Exclusive | Hong Kong-based head of insurer calls for better policies to help people with autism

The Hong Kong-based chairman of Manulife Financial Asia has called on insurance companies across the world to modernise their underwriting policies to better support people with autism, saying the move may also encourage early diagnosis and intervention.

Damien Green also said his earlier criticism of his employer’s “clinically dumb” underwriting policies for people with autism, such as his son, had attracted a positive response from the company and the wider industry.

Insurance underwriting refers to the process where providers evaluate the risks of providing coverage to a potential customer and how much the person is likely to pay if approved.

“Manulife has made it clear to me that they intend to review their standards internally. I’m very pleased about that and I’ll be involved with that,” Green said.

Green said his 25-year-old son, who was diagnosed with level one autism a few years ago but lives an independent and healthy life, was rejected when he tried to buy health insurance last year.

He said he had been in talks with his company about modernising the policies but the process had been “slow” and he hoped his call-out could encourage the whole industry to catch up, noting such a move could affect millions of people worldwide.