{"id":74874,"date":"2024-12-02T11:57:32","date_gmt":"2024-12-02T01:57:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/?p=74874"},"modified":"2024-12-04T06:29:09","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T20:29:09","slug":"aia-launches-virtual-mental-health-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/2024\/12\/02\/aia-launches-virtual-mental-health-service\/","title":{"rendered":"AIA Launches Virtual Mental Health Service"},"content":{"rendered":"

AIA Australia will offer My Psychologist<\/a>, a virtual mental health support service, to its life insurance customers and their immediate family members in a move the insurer sees as\u00a0 addressing the urgent need for more timely and affordable mental health support. The insurer has also announced its CEO, Damien Mu<\/strong>, has joined Australians for Mental Health as its newest ambassador.<\/p>\n

The company says the virtual mental health support service offering is facilitated by Online Psychologists Australia \u201c…and will provide virtual consultations with qualified psychologists. The service will also assist with referrals for a Mental Health Care Plan by connecting members to a telehealth GP, if needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Damien Mu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

AIA says that for several years, mental ill-health has been the main reason that Australians visit their GP, however their ability to access a psychologist is hindered due to extensive wait times and the associated costs.<\/p>\n

…one in five Australians aged 15-85 experience a mental illness in any given year…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cMy Psychologist has been developed to address these issues, aiming to provide users with an appointment with a psychologist within seven days for a reduced out-of-pocket fee of $60 through Medicare, for those with a Mental Health Care Plan,\u201d it states.<\/p>\n

The company adds that one in five Australians aged 15-85 experience a mental illness in any given year and the demand for mental\u00a0 health services in Australia is growing rapidly.<\/p>\n

\u201c In 2023, 30% of adults were accessing support services for psychologists, psychiatrists and counsellors. However, they are often waiting up to three months to see a psychologist, with some waiting more than six months. One in three psychologists are so busy they’ve had to close their books, compared to one in 100 before the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n

…mental health disorders account for 20% of AIA’s life insurance claim book, making it the second\u00a0 most claimed\u00a0 condition…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The insurer notes too that mental health disorders \u201c\u2026account for 20% of AIA Australia\u2019s life insurance claim book, making it the second\u00a0 most claimed condition. Over the past decade, the proportion of mental health claims has increased from one in 10 claims in 2014 to one in four in 2024.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mu emphasised the significance of launching My Psychologist as part of the insurer\u2019s wellbeing ecosystem, AIA Embrace.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re proud to announce that we have taken an important step in the life insurance industry to improve access to mental health support in Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n

He says that in line with the company\u2019s focus on prevention and health promotion \u201c\u2026we recognise the significant impact that seeking the right treatment at the earliest opportunity can have on an individual\u2019s overall health.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mu adds that the launch of My Psychologist for AIA\u2019s life insurance customers and their immediate family members \u201c\u2026is a step to address the unprecedented demand for qualified psychological services. This service will ensure users can access mental health support in a timely manner, providing them with a sense of empowerment and professional care during their mental health journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n

Damien Mu Joins Australians for Mental Health as Ambassador<\/strong><\/p>\n

In welcoming Mu as AfMH’s newest ambassador, AfMH’s Executive Director, Chris Gambian<\/strong> says the mental health of the Australian people is in crisis and it needs a crisis response, noting that Mu will bring his decades of experience \u201c\u2026to our campaign to transform Australia\u2019s mental health.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gambian says Mu is passionate about making a difference in people\u2019s lives and he\u2019s honoured that Mu believes in the work of Australians for Mental Health \u201c\u2026and will bring his knowledge, passion and dedication to help address this essential issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mu says he\u2019s looking forward to extending AIA Australia\u2019s support for Australians for Mental Health by acting as an ambassador.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the last three years, AIA Australia has contributed financially to Australians for Mental Health, supporting them in their mission to create a fundamental change to how Australia manages the mental health crisis. I\u2019m thrilled to now join them as an ambassador, to continue to raise awareness and incite action.\u201d<\/p>\n

He notes that as a life and health insurer, AIA Australia sees first-hand the significant impact that mental illness has on Australians and their families.<\/p>\n

…Claim payments for mental health related conditions have increased by 72% in our life insurance business since 2019…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cClaim payments for mental health related conditions have increased by 72% in our life insurance business since 2019, and it is the leading cause of our Income Protection claims.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe statistics around mental ill-health are no doubt sobering, but we have an opportunity to make a difference that can have a profound impact for all Australians. Businesses can work alongside government and not-for-profits to address societal problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mu says in his role as an ambassador, he will ensure that the voices of AIA’s customers navigating the healthcare system are heard.<\/p>\n

\u201cTransformative change starts with the voices of those with lived experience, so it\u2019s crucial that we listen.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AIA Australia will offer My Psychologist, a virtual mental health support service, to its life insurance customers and their immediate family members in a move the insurer sees as\u00a0 addressing the urgent need for more timely and affordable mental health support. The insurer has also announced its CEO, Damien Mu, has joined Australians for Mental […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":74877,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48,8281],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-company-news","category-health-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74874"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74874\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}