Government pharmacy drive puts GPRs under threat

Thu, 24 Apr 2008

A push by the government to promote pharmacists for primary care instead of GPs could mean the end of the General Practitioners Report (GPR) in protection underwriting and claims, suggests MorganAsh.

Some consumers are already using alternative sources of medical assistance, like a physiotherapist or a chiropractor, says the tele-interview specialist and says the government campaign could invalidate the GPR altogether.

GPRs help to corroborate an applicant’s medical history when calculating premiums and processing claims and have been an essential feature in the protection industry for years. However concerns over costs and missing information, especially after a move to electronic reports and also the time involved in obtaining a GPR, have given some commentators cause to question their value.

A spokesperson for MorganAsh says: "For years the protection industry has been plagued by the delays caused by providers being required to collect GPRs."

He added that reinsurers have required providers to collect GPRs for cases with higher ages and higher sums assured, known as medical limits. An increased use of pharmacists for primary care, rather than the GP, will further negate the GPR as a source of data for insurance purposes.
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