Continuity of cover means that we will renew your Encompass Protection policy each year until it expires, provided premiums are paid when due. This means we won’t cancel cover, place further restrictions on it or increase premiums because of changes to the insured person’s health, occupation or pastimes.
FAQs for customers
While our team is available and happy to answer any questions you might have, we appreciate that sometimes it’s faster simply to find the answer yourself. That’s why we’ve created this frequently asked questions page – so that all the most commonly asked questions about Encompass Protection can be found in one central place.
If you feel we haven’t resolved your complaint to your satisfaction, you can then lodge your complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). AFCA is an independent organisation, which provides free assistance to customers who have complaints about financial products and services. AFCA can be contacted at:
Phone: 1800 931 678
Website: www.afca.org.au
Address: GPO Box 3, Melbourne VIC 3001
Email: info@afca.org.au
Tags: About Encompass Protection | Complaints
We’ll make every effort to try and resolve your complaint as quickly and as fairly as possible.
If you have a concern or complaint, please contact us in the first instance via the details below. We’ll endeavour to manage this to your satisfaction without undue delay. We’ll make sure we call you within two days of receipt of your complaint.
Call us: 1300 476 030
Email us: customer@encompassprotect.com.au
If we can’t resolve your complaint quickly, we’ll formally record the details, with your assistance, to ensure that it’s correctly understood and progressed through the appropriate channels. This may involve external parties such as the insurer and your financial adviser.
Our complaints manager will work closely with you to resolve your complaint and keep you updated along the way. Please note that while the law allows insurance companies up to 45 days to respond to complaints (90 days for super complaints), we’ll always endeavour to respond to you as soon as possible.
Tags: About Encompass Protection | Complaints
If you’ve made a claim, you can generally access all the information we hold about you, except for certain instances, as per privacy legislation, where we need to provide information directly to your doctor (instead of you).
Simply call us on 1300 476 030 or email us at claims@encompassprotect.com.au and we’ll organise to send you a copy of your claims file.
Tags: About Encompass Protection | Claims
If you’re concerned about the way your claim is progressing, or disagree with our response to your claim, please talk to your Encompass Protection claims consultant first. If they can’t resolve your issue, you can have the issue reviewed by our claims manager or Claims Review Committee.
Should you remain unhappy after our internal review, you can have an external body like an ombudsman or a regulator try to resolve the issue. We’ll provide you with information about the options available and how you can contact the relevant organisation.
Tags: About Encompass Protection | Claims
If you’re legally competent to apply for a claim and your claim is approved, all benefits will be paid to you or your legal personal representative. If you’re judged not legally competent, we’ll pay the benefits to whomever we’re legally permitted to make payments. If your claim is approved, all benefits will be paid to you or your legal representative.
Tags: About Encompass Protection | Claims
Yes, it’s important to continue paying your premiums while your claim is being assessed to ensure your cover isn’t cancelled.
Tags: Claims | About Encompass Protection
We promise to let you know the outcome of your claim as soon as possible. But assessing your claim may, in some instances, depend on circumstances that are outside of our control.
Some claims are simple, but others are more involved and depend on how promptly we’re able to obtain information from you and from any relevant doctors or other third parties.
When providing details about your claim to us, it’s best that you provide as much detail and clarity as you can. This will help us get back to you as soon as possible.
Tags: Claims | About Encompass Protection
We’re here, along with your financial adviser, to support you through the claims process. If you need to make a claim, we’re here to support you with personalised and compassionate attention every step of the way.
We’ll do our very best to make the process easy, and once claim conditions are met, get you paid as quickly as possible.
Get started with a claim by contacting us on 1300 476 030 or claims@encompassprotect.com.au as soon as you know you need to make a claim and we’ll get things moving. Our phone lines are open 8.00am to 6.00pm (AEST/AEDT) Monday to Friday.
Tags: Claims | About Encompass Protection
We may pay your financial adviser a commission. Any amount paid is factored into the cost of your policy. Your financial adviser will provide you with a Financial Services Guide and where applicable, a Statement of Advice, which will detail the benefits they receive for selling you your policy.
If you’ve lost your policy documentation, simply call us on 1300 476 030 or email us at customer@encompassprotect.com.au and we’ll send you a copy.
Call us on 1300 476 030 or email us at customer@encompassprotect.com.au and we’ll update your details.
We recalculate the premiums for your policy each year at your policy anniversary. We will also recalculate the premiums for your policy when there is a change to your policy.
If we make changes to your premium, including making changes to our premium rates, the change will only apply to you once a year, effective from your next policy anniversary. We’ll give you at least one month’s written notice before premiums change. If you make changes to your policy, we’ll recalculate your premium based on the rates applicable at the time the change is approved by us.
