South Korean insurers chided for restrictive COVID-19 vaccine policies

Customers have been giving personal data in exchange for these policies.

South Korean insurers have been accused of enticing customers to provide their personal information through plans related to COVID-19 vaccination, according to media reports.

In return, customers will have a difficult time claiming benefits on these policies, critics said.

Customers have been able to sign up for free on most of the policies in exchange for their personal information, believing that they will be eligible for payouts if they suffer any side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine. 

However, almost none could claim the benefits, reports said, as the vaccine-related policies provide compensation only to those who suffer from anaphylaxis, a rare allergic reaction.

Other serious side effects are not covered by these policies, reports added.

Data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency showed that only 416 cases were reported to have had symptoms of anaphylaxis amongst the 18.87 million who have been inoculated as of end-June.

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