Welcome to the Spring Edition
Can you believe that we are approaching the end of another year? 2019 has been a white-knuckle ride and it’s not over yet however in this time of industry uncertainty, it is heartening to know that outstanding ALUCA events designed to up-skill and challenge us remain a constant.
I had the pleasure of attending the annual Triple Treat event in Brisbane hosted by ALUCA and CMG. A packed audience were educated and entertained in the hidden concussion syndrome dangers [and the future implications this may have on our industry] – how to better navigate bereavement and grief conversations – and the final speaker shared his experiences in leadership, resilience and the most strategic methods of ejecting drunk patrons from a bar during his career as a nightclub bouncer. It was a very enjoyable afternoon!
I would also like to acknowledge reinsurers [and ALUCA sponsors] RGA and Gen Re for their significant contribution to the ALUCA claims & underwriting development calendar. RGA hosted A Senior Underwriter’s Forum [see photo] and CMO Roadshow events while Gen Re hosted COMET Financial Training events pitched at three levels of experience. These were held across multiple states with overflowing demand and nothing but excellent feedback. This clearly demonstrates the growing awareness to future-proof ourselves in a rapidly changing life insurance landscape.
October was Mental Health Month and to mark this critically important awareness campaign, ReB has included two mental health articles in this edition. As many of you know, there are some horrific, downward trending statistics associated with this insidious illness….
- Globally, one person dies every 40 seconds from suicide, and 90% of those suicides are associated with mental health disorders
- Suicide rates are highest in high-income countries like Australia and the second leading cause of death among young people
- In 2018 the number of Australians who died by suicide (3,046) was heading towards triple our road toll (1,135). Males continue to be overrepresented with 45 men taking their lives every week
- There are close to one million Australians who suffer from untreated mental illness costing our economy 500 million per day
- Research by Teladoc Health has found that 37 percent of Australian workers aged 18-25 years have been diagnosed with a mental health problem with only 15 percent confiding in their employer and/or seeking help in the workplace
The upside of this awareness is that practical initiatives and programs are on the drawing boards of insurers and reinsurers to better understand mental health and improve our interactions with affected clients.
On a much lighter note, ReB congratulates Cy Lindeberg from BT who has won the 2019 ALUCA TurksLegal Scholarship! We have published her winning paper: The role of rehab advisors in improving customer outcome
Enough from me – I hope you really enjoy this Spring Edition of ReB.
Cheers
Michael Reid
ReB Editor
Michael.Reid@aia.com
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