MLC Life Insurance has reported more than 100 of its customers have now used its Mental Health Navigator service.
This report has been released on the first anniversary of the insurer’s Mental Health Navigator service, which represents an expansion of MLC Life Insurance’s existing Best Doctors value-add service for policy holders and their immediate family (see: MLC Life Expands Best Doctors…).
This mental health service initiative offers eligible policy holders and their immediate family with access to a detailed mental health review by leading experts, which is intended to give them confidence that they have the right diagnosis and treatment plan.
According to research commissioned by MLC Life Insurance around the time of the launch of the Mental Health Navigator in May last year:
- 63 percent of Australians with a mental health condition believe the current mental healthcare system is too confusing and complex, leading many to consider giving up on treatment
- 70 percent of Australians who have sought help for a condition said it was a negative experience
- Over a third (36%) believed finding the right treatment was hard
…many people feel the current system is too complex to navigate
In quoting research which found that each year, approximately one in every five Australians will experience a mental health condition, and that more than half do not access any treatment, Sean McCormack, Chief of Group and Retail Partners at MLC Life Insurance, said this is not a good outcome: “Our research shows that many people feel the current system is too complex to navigate, and we believe this service can help address this issue.”
The insurer stresses that its Mental Health Navigator service is a confidential, specialist mental health service that is available to eligible customers and their families at no cost, and that they don’t need to make an insurance claim to use it.
…mental health conditions rank third in the top ten causes of claims across all life insurance categories
It advises it takes ten days on average for a customer to receive their first assessment by a mental health specialist when using Mental Health Navigator.
“We want to do more to help customers better manage and treat their condition,” said McCormack. “While we’re here to protect our customers financially, we also want to support their health and wellbeing and offer them a tangible solution to help them improve their mental health,” he added.
In its release, MLC Life Insurance also noted that, according to the FSC, mental health conditions rank third in the top ten causes of claims across all life insurance categories.
