Towergate MIA - medical insurance specialists

When it comes to looking after people, Towergate MIA is very like its customers.

"We're in the business of getting people back on their feet after a loss" says MIA's MD Paul Kershaw. "We specialise in looking after medical and caring professionals. Like patients, our customers need us to help them when things go wrong, and put their lives back the way they were. They want security and certainty; in other words, a safe pair of hands. Towergate MIA gives them this."

"We understand our customers and their needs as practicing medical professionals. So we accept that insurance is not at the top of most GPs and Practice Manager’s list of daily priorities because it isn’t that interesting, and can be complicated. But in some respects illness and insurance are similar. Patients don’t usually worry about an illness until they feel unwell. In reality, most of us don’t spend too long thinking about insurance until something goes wrong, even when it protects our business, income and employees."

At MIA, team members talk to customers about insurance in practical terms they can relate to. Simple illustrations can help demonstrate why it’s important to get it right. Take for example regularly quoted business continuity figures suggesting that within 2 years of a major loss, over 90% of SME businesses in the UK fail to recover.

Most businesses never clearly think through what they would do if the worst actually did happen, often until after it’s too late. Vin Kenny, Claims Manager at Towergate MIA recalls an actual customer experience:

"Put yourself in this situation. You’re at home after an ordinary day at the practice and the phone rings. Fire has broken out in the premises above your practice, the unconfirmed source of ignition is a discarded cigarette, and five appliances are on-site fighting the blaze. Fortunately no one is hurt and the flames are quickly brought under control."

"Damage to your practice is extensive; cascading water from the high-pressure hoses has brought down ceilings; fixtures and fittings are fouled with carbon and plaster. Your computers and surgical equipment have all been rendered useless, and a high proportion of patient records have been destroyed. The entire building has been rendered uninhabitable and rebuilding work is likely to take a minimum of 9-12 months."

"Would you be confident that the service and cover you have in place would have you back on your feet in time to save your business?”, Vin adds. “Here’s what the MIA Claims Team were able to do for that customer."

"At 10.10am the next day, Towergate MIA received a call from the customer to notify them of the Claim. We picked up the call within seconds and in less than 20 minutes had all the details down to start helping the customer. Urgent instructions were immediately relayed to all the supporting agencies we work with on these types of major losses."

"Within 2 hours the customer had received calls from the appointed insurance loss adjusters and Lorega. Lorega are employed by Towergate MIA; the service is automatically included with our surgery policy, and it’s their job to hold your hand all the way through the crisis recovery. They will help fight your corner because they work for you, not the insurer."

"The loss adjusters quickly visited the site and arranged for the initial assistance teams to recover, dry and store everything capable of being salvaged. Acting quickly minimised even further losses."

"The Lorega adjusters provided practical advice on compiling the customer’s schedule of losses maximising their entitlement under the policy. They also initiated the process of finding temporary accommodation for the business. What’s critical at this point is minimising the interruption to your patients, because without patients you don’t have a practice, and neither do your employees and the families who depend on them."

"In the case of our customer, they have now relocated to temporary premises, and while it hasn’t been easy for them, I’m pleased to say the practice remains in business."

Fortunately the majority of claims handled by MIA are more straightforward: medium to low value cases like property damage caused by escapes of water, vaccine thefts and glass breakages. Every one of them is an inconvenience for the practice and a distraction from their day-to-day priority of delivering quality, cost effective patient care.

"We offer a simple, powerful customer proposition", Paul Kershaw explains. "The strength of our group relationships with the major UK insurers has helped us secure deals on enhanced products and competitive prices that a typical insurance provider just doesn't have access to. It is great news for our customers."

"At the same time, Towergate MIA also controls how service is delivered to its customers. Our insurers trust us to do a good job, and our customers get the service they deserve. Everybody wins."

Over on the customer service teams, there is a steady buzz of activity; the atmosphere is professional and friendly. Deputy MD, Keith Longthorne is out amongst the Caring Professions Team, who look after Towergate MIA's GPs, doctors and general practices. "When customers call us, they're not dealing with a faceless call centre. We have dedicated customer service teams with responsibility for individual customers. So, as you would expect, over time we get to know many of them very well indeed, and our customers like that."

Keith Longthorne continues, "If your cover isn’t adequate for your needs and you make a claim, you could get a nasty surprise. Without advice, many customers may be unaware how the term 'Average' affects the value of a future claim, and why it is so important to get the 'Sums Insured' figures correct. Surgeries who make a mistake with the amount they insure, risk reducing the value of any claims settlement they later receive. So, if a practice is insured for £200k, but the property is actually worth £250k, a claim for £50k would be reduced to £40k. This is the type of costly mistake that Towergate MIA can help customers avoid through our approach to risk management."

Keith adds, "Our ethos is very proactive. We like to call customers to make sure we have updated their details and taken account of any changes that have recently occurred. In that way we minimise the gaps that potentially create problems occurring during a claim."

Towergate MIA is one of the largest companies within the Towergate Partnership, an independently owned insurance group headed by Peter Cullum. Peter has recently featured in the national press following his success as the winner of the UK's Entrepreneur of the Year Award; fitting recognition for his vision in delivering an insurance capability to meet client’s requirements whether they are our suppliers, partners or customers.

Towergate MIA is proud of what it has helped to achieve. Paul Kerhshaw concludes, "It’s a very pleasing story. We have a very loyal customer base. I read the letters and comments about the service they receive from us and I genuinely believe they value what we do to help them. We also know that typically our customers are much more likely to recommend us to colleagues, family members or friends. And they do. That is such a powerful message for prospective new customers to hear."

To find out more about how Towergate MIA can help you at the time of your renewal, or to obtain a no-obligation quotation for your surgery insurances, call today free on 0800 013 7777.