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The financial impact of not being able to work whilst waiting or recovering from elective surgery can be significant.

Day-to-day expenses are likely to continue, and you probably also face additional costs for medical treatments, causing financial worry and stress. 

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Would it help if you were paid an income benefit whilst you wait or recover from surgery?​

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AFRM Claims Advocacy (ACA) have the expertise to make it easier and quicker for patients to receive a claim payment if they are awaiting elective surgery or recovering and are not working.  Having financial peace of mind, can often support patients to recover (afford ongoing treatment) and continue with day to day living. 

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If you have been waiting for elective surgery for longer than 30 days, and you have not been able to work - let us help you obtain peace of mind.

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Case Study

Paul,  52-year-old, is waiting for hip surgery – originally scheduled for August 2021 – delayed, leaving him unable to do his job as a bricklayer.  He is unaware if his superannuation plan incorporates an income protection component. It does, as many plans do, and he engages ACA to help him understand his policy and lodge an income protection claim.  Income protection pays Paul up to 75 per cent of his regular income. 

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Now Paul is still waiting for his surgery, but at least he has some money to pay for day to day living, including any out of pocket medical expenses.  He also knows that his income protection policy will continue whilst he is recovering and until he is fit enough to return to work.

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Do I qualify?

If you are waiting or recovering from surgery for an injury or illness that is stopping you from working, then you might have personal insurance in your superannuation that could possibly owe you an insurance payment. ACA can help you check whether you can access this payment to reduce financial stress. 

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What is personal insurance?

Personal Insurance intent is to provide financial security to you and your family for events such as a serious injury or illness.  Cover may have been purchased directly or often superannuation funds have a basic level of cover available to members. Cover includes:

⁞       Income Protection – the benefit payment is up to 75% of the client’s income if they can’t work due to illness or injury

⁞       Total & Permanent Disability – benefit paid if the client is totally and permanently disabled because of their injury or illness and cannot work. 

⁞       Trauma – the benefit payment is made if the client is diagnosed with a major illness eg. cancer

⁞       Death claims – the benefit payment is a lump sum paid to the beneficiary upon the death of the client.

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Did you know?

• Personal insurance benefit payments are intended to support you if you are injured or ill. It can be a recent  injury or illness or  happened years ago -and you have since fullly recovered.

• You may be owed insurance payments, even if you have private health insurance or not. You could be on a hospital waiting list at a private or public hospital.

• You’ve most likely been paying for your personal insurance via your superannuation fund.

• A successful default personal insurance claim, does not reduce your superannuation balance.

• ​Even if your superannuation statement reads “nil cover” you may have had cover at the time you stopped work – so it is worth checking.  

• Personal insurance can still be paid even if you already receive payments from injury compensation schemes (eg. Workers Compensation) or are a NDIS participant.

• To make it easy for you, ACA can find out if you are owed payments or not from the insurance in your super fund (eg. AustralianSuper).

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To find out if we can help, call us on 1300 013 328 or email us on aca@afrm.com.au

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What you can expect from the personal insurance claim process: