Half of all Group Income Protection (GIP) claims over the past year* have been for subjective conditions; those where definitive medical evidence is difficult or even impossible to obtain, reveals Canada Life Group Insurance data.
Thirty-one per cent of claims made were for mental health issues and a further 20% for musculoskeletal conditions. Although there have been peaks and troughs in the number of claims reported, these conditions have consistently been the two most significant causes of claims for the last seven years.
GIP claims rise:
The number of GIP claims reported has risen dramatically over the past few years. There was a very significant increase between the annual totals for 2008 and 2010 (40%) and the number of claims reported year to date in 2011 suggests that this figure will continue to increase. This may in part be attributed to a difficult economic climate, creating stressful working environments and putting more pressure on employees, eventually leading to more stress absence.
This overall increase means that the number of mental health and musculoskeletal claims have increased in numbers too, illustrating the need for employers to understand these conditions where it is more difficult to obtain a clear cut diagnosis.
Paul Avis, Sales and Marketing Director at Canada Life Group Insurance, comments:
“Subjective conditions, such as mental health issues and musculoskeletal conditions, can be more problematic for employers to understand and support. However as these figures show, they are the two leading causes behind Group Income Protection claims. Therefore it is important that employers consider how best to help their employees through the absence period and to support their rehabilitation and eventual return to work. The guidance and reassurance of a medically trained Rehabilitation Consultant can make a huge difference for both the employer and employee, thereby helping to contain the cost of sickness absence.”
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