Your premiums will vary depending on several factors including:
- your premium type – variable age-stepped premium or level premium. The level premium type ceased being available on 16 February 2024
- your eligibility for discounts – we may from time to time offer discounts that may reduce your premiums. These discounts are not guaranteed, may be varied or removed, and may not apply over the life of your policy, and
- the length of time since you applied for cover – when you first apply for insurance, we undertake a detailed assessment of your personal circumstances. As we know more about your situation at that time, we’re able to offer insurance to you at reduced standard premium rates. As time passes, your premiums will gradually increase to our standard premium rates.
Your premiums will also change if, for example:
- your sum insured changes, including because of Indexation Benefit increases
- there are changes to stamp duty or other government charges
- there are changes to policy fees (as at the date of this PDS, no policy fee applies), or
- we make changes to our standard premium rates, or the discounts we offer.
If you can’t afford to pay your premiums, please contact your financial adviser, call us on 1300 476 030 or email us customer@encompassprotect.com.au and we’ll let you know what options are available.
Premium payments for Encompass Protection policies are paid through direct debit, either by credit card or debit card, ensuring you don’t accidently forget a payment. You can choose to pay your premium monthly or yearly. If you pay your premium monthly, we’ll apply a premium frequency loading to your premium, which helps cover the costs of collecting your premium more frequently.
We can change the frequency loading percentages at any time and will notify you of any material changes. Any changes will apply to your next policy anniversary.
Interim accident cover is designed to provide you with limited cover while your application is being assessed by us and is available free of charge. It starts as soon as we receive your fully completed application form, a completed personal statement and a completed premium deduction authority.
Tags: About life insurance | About Encompass Protection | About my policy
Whenever we improve the terms of Encompass Protection, and those improvements don’t result in an increase in premiums, those terms will be made available to you.
Tags: About my policy | About life insurance | About Encompass Protection
Guaranteed renewable means that we guarantee to renew your cover each year until it expires, provided premiums are paid when due. This means we won’t cancel cover, place further restrictions on it or increase premiums because of changes to the insured person’s health, occupation or pastimes.
Tags: About my policy
Yes, your Encompass Protection policy covers you 24 hours a day, anywhere in the world.
Tags: About life insurance | About my policy | About Encompass Protection
If you cancel your Encompass Protection policy during the cooling-off period and you haven’t made a claim, your policy will be cancelled from the commencement date, and we’ll refund any premiums you’ve paid. If your cover is inside super, your refund may need to be preserved within super.
If you cancel your policy after the cooling-off period, premiums aren’t refundable.
Tags: About life insurance | About my policy | About Encompass Protection
Yes, you can cancel your Encompass Protection policy if you no longer need it. You can let your adviser know or simply call us on 1300 476 030 or email us at customer@encompassprotect.com.au and we’ll let you know what you need to do.
Tags: About life insurance | About my policy | About Encompass Protection
We know life is constantly changing, and you may need to make changes to your Encompass Protection policy from time to time. In many cases, general policy alterations such as changes of address or bank account details can be completed over the phone. For more complex policy alterations, we may require additional information. Either way, simply call us on 1300 476 030 or email us at customer@encompassprotect.com.au and we’ll make the process as easy for you as possible.
Tags: About life insurance | About my policy | About Encompass Protection
You can access a copy of the Product Disclosure Statement and Policy Document from our website at www.encompassprotect.com.au/pds
Tags: Adviser services | About Encompass Protection | About my policy
Your Encompass Protection policy starts when your application has been assessed and approved by us, and we have received your first premium. As soon as your cover is approved, a welcome letter will be sent to you via email, along with a policy schedule outlining the full details of your cover, including your policy’s commencement date.
If you’re applying for life insurance, or increasing the insurance cover you already have, it’s important you tell us about any change in your health or financial circumstances. If during this process, you’ve forgotten to tell your adviser something, we recommend you contact them as soon as possible to discuss. Alternatively, you can contact us directly by phoning us on 1300 476 030 or sending an email to customer@encompassprotect.com.au
Once you’ve been accepted for insurance cover, you don’t need to update us of any changes to your health, financial circumstances or occupation.
Encompass Protection policies allow for one insured person per policy, so your partner will need to apply for insurance cover under their own policy.
You may still be eligible for life insurance if you have any pre-existing health condition(s). Your financial adviser can help answer any questions you may have about these and guide you through the application process.
The setup of your Encompass Protection policy depends on many variables, such as the cover type(s) being applied for, the cover amount and any additional information we may need to assess your application including your current health and medical history. At times, we may need to wait for information to be returned to us from other providers such as your doctor(s).
Importantly, purchasing life insurance with the guidance of your financial adviser means you’re receiving expert advice and your life insurance policy is tailored to your individual needs.
Your Encompass Protection policy can be owned by a super fund or outside super, by you or a legal entity. Your financial adviser can help you decide which ownership option is best for you.
A beneficiary is the person (or persons) you choose to receive your benefit if you pass away while you’re covered by a life insurance policy. If you’re choosing more than one beneficiary, you’ll need to let us know what proportion of the total benefit amount you’d like each beneficiary to receive. If you wish to add or update a beneficiary nomination for your policy, you can do so at any time. Simply call us on 1300 476 030 or email us at customer@encompassprotect.com.au
Tags: About life insurance
Level premium ceased being available on 16 February 2024.
