Advisers across the health and protection sector have been divided over the unveiling of a new Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) qualification for the market.
Intermediaries have generally welcomed the Cert CII (Health and Protection) title but those specialising in protection business have raised concerns about its strength and contribution towards exam requirements.
However private medical insurance (PMI) specialists have given the process their whole hearted blessing and have expressed hopes it will progress further.
The split is largely due to differences in current qualification and exam stresses with many protection IFAs currently focused on achieving Level 4 by December 2012 to reach the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) grade.
At present it is believed the qualification does not contribute towards Level 4 requirements.
Kevin Carr, CEO of the Protection Review, has been among many voices appealing for increased recognition of protection qualifications and welcomed the move.
"It is very well-intentioned and many of us have been calling for further protection qualifications for some time," he said.
"However, we would have also welcomed wider debate in the protection community before finalising the arrangements as what the market really needs is a Level 4 qualification that is comparable with other attainments under RDR.
"Whilst it raises the profile of protection, not too much has really changed and this could suggest a two speed qualification with protection the poor relation.
"Our preference would be to bite the bullet immediately and have a Level 4 qualification that we can implement as soon as possible, as we've said for many years," he added.
Chris Hulme, director at the Clayton Hulme Partnership, echoed much of Carr's thoughts but suggested it could help those not seeking RDR qualifications.
"Any qualification or structured learning in this industry has got to be good," he said.
"It will probably suit those who are taking a view that they want to fall outside RDR or those fairly early on in their financial services careers.
"I think it needs to teach people the skills of advice; how to analyse product intricacies and differences and specifics like the definitions of critical illness conditions.
"I don't envy the CII but there does need to be a lot more detail.
"Maybe I'm being a little critical if it is a starting point but I wouldn't like that starting point to be enough to be classed as competent, I think clients would want more as well," he added.
However, specialist PMI brokers have celebrated the announcement and hope it will take off.
Brian Walters, principal of Regency Health and also CII liaison officer for the Association of Medical Insurance Intermediaries (Amii), has been involved in the development and welcomed its completion.
"The AMII executive is very enthusiastic about this development," he said.
"The IF7 exam has been passed by nearly 500 candidates in less than 18 months and a full qualification is the next step.
"Few people enjoy taking exams but career advisers should be motivated to differentiate themselves from the pack and this new qualification, with its sector-specific designation, will do just that.
"I took one of the CII's proposed pathways myself last year and benefited from it enormously.
"In addition to rounding out knowledge, a qualification helps to demonstrate to clients and introducers that you are serious about professional standards," he added.
Walters' view was supported by Paula Aitken, commercial manager at Private Health Partnership.
"I'm absolutely delighted, nothing could have pleased me more," she said.
"The setup of the CII exams has always been a bit of an anomaly - they were more generic exams rather than specific - because although you take a range of exams, you end up with a certificate that doesn't say very much about what you're qualified in."
Aitken also responded to some of the criticisms coming from other advisers.
"It's a starting point - you've got to start somewhere - and rather than re-writing everything this is an absolutely fantastic way to please everybody," she continued.
"There are obviously higher grades of exams you can take and I don't see any reason why it can't be expanded on and I expect that's something on Amii and Grid's radar.
"You can't expect to change everything overnight - you've got to take things one step at a time and this is the first quite large step in the right direction," she added.
