Insurers welcome mental health boost

Almost $2 billion was allocated in the Budget for mental health, including a new frontline health service.

James Thomson, claims relations manager at Asteron Life, said it was welcome.

“We see a large number of customers lodging mental health-related claims with us who are not getting access to the specialist treatment they need, or whose conditions are not being diagnosed and supported quickly enough, so it’s really positive to see more support services for mental health in the most recent Budget," he said.

“Asteron Life tries to plug the gap where we can by funding rehabilitation and treatment that is unavailable through the public system or too expensive for customers to access themselves, but these changes mean the support customers get through the public system should increase which is a good thing for them.

“The Government focus on mental health will also hopefully help customers to identify and seek help for mental health issues earlier and while it might not reduce the number of claims to us, it should promote better long term health and recovery for people who are suffering from these issues.”