MSWA Bulletin Spring 16

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EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION FORUMS LISA MARSHALL Earlier in the year, an Employment Forum planned for Bunbury became an informal gathering better suited to the smaller numbers who attended. Joshua Boyes, a lawyer from Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, shared his knowledge and experience of legal issues on a variety of topics including: • The potential availability of multiple disability insurances through Superannuation accounts • The potential consequences on insurance benefits if you roll over your Superannuation accounts and/or lower your working hours per week • Eligibility requirements included in insurance policies • Definitions to be met by claimants for the approval of disability benefits • Reasonableness in informing an employer of a recently diagnosed condition and each party’s obligations The MSWA Employment Forums are a great opportunity for Members to find out more information on issues such as disclosing your MS to an employer, your rights and responsibilities at work as well as accessing your superannuation and travel insurance. The Forums provide an explanation of the services offered by the MSWA OT Team; supporting people living with MS to stay in the workforce longer. These include fatigue management programs, employment assistance, assistive technology solutions and a sleep advisory service. The next Employment Forum which will be facilitated by MSWA and Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, is planned for 1 November 2016 from 5.30 - 7.30pm in Perth. If you are interested in attending, please contact Sarah Lorrimar on 9365 4858 or Sarah.Lorrimar@mswa.org.au. Superannuation Insurance Benefits Joshua Boyes, Maurice Blackburn Lawyer The typical Australian is severely under-insured for disability, and it is important to explore every avenue of potential benefit available to a person when they are unable to work due to a medical condition. Gaining some monetary benefit to replace a person’s income-earning capacity can become especially difficult at times when the condition is such that a person is unable to take advantage of statutory schemes, such as claiming for WorkCover payments or a claim through the Insurance Commission of WA after a motor vehicle accident, for instance. With the introduction of MYSUPER in January 2014, it is now compulsory for Super Funds to provide members with default life and disability insurance. This means when you join with an employer nominated fund, insurance will be included by default without the need to fill out a medical questionnaire. However, Funds have been providing default life and disability insurance for many years prior to the introduction of MYSUPER. Not only is life and disability insurance offered by default, but it is also usually provided with automatic acceptance, meaning as long as you meet basic eligibility requirements such as being ‘at work’ and doing your usual hours and duties when you join the fund, you will likely be covered. Pre-existing conditions are often covered which is a huge advantage, especially for those people suffering from chronic illness or a family history of illness which would otherwise limit their insurance options if seeking cover elsewhere in a stand alone policy. There are two common types of disability insurance offered by Super Funds: • Income protection (IP) which generally provides monthly payments of 75-85% of your previous earnings (capped at a specified amount) while you can’t work for a period of 2 years, 5 years or sometimes even up to the age 67 • Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) insurance is a lump sum you can claim if you cannot return to any work that you are educated, trained or experienced in as a result of injury or illness Most Australians have more than one super fund so it’s important to remember that you could have multiple TPD insurances if you hold multiple superannuation accounts, and if so, you can make multiple lump sum claims. IP policies, however, will usually have an offset clause meaning you can only claim on one policy and your overall payments could not exceed 75-85% of your previous income. If you have several super funds and are thinking of consolidating them all into one, it is important to check what insurance entitlements you might lose so you can make an informed decision. If you or someone you know has already stopped work and the insurance ceased or the account has been closed, you may still be able to claim. As long as your account and insurance were active on the date you stopped work due to health reasons you should be entitled to claim, even if it was years ago. If you make a claim and it is rejected, you can lodge an internal complaint. If you are still not happy with the decision or if you think the fund or insurer is stalling the claim, you can appeal to the Financial Ombudsman Service or Superannuation Complaints Tribunal or take your case to a Court. Contact Maurice Blackburn on 1800 196 050 for free advice on any superannuation or insurance questions, to check your cover or to help with a claim. 14 | MSWA BULLETIN SPRING 2016
PURCHASING EQUIPMENT? WE RECOMMEND YOU SPEAK TO AN OT FIRST! A large part of an Occupational Therapist’s (OT) work is providing information, doing assessments and recommending and prescribing the correct equipment to match the individual’s needs. The wide range of equipment includes chairs and seating, rails and ramps, aids in the kitchen and bathroom, beds, computer access, scooters and so on. Every assessment is unique and correct prescription makes all the difference. To make a good selection, it is advantageous to know what equipment options are available and what different suppliers stock. Members and their carer or family need to be involved in the equipment assessment and selection process because they know what they require the equipment for, and how it will be used. It is this working together that leads to the best outcome. Funding of equipment is a separate issue to the assessment and selection of equipment. Funding bodies have different criteria on grant eligibility, which is usually based on income. Members who are not eligible for these funding grants often feel alone and disappointed when it comes to accessing equipment. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) subject to eligibility criteria, will hopefully resolve many of these issues for Members as it rolls out in the future. We also occasionally meet Members who have spent a lot of time and money on equipment but have not made a good selection, based on their needs. Our OTs can provide information, assessment and recommendations to Members and their families even when the equipment will need to be self-funded. We would like to help you get it right and to save you from unnecessary expense and frustration. Contact the MSWA Occupational Therapy Team via reception on 9365 4888 or email enquiries@mswa.org.au Rome wasn’t seen in a day Fold, Pack, Travel 1300 622 633 www.scootersAus.com.au WH20241/MSWA MSWA BULLETIN SPRING 2016 | 15
Page 1 and 2: BULLETIN THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF M
Page 3 and 4: Letter from the Editor DR GREG BROT
Page 5 and 6: A message from the General Manager
Page 7 and 8: Just one in 1,000 people with MS ha
Page 9 and 10: That certainly seems a more compreh
Page 11 and 12: Eating Well Healthy eating and an a
Page 13: DR GOOGLE - TO BELIEVE OR NOT TO BE
Page 17 and 18: muMS GROUP - A SHARED SPACE TO TALK
Page 19 and 20: ut depending on the approach, the e
Page 21 and 22: ANYWHERE WITH COLIN ROS HARMAN, SUP
Page 23 and 24: Don’t let a little dispute injure
Page 25 and 26: FUNDRAISING ROUNDUP MEGA HOME LOTTE
Page 27 and 28: I would also like to thank all the
Page 29 and 30: SOUTH WEST Regional Round Up The la
Page 31 and 32: ALBANY OUTREACH NEWS CAROLINE CLARK

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