TAL has appointed a medical Specialist Advisory Board, enhancing the services and expertise offered by its existing in-house medical and health services team.
According to TAL, the creation of the Board would assist the life insurer in reflecting the latest medical best practice when approaching products, underwriting and claims.
The Board would provide TAL with guidance on new medical treatments, help review medical definitions annually, and provide a final expert medical opinion and referral source on complex claims.
Its areas of expertise covered cardiology, respiratory conditions, neurology, oncology, endocrinology, psychiatry, neuropsychology and infectious diseases.
Professor David Bryant, Board member and respiratory specialist at St Vincent’s Clinical School welcomed the Board’s creation.
“From my perspective this is an innovative and worthwhile venture which should be applauded. Being involved in this initiative will bring our professions closer together for the benefit of all Australians,” he said.
The insurance company has joined this year’s awards as a principal partner.
The $135 billion fund has transitioned away from TAL Life Insurance following an “extensive tender process”.
The $80 billion fund is facing legal action over allegedly signing up new members to income protection insurance by default without active member consent.
In a Senate submission, the Financial Services Council has once again called for further clarification that the government will assess the consumer outcomes of group insurance against the enshrined objective of superannuation.