Archive for category: General News

With persistently high numbers of new COVID infections across Australia, the Actuaries Institute of Australia has warned the disability insurance and healthcare sectors should be bracing for a wave of Long COVID and with it, rising claims costs and premiums.

Thus far, Australia’s Long COVID claims experience has been fairly minimal. In the first two years of the pandemic, border closures, lockdowns and other measures reduced spread of COVID-19. However, in 2022 Australia’s COVID-19 landscape has changed, with 90% of the total COVID infections occurring in just the past few months.

Notwithstanding the beneficial impact of vaccination on lowering rates of Long COVID, a paper released by the Actuaries Institute earlier this month, “How Covid-19 has affected Mortality and Morbidity in 2020 and 2021”, predicts that the number of Long COVID cases on the horizon will be significant, potentially up to hundreds of thousands.

Impact on disability insurance sector

Long COVID is a poorly understood condition with a complex and diverse set of symptoms affecting physical, psychological, and neurological body systems. There are no routine tests or imaging to confirm diagnosis, no clear durations, and no effective treatment.

The paper notes that what is known is that Long COVID symptoms, particularly fatigue, can limit activity and an individual’s ability to work. As a result, the Actuaries Institute anticipates increased Long COVID related insurance claims across workers compensation and disability insurance including group salary continuance and income protection.

They advise that workplaces will need tailored support to enable workers to return to or remain at work while experiencing Long COVID symptoms, and that better healthcare for long term illness is essential to manage this approaching challenge.

Our response

IPAR has teamed with Monash University to develop a series of COVID support services. This includes a Long COVID screening tool to help with early intervention, plus a tailored health coaching program to support RTW for people who are impacted by COVID diagnosis or Long COVID.

What more information? Please contact IPAR on 03 8648 0900  or email rehab@ipar.com.au

Individuals, employers and insurers are grappling with emerging cases and risk of Long COVID. Not all COVID claims will develop Long COVID, but for those that do, it is important to be able to accurately capture and triage the individuals, in order to deliver needs-based services and support people back to work and function.

In response, IPAR has adapted the award-winning Positivum™ biopsychosocial assessment and health coaching program specifically to the needs of individuals with Long COVID.

Positivum™ COVID Asssessment

This assessment measures a variety of psychosocial factors that may increase the risk of Post Acute COVID Syndrome (PACS). It obtains a measure of baseline function, informs the level and type of ongoing engagement, and identifies key psychosocial barriers to participating in relevant interventions and services. The assessment measures:

• Recovery expectations
• Health and work beliefs
• Employer perceptions
• Illness perceptions
• Fatigue
• Daily functioning
• Barriers to daily activities
• Coping skills

Low scores in the assessment signify a ‘yellow flag’ for that particular psychosocial domain and are indicative that extra support may be needed to improve prognosis. Importantly, the assessment can be easily repeated at key rehabilitation stages to provide an indication of progress and change.

Positivum™ COVID Health Coaching

This evidence-based online health coaching program has been specifically designed by MedHealth and Monash University to support people post COVID diagnosis. Integrated into rehabilitation services and delivered by IPAR Allied Health professionals, the program content is continually reviewed and updated with emerging COVID literature and evidence.

Created with behavioural insights and adult learning principles, health coaching modules are tailored to the individual client’s needs. Content includes:

• Tackling unhelpful illness beliefs and perceptions
• Work and functional goal setting
• Living with a COVID diagnosis
• Fatigue and pain management
• Worker and employer perceptions

For further information on IPAR’s Positivum™ COVID Support program, please contact your nearest IPAR office or email rehab@ipar.com.au.

The latest edition of our COVID Matters newsletter sees IPAR once again partner with MedHealth and mlcoa to bring you ‘bite size’ summaries of some of the most pertinent research in the medical industry, and in particular what the experts are saying about COVID-19 and its ongoing impact in, and on, the workplaces of Australia.

In this latest edition, we look into the complexity of long COVID in the workplace. While COVID-19 symptoms may fade relatively quickly for most, some people are suffering long-term effects. The time it takes to get well from COVID-19 is different for each person, and it can also depend on whether they have any other existing health conditions.

It’s difficult to accurately predict the long-term outcomes for people with long COVID as much is still unknown. People may experience symptoms for many weeks, months or even years. Instances of long COVID are increasing and causing some employees to suffer from long-term side effects that impact them at work.

In this issue, we look at four interesting papers about long COVID, drawing out some of the research and information, and its workplace implications.

Please view COVID Matters edition 04 here.

Your COVID coverage

As medical, allied health and occupational health and rehabilitation specialists, the teams at IPAR and mlcoa already provide the types of services that support Australian businesses to make informed decisions and reduce risks, all while improving health and employment outcomes for people.

