We’re employing one on one relationships, true case management, so as soon as you pick up that phone and talk to somebody, that will be the person that you speak to – hopefully until the end of the process. We wanted to empower our staff, and to really build relationships, we couldn’t have a standard approach. We’ve built an application form around what actually is the issue with that particular member or beneficiary. We’ve customised the relationship management. Michael Bailey: Colin, what’s some of the training that’s been involved? Colin Cassidy: We started with the bare basic process. What requirements does a member need to put in to claim a TPD claim? And those requirements have been the same since I started 30 years ago. Nothing has changed. Kelly Cantwell: And when we say every requirement, we actually mean every single requirement. So it was a long journey.

Colin Cassidy: We had people in the room from actuaries to claims managers to underwriters and asked them the questions. Why do you need an employer statement? ‘Because the industry, 20 years ago, had cover ceasing when members ceased employment’. In the last 10 years, most superannuation funds have continuous cover. So getting an employer statement for someone who hasn’t worked there for five years, delaying the claim for four or five months; is that the best thing for a fund to do? So we looked at every facet. Scot Quigley: I agree. The delay in getting the employer statement is a difficulty in assessing a claim. It’s probably an opportunity for the insurer to talk about the relevance of the employer statement and the historical value of getting it. Stephanie Phillips: One of the things that AIA has been looking at is exactly that: how much of the employer report do you actually use and how many times do you rehabilitate someone based on the information in the employer report? Half the time, it’s filled out by two different sections at the employer.

The payroll department will fill out the payroll bit, and they’ll flick it over to the person who actually employs or manages that person on a daily basis, who has to answer questions about the claimant’s duties. And half the time they can’t answer those questions, or the payroll person doesn’t pass it on and just flicks it back to the insurer. Kelly Cantwell: Or the employer doesn’t exist anymore. Stephanie Phillips: And 99 per cent of the time, how valuable is that piece of paper and how long does that delay the claim? But the entire time that I’ve been doing claims, which is a hell of a long time, it’s never changed and I’ve never questioned it. So I think it’s a really good point. Arleen Hatton: I think it comes from an unfortunate situation of working of checklists resulting in “everything” being requested. They think they’re risking an audit error if they don’t call for absolutely everything – and that’s more than just the employer statement. It expands to the impairment as well, because we often call for the exact same medical evidence requirements across the board. We don’t look at the impairment.