Insurance broker Aon launches Ebola liability cover

LONDON (Reuters) - (The story was corrected in the first and fourth paragraphs of Oct. 28 story to show Aon is based in Britain, and not the United States) British insurance broker Aon has launched Ebola liability cover for hospitals and other health care institutions, the company said on Tuesday. The Ebola virus has killed nearly 5,000 people worldwide, mainly in West Africa. Fear of Ebola infections spreading to developed economies has prompted insurance companies to add exclusion clauses to their standard policies or to develop new products. The broker's Ebola cover is for situations "where existing liability programs may not apply" and provides up to $25 million of liability coverage, Aon said in a statement. "There are several areas where there has not been certainty about coverage for Ebola," Gigi Norris, managing director of Aon Risk Solutions' Western Region Health Care Practice, said. "This is something our health care clients are extremely worried about." The cover will protect hospitals from cases related to their response to Ebola brought by employees, patients, or even potential patients who have been refused admission, Norris said. It has been designed for U.S. hospitals, but could be adapted for the international market, she said. The policy has been developed with British insurance company Hiscox, and will be available through other brokers after 60 days, Aon said. (Reporting by Carolyn Cohn. Editing by Jane Merriman)