Please talk with us about the issues you are managing. We’ll either have a service that can support you and your people; or we’ll draw on our diverse capabilities to help you solve any issues and create better outcomes.

IPAR is taking a precautionary approach to managing the spread of COVID-19, which is in line with the latest national health advice.

Centralised information, planning and expertise

IPAR’s parent company, MedHealth, has a working group to ensure we are sharing information, optimising our preparation and managing any issues that may arise from the COVID-19 pandemic. This group monitors the situation daily. We are well positioned to access any additional expert advice we may need. Our Chief Medical Officer, Dr Peter Steadman, has engaged the services of two leading doctors to contribute, assisting with specific disease advice and organisational health management. We are basing all our centralised advice and screening protocols on the Australian Department of Health advice and daily updates.

Our operations

As much as possible, our operations will proceed as normal. As always, in the event of any disruption or changes, we will keep you informed.

Visitors to our premises

All our premises are operating with robust screening and management protocols. Our focus is on safeguarding all visitors.

• All appointment reminder processes whether by phone, email or text (where allowed) screen clients, customers or visitors with the questions listed below. This occurs 1-2 days before clients are to attend appointments at our premises. We also ensure that our clients know that they cannot bring more than one other person to the appointment with them. Where mask use is required, clients will be reminded that they will need to wear a mask throughout their appointment.
• Additionally, all front-of-house team members screen clients, customers or visitors upon arrival:
  1. 1. Have you or anyone within you household, visited any of the currently listed exposure sites nationally or travelled internationally in the past 14 days?
        • VIC exposure site list
        • NSW exposure site list
        • QLD exposure site list
        • NT exposure site list
        • SA exposure site list
        • WA exposure site list
        • ACT exposure site list
        • TAS exposure site list
     2. Are you or anyone within you household currently experiencing any cold or flu symptoms?
     3. Have you or anyone within your household had a COVID-19 test in the past 7 days?
     4. Have you or anyone within your household been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days?
     5. Have you undergone COVID19 Vaccinations?

Please note:

• If yes to question 1:
  • International travellers need to have completed 14 days quarantine and received a COVID negative test.
  • For anyone that has been to an identified hotspot, IPAR will review hotspot requirements and reschedule appointment as per these requirements. Please note that there are differing levels of restrictions for sites. Some sites require isolation for 14 days, some require isolation until negative results received and others do not require isolation. If isolation is not required or isolation is only required until negative tests are received (and a negative result has been received) then appointments can go ahead. If isolation is required the appointment is rescheduled.
• If yes to question 2:
  • If a person presents with cold and flu symptoms, the appointment will be rescheduled until they are symptom free for 48 hours.
• If yes to question 3:
  • If a person presents who has undergone a COVID19 test in the past 7 days, a negative result and/or any isolation requirements are provided/completed prior to proceeding with an appointment. If results are still pending, the appointment is rescheduled.
• If yes to question 4:
  • If a person has had close contact with a confirmed COVID19 positive person within 14 days, the appointment is rescheduled.
• If no to question 5:
  • If a person has not undergone both doses of COVID19 vaccination, IPAR will consider the below actions:
    • A review of services being provided as they may pose risk to the team and the client, for example, a change of locations to outdoors
    • Consider whether vaccination status may limit clients access to facilities required for services
    • Review PPE being utilised and consider increasing from face mask to face mask and face shield
    • Increase social distancing
    • Increase hand santisation and high touch area cleans of areas used

• MedHealth has set up an advisory hotline on COVID-19, offering advice and support on each unique scenario for our people. Should a client present at our premises with any potential exposure to COVID-19, our team member calls the hotline for advice on next steps, while also immediately isolating the individual in question, ensuring mask use and supporting them to mitigate risk as they travel home to seek medical support via telephone. Under consultation with the Specialist, the appointment does not go ahead if there is any identified risk.

Mask use

• Victoria:  Masks must be used indoors and outdoors.
• New South Wales: As per current NSW Government requirements listed here.

Protocols if someone presents with cold or flu symptoms to our offices

• The individual is isolated into a room and provided with tissues or a mask.
• Transportation home is organised via taxi, with advice to not visit public places.
• For non-team members: IPAR ensures they contact their treating practitioner of the Coronavirus information line on 1800 020 080.
• For team members: IPAR ensures they contact the Cogent hotline – 1800 264 368.

Protocols, support and considerations for our people

If any of our team members are unwell, we ask they do not come into the office. This is for any illness, whether respiratory or not. It is an especially important principle at the moment.

We are following all Australian Department of Health guidelines on travel and self-imposed quarantine.

Additionally, MedHealth’s employer direct business Cogent Thinking has been operating a hotline within MedHealth since March 2020, to support our team in managing risk and ensuring safety.

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As always, IPAR puts the health and safety of our people, customers and clients at the forefront of our thinking and actions. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if there are any issues you would like to discuss.