End of year message

However, preparing for life’s uncertainties is something we must do and, in respect to preparing Australians for the financial and emotional impact of illness, death or longer-term impairment; our team at CommInsure know our role.

We know that being there at a member’s time of claim is what we must do well, but offering that in isolation is no longer enough.

What has to sit alongside this is a targeted investment in the product’s features and functionality, which need to do two things. This investment needs to enhance the partnership our clients have with their employers and improve the benefits we provide to members – from the very beginning of the relationship.

And that’s what we’ve spent this year investing in. Alongside, paying more than $1 billion in total claims to over 20,000 Australians in 2017, we have been investing in many tools to drive more tailored solutions for our client partners and their members.

This includes our “next gen” tools, which enhance the fund experience by using cutting-edge technology to meet your ongoing objectives and needs. Tools such as CommInsure IntelHub for trustee reporting are just the beginning with our investment focused on end-to-end solutions across underwriting, claims and trustee reporting.

We also further leveraged our data analytics capability to provide even greater insights. We are partnering with funds to develop a deep understanding of each plans’ performance, and can factor in claims experience drivers as well as membership trends and developments to drive improvement and experience. We also track performance throughout the life cycle of each contract and engage regularly with funds to share these trends.

Our product development approach has also significantly evolved. Our core design principles reflect on our commitment to focus on the member as the principle design consideration and, through design thinking workshops with our Group Insurance superannuation fund partners and their members, we can build design concepts to better meet member needs.

And finally, as everyone nears the end of another busy year and uses the holiday period to reflect on their personal health, wellness and family, our CommInsure team are putting the finishing touches on our health and wellbeing portal that’s due for launch in the new year.

This portal is a co-design concept that has been developed in partnership with our superannuation fund partners for their employers and members. Rather than an off-the-shelf solution, it provides relevant tools, in plain English, that’s tailored to their membership. For example, if the fund caters to a particular industry we can tilt content, tools and touchpoints towards common injuries suffered by those in that industry.

At the heart of all these enhancements is a desire to deliver greater preparedness to our client partners and their members. A preparedness for the impact of illness or death, to anticipate health trends at greater speed, to design product that is future-fit as well as to improve our general health and wellbeing.

Being there at both ends of the spectrum – in good health and in poor health - is critical to our nation’s economic and Australian’s personal wellbeing. We’ve been doing this for over 140 years and we’re committed to continuing to invest to evolve, enhance and improve our proposition for decades to come.

Thank you for your support throughout the year and allowing us to support your members, when they need it most.

I’m proud of what’s been delivered and enhanced this year and look forward to another year of investment, with you. On behalf of the CommInsure team, I wish you all the best for a happy and healthy festive period.