information collected by Medicals Direct on our behalf will be passed straight to the underwriters here at Ellipse; Medicals Direct don't retain any of it, or pass it to anyone else.
All we ask you to do is complete an 'Access to Medical Reports' declaration as part of the online assessment process, giving us permission to obtain a report. The request for the report itself will be made by Medicals Direct on our behalf. They will also keep in touch with your GP to ensure the report is completed and returned promptly.
No. All medical information will be kept strictly confidential and is seen only by the medical underwriters.
In many cases, all we need is the completed online questionnaire, which should take no more than 25 minutes to complete – and often it's much quicker than this. If any tests are required, a nurse from Medicals Direct will contact you within two working days to fix an appointment convenient for you. Once the tests have been completed, we should be able to give our decision within two working days. Very occasionally, we may need a report from your own doctor. It then depends on how quickly this is provided, but we make sure any outstanding report is actively chased.
Not usually. In most cases, we will accept the results of the previous assessment carried out by the previous insurer.
Not usually. Our 'once and done' approach to underwriting means that once we have assessed you we will normally not require a further assessment unless your total benefit exceeds £5 million.
RED ARC
As soon as you make a claim under your Ellipse Group Critical Illness plan. You can expect a call from a RED ARC Personal Nurse Adviser who will see how you are, and describe the Service to you in detail.
No. The Service is entirely separate from your claim. You do not have to use it, but the vast majority of claimants do. Even if you do not get paid out, you can still use it! Alternatively, you can come back to it at a later stage if your circumstances change. There are no time limits.
We pass on your details to a RED ARC Personal Nurse Adviser while we get on with the business of your claim. The RED ARC Personal Nurse Adviser will then get in touch with you and will be there to provide practical and emotional support to you and your family for as long as you need it.
Subject to your agreement, your Personal Nurse Adviser can arrange a home visit by a specialist nurse to answer all your questions. Alternatively, the Personal Nurse Adviser may suggest a course of therapy or a programme of counselling, depending on what is appropriate to your needs.
Nothing. The Service is free to all our Group Critical Illness claimants and their families at point of use, and that includes any extra help arranged by your Personal Nurse Adviser, whether a home visit, therapy or counselling. We hope you never need to use it, but if you do, we hope it make a difference.
