New Claims Triage Offer

TPD Claim Support has launched a new offer for advisers or their clients seeking to efficiently assess the likelihood of their clients’ TPD claims being accepted.

The Brisbane-based firm, which operates on a national basis, has released a three-minute online questionnaire for prospective claimants which requests initial information about the nature of the client’s condition, including their current employment status.

While the questions are simple and high level, they are informed by the extensive career experience of TPD Claim Support co-founder, Trevor Battersby, who told Riskinfo “…If you get it wrong at the very start of the process, the ripple effect becomes disastrous.”

According to Battersby, the purpose of the new (free) service is to help people with genuine queries get the answers they need, within a speedy timeframe: “We’re giving away a little bit of intellectual property here, however we genuinely want to help our clients with more diligence and also support insurers who have to assess a significant number of submissions that don’t meet the eligibility criteria.”

…no one answers the number one question …‘Am I actually eligible to claim?’

Battersby continued, “Everyone has an encyclopedia of information on their websites or PDSs, but no one answers the number one question on a person’s mind: ‘Am I actually eligible to claim?’”

He added legal firms and most superannuation funds advise their clients or members to complete and submit the claim forms ‘…and we will let you know if you are eligible’. He says this blunt approach does nothing to answer the underlying question about the eligibility of the claim itself.

Based on industry consultation and consumer research, Battersby said early feedback from dealer groups suggests the speed of the process, which assesses the relative eligibility of the claim, surpasses any benchmark timeframes historically applying to an initial assessment of the merits of a TPD claim.

It’s either a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ before a lot of wasted time is devoted to completing a submission

He said the efficiencies inherent in this new offer apply across the board – to the claimant, to their adviser and to the insurer: “It’s either a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ before a lot of wasted time is devoted to completing a submission,” concluded Battersby in his assessment of the value his firm’s new facility offers.

He noted that whilst eligibility doesn’t guarantee a successful claim, “…the upfront research off the back off these questions is vital in a quality submission.”

Battersby continued, “At a time when claimants are most vulnerable or in circumstances where legal or financial professionals may not be utilising a structured claim process, you cannot underestimate the devastating impact that a poor submission which results in delays or eventual declines can have on both the individual and their family.”

Interested advisers and other stakeholders can click here to access further details.