More risk advice clients taking up health screening

In a statement, TAL said 25 per cent of its advised life customers had undertaken a health screening through its Health Sense program this year, and 95 per cent said they intended to continue regular screenings through the program.

The program is open to TAL’s Accelerated Protection policy customers and offers preventative screening services such as body mass index testing and blood glucose monitoring to identify and reduce the risk of future chronic health conditions.

“In a year characterised by the global pandemic, we are pleased with the positive response to our Health Sense Plus program, and to see the uptake of preventative screening tests, particularly against a backdrop of disruption to people’s usual engagement with their GP,” TAL general manager of health services Priya Chagan said.

“Now more than ever, it’s vital that people continue to have preventative screening tests in order to proactively manage their health.”

TAL cited a recent survey of more than 500 consumers by market research group Fiftyfive5 which revealed that more than a third of financial services customers had delayed a regular medical check-up this year because of COVID fears.

The insurer’s head of retail distribution, Niall McConville, said advisers could play a key role in helping engage their life insurance clients around preventative health.

“TAL’s Health Sense Plus program is one of the ways we are investing in customer health and are helping advisers have more holistic conversations with their customers about their health,” he said.

“Given the high customer engagement we’ve seen so far with the TAL Health Sense Plus program, this could be a real point of difference for advisers.”