People living with a mental illness may experience discrimination in a range of areas, including in their attempts to obtain insurance coverage or later in the event that they may a claim through their policy.
The Mental Health Council of Australia and beyondblue: the National Depression Initiative want to find out about the experiences of mental health consumers during both the application and claims processes for all types of insurance. A similar survey was run in 2007 and we are interested to find out whether things have changed. Our goal is to continue working with the broader insurance industry to increase understanding of mental illness and reduce the level of discrimination that people with a mental illness face when applying for insurance or later claiming through their existing policies.
We would be grateful if you could complete the below survey and answer the questions in relation to your most recent experience with an insurance product application or claim.
For more information on the Insurance Discrimination Project, please go to http://www.mhca.org.au/mental-health-and-insurance or contact Rachelle Irving at the Mental Health Council of Australia on (02) 6285 3100 or rachelle.irving@mhca.org.au.
If you are a mental health carer, please answer the following questions on behalf of the person you care for, in relation to their experience when applying for an insurance product and/or making a claim through an existing policy.
3. Are you currently employed (please select all that apply)?
5. Please indicate which of the following applies to you:
6. Have you ever applied for any of the following insurance products (please select all that apply)?
If your response is 'No' please proceed to Question 28 after answering this question.
7. Have you ever been affected by a mental illness?
If your response is 'No' please proceed to Question 28 after answering this question.
8. Please check the most appropriate box after reading the following statement as it relates to your most recent experience when applying for insurance:
"It was difficult for me to obtain insurance (eg income protection, life, travel, morgage, health or house and contents) because I have/have had a mental illness".
9. In relation to your most recent insurance application, which of the following outcomes applied to you:
10. If refused, did the insurer adequately explain to you the reason for their decision?
11. If relevant, which of the following mental illnesses related to your most recent insurance application (please select all that apply):
12. What was the insurance product that you applied for?
13. When did you apply for this insurance product?
15. How did you apply for the insurance product?
16. Have you ever made a claim on any insurance policy for any reason?
If your response is 'No' please proceed to Question 27 after answering this question.
17. Was the claim directly related to a current or previous mental illness?
18. When proceeding through the claims process, was your history of mental illness relevant at all?
If your response is 'No' please proceed to Question 27 after answering this question.
19. What was the nature of the mental illness or illnesses that the claim related to (please specify)?
20. When did you lodge a claim against your insurance policy?
21. What was the outcome of the claim?
23. Have you ever taken any further action against an insurance company who has declined an insurance application or claim?
24. If yes, please indicate which of the following actions you took (tick as many as are applicable):
25.
26.
27. Have you considered applying for insurance with another company due to a declined application or claim?
28.
