>This is the one for transport workers.
Like most policies, it looks damn useless. The list of exclusions has been put together by the Fun Police. The usual exclusions apply it would seem. If you go mad, get sad or go bad -> NO COVER If you engage in most sports -> NO COVER If you have any pre-existing health issues -> NO COVER With medicos hat on: The irony is that if you have a stress related illness, and seek professional help to reduce your overall risk of subsequent inability to function, you will not get any cover. It almost seems better not to disclose or not seek help, because you would not be labelled with a condition that can be used as an exclusion against you. This is crazy, because preventative health is about addressing problems before they become unmanageable. By declaring a health problem, even though you are taking steps to minimise your risk, usually lands you with an exclusion. e.g. Someone has depression, stops functioning properly, seeks help. Starts treatment, feels better, becomes aware of condition and how to manage it, becomes a productive member of society who is actually savvy about the importance of mental health, and whose subsequent risk of relapse (and cost to the health system, to employers and insurers) is reduced because their condition is being managed. Versus someone who has undiagnosed depression who will cost the health system and employers more. I know of a case of someone seeking income protection and their GP providing a medical assessment and the insurance was knocked back. No diagnosis or management plan was ever discussed with the patient, and hence the patient was unaware of any potential issue. The result for this person is that any subsequent application for insurance refers back to the covering agents refusal to insure. Likewise, any history of depression is unlikely to give you any TPD cover. So if you do ask your GP to provide information to an insurer, make sure you make time to be aware of what is being said before it gets sent off. Because once the insurer has your medical statement, you are not allowed to see it because it is confidential property of the insurer. Medicos hat off. Good luck to anyone who can find out any of the science behind calculating the risk used by insurers. Whenever I have had insurance knocked back because I fly gliders (an activity normally lumped with hang-gliding), I have tried to ask how the risk is determined to see if the decision is fair. The usual answer is "We can't tell you because that is our commercial/intellectual property." Being a parent and spouse, I want to make sure that my family are covered in case of my injury or death. This point was brought home by the death of a friend from a brain tumour at age 35, he always said to me, "Make sure you are insured for enough." Thanks for listening to my post Easter rant Safe flying, and good luck with the insurers Michael Texler P.S. I do have TPD cover and income protection that includes gliding and power flying. I thank my family's financial advisor for swinging those ones.
_______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
