Webwise: Mental health and insurance

What is it? Beyondblue (the national depression and anxiety initiative) and the Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA) have collaborated to launch a website to help people with mental illness and their carers deal with insurance. Australians with experience of mental illness often face difficulties in accessing insurance policies and/or making claims. Often they unaware of their rights and responsibilities in relation to insurance applications and claims.

What you’ll find: The Mental Health and Insurance Project (MHIP) website contains information on mental illness and insurance, including the relationship between mental illness and specific insurance products, consumer legal rights and responsibilities, the disability legislative structure that governs the insurance industry, and consumer avenues for complaints and appeals. There is also the facility to share your experiences and assist advocacy efforts via the “Tell Your Story” portal.

Why we like it: The site facilitates fair and equitable access to insurance for Australians with mental illness. It’s one way in which the mental health sector and the insurance and financial services industries can ensure that this information is made available to Australians with mental illness and their carers when and where they need it.