CommInsure has appointed three independent members to a new claims review panel that will handle complex cases, according to MD Helen Troup.

Justin Malbon is a consumer representative on the investments, life insurance and superannuation panel for the Financial Ombudsman Service and a former member of the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal. He is a professor of law at Monash University.

Stan Goldstein is Senior Medical Officer at Bupa Australia and an associate professor in public health and community medicine at University of NSW.

Chris McRae is a board member for the Financial Ombudsman Service and a former chief legal officer at AMP.

Ms Troup will also be on the panel, and more members are expected to be appointed.

The panel will step in when CommInsure’s claims committee recommends declining a complex life insurance claim. It will provide an independent review and assessment to provide confidence that outcomes are fair and consistent.

A sub-committee of independent CommInsure board members will monitor the panel’s outcomes.

The board is also seeking a new independent expert to oversee a review of previously denied claims.

Ms Troup says CommInsure has worked with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission on this process, and an appointment is expected in the coming weeks.

“CommInsure has begun the process to notify affected policyholders about the recent changes to the trauma product definitions for heart attack and severe rheumatoid arthritis,” she said.

“These were updated on March 10 and coverage has been backdated to apply for all claim events from May 11 2014 onwards.

“Our product disclosure statements have been updated and we will also write to affected policyholders by the end of June to tell them about the changes.”