TAL partners with Remedy Healthcare to provide added support option for customers on claim with depression or anxiety

TAL, Australia’s leading life insurance specialist, today announced a new partnership with Remedy Healthcare, a leader in innovative healthcare. 

The partnership will see TAL introduce Remedy Healthcare’s ‘MindStep’ program to its broader health support services, enabling TAL to offer optional, free-of-charge life coaching services to customers on income protection claims consultant with depression or anxiety.

The optional MindStep program will draw on trained mental health coaches from Remedy Healthcare to offer a series of behavior activation sessions to TAL customers aimed at increasing motivation and facilitating improved wellbeing.

TAL Head of Mental Health, Glenn Baird, said that the MindStep program represents another step in TAL’s mission to build out its mental health capability, drawing on professionals and partners to empower TAL customers to live their best life through good health.

“Mental health is an important focus for TAL and one of the top three reasons our customers claimed in 2017. We are committed to providing the best possible support for our customers with mental health conditions and one of the ways we do this is by facilitating access to mental health support through partnerships with the external health community.

“Our partnership with Remedy Healthcare will enhance our mental health claims offering by providing additional support mechanisms that can improve our customers’ mindset and assist in return to work planning,” he said.

The optional MindStep program will complement the care that customers receive from their GP, psychologist or psychiatrist. The program takes place over a period of seven weeks, with trained mental health coaches working directly with the customers’ usual doctor or health professional. MindStep draws on the UK-based “Improving Access to Psychological Therapies” (IAPT) service, which has assisted more than 1 million people. 

David Brajkovic, Remedy Healthcare Executive General Manager, said, “We are delighted to be bringing the MindStep program to TAL, who have done some leading work in the mental health space within the life insurance sector. 

“Our MindStep program has resulted in a measurable improvement in the mental health of over 70% of our previous participants and we are confident that together with TAL we will be able to deliver positive and meaningful support for TAL’s customers.”

This partnership adds to TAL’s recent working relationships with the Black Dog Institute, the University of Sydney and Professor Neil Greenberg. Through the Black Dog Institute, TAL provides customers with access to evidence-based mental health resources, while the University of Sydney and TAL are working to explore the alternative risk predictors of mental health disorders. The partnership with Professor Neil Greenberg fosters best practice management of traumatic stress among claims case managers.