With level premiums, the premium is calculated based on the insured person’s age at the cover commencement date and the applicable premium rate for that age.
Level premiums generally start out higher than variable age-stepped premiums, but may become lower at some point in the future. This is because level premiums have the cost of providing insurance spread out over a number of years and will not increase because of the insured person’s age.
Level premiums may still increase or vary due to other reasons, such as increases to the sum insured (including increases as a result of the Indexation Benefit if applicable), changes to the cover or eligibility for discounts, or if the insurer makes changes to the premium rates. For more information, please see the FAQ on ‘How do my premiums change each year?’
Premium rates can change and are not guaranteed. If we make changes to our standard premium rates, we will always act reasonably and with utmost good faith, and any changes will be applied consistently for policies of the same kind. This means an individual policy will not be singled out for a change in premium rates.
Tags: About life insurance
With variable age-stepped premiums, the premium is re-calculated on each policy anniversary based on the insured person’s age and the applicable premium rate on that anniversary. Variable age-stepped premiums will usually increase each year in line with the insured person’s age and any increases to the sum insured (including increases as a result of the Indexation Benefit if applicable). Premiums may also change due to other factors such as changes to the cover or eligibility for discounts, or if the insurer makes changes to the premium rates. For more information, please see the FAQ on ‘How do my premiums change each year?’
Premium rates can change and are not guaranteed. If we make changes to our standard premium rates, we will always act reasonably and with utmost good faith,
and any changes will be applied consistently for policies of the same kind. This means an individual policy will not be singled out for a change in premium rates.
Please note: Variable age-stepped premiums were previously known as stepped premiums.
Tags: About life insurance
Income Protection Cover replaces up to 70% of the insured person’s income if they’re unable to work due to illness or injury. This can help you cover day-to-day expenses such as school fees or mortgage and car repayments and allows you to focus on your recovery.
Tags: Product | About life insurance
Critical illness cover provides a lump sum payment if the insured person suffers a critical illness. You can use this money for any purpose, whether it’s to seek specialised medical treatment, reduce debts or make necessary lifestyle changes.
Tags: About life insurance | Product
TPD cover provides a lump sum payment if the insured person becomes totally and permanently disabled. This can help you pay medical expenses or cover the cost of necessary lifestyle changes.
Tags: About life insurance | Product
Life insurance, sometimes also referred to as life cover, provides a lump sum payment if the insured person dies or is diagnosed with a terminal illness. You can use this to pay off debts such as a mortgage, to cover daily living expenses or save it for future needs such as school fees.
Tags: About life insurance
You can contact our claims team on:
Customer phone: 1300 476 030
Adviser phone: 1300 576 049
Email: claims@encompassprotect.com.au
Tags: Claims
Encompass Protection is issued by MLC Limited (MLC Life Insurance) ABN 90 000 000 402 AFSL 230694.
MLC Life Insurance has been protecting Australian lives for over 130 years, and in 2022 paid over $1.2 billion in claims to its customers. It has built a strong reputation for excellence in claims management. In fact, MLC Life Insurance has some of the fastest claims approval turnaround times in the industry and are known for managing claims effectively and efficiently. So, you can be confident that you and your loved ones are in safe hands because all Encompass claims are handled by the team at MLC Life Insurance.
For further information visit: www.mlcinsurance.com.au
Encompass Protection is a highly rated suite of life insurance cover types available as self-owned or superannuation owned policies that will meet the needs of most customers, at very competitive prices. The cover types available under Encompass Protection include:
| Cover | Available as | Maximum sum insured at entry |
| Life Cover | Stand-alone | $3,000,000 |
| Total & Permanent Disability (TPD) Cover |
Attached to Life Cover Linked to Life Cover Split |
$3,000,000 |
| Critical Illness Cover | Stand-alone Attached to Life Cover Linked to Life Cover |
$1,000,000 |
| Income Protection Cover | Stand-alone | $20,000 per month |
Life Cover, TPD Cover and Income Protection Cover are available both inside and outside super.
Encompass Protection is issued by MLC Limited and promoted and administered by NEOS Life.
Tags: About Encompass Protection | Product
NEOS Life (NEOS) is a registered business name of Australian Life Development Pty Ltd ABN 96 617 129 914 AFSL 502759.
NEOS is a specialist in life insurance administration and provides administrative services for Encompass Protection.
Since their launch in 2018, NEOS has changed the way life insurance is delivered in Australia by focusing on making life insurance easy, accessible and friendly. In doing so, they’ve lived up to their mission of setting a new standard in life insurance. As a result, you can expect a truly outstanding customer experience when it comes to the assessment of your application and management of your Encompass Protection life insurance policy.
For further information visit: www.neoslife.com.au