I've written before about the blunt approach medical insurance and the insurance industry as a whole has when it comes to mental health. However, things do change, and some things have a contribution.

One of the areas that I have become significantly more aware of is the plight of those that are non-neurotypical. This is possibly a new term for many readers and one that they know as different names like ADD, ADHD, & ASD.

If you are looking for the '13% level of funding in New Zealand' Article, it's moved here due to some changes with our web software, if not, read on ;)

An estimated one in four New Zealanders will at some point suffer from anxiety during their life according to the Mental Health Foundation. As the most commonly diagnosed mental health condition in our country, anxiety is also a condition many people do not seek medical assistance with. Yet excessive anxiety can cause significant disruptions to the life of an individual, making early recognition and treatment essential.

It is that time of year, its fresh and new and the possibilities await!

My question to you is what are you going to do different to ensure you achieve the things you want?

Someone somewhere has said, "To repeat the same thing over and over and expect a different result is the definition of insanity." So what are you going to do to avoid the insanity of repeating the last few years?

This one might be a rocky ride. Possibly going to offend a few people too.

Sorry, not the intention, if it helps just one person move forward in life, it is all worth it.

So what am I prattling on about?

A bit of a chunky subject this post.

Lately, there has been more noise around the gay community, particularly around transgender rights. Especially so with the recent shooting, with some horrifying treatment being dealt out to those 'who are not like the rest of us’.

I wrote the bulk of this post in April 2016, well before the mass shooting in the US and off the back of media comments and articles in newspapers, TV news and social media chatter. The tension for the shooting in June was brewing, for no other reason than people are different. Something similar is brewing in the US on the subject of abortions and the rulings of the state and supreme courts there.

Mental Health - Not so much the resources but the funding

As an adviser, mental health comes up in discussion on a regular basis. Be it working through an existing application, discussing the terms of cover an insurance company has offered or dealing with a claim.

February 2015 saw the start of Malcolm Law's latest audacious challenge, 50 peaks and 50 marathons in 50 days in the name of Mental Health, fundraising and raising awareness for Mental Health foundation of New Zealand. A very audacious challenge indeed! More on this here 

This prompted me to have a closer look at what services are available and what funding and financial support for mental health exists for you, if you need it.

 Mental Health, one of those things that people are often afraid to speak about and many people suffer in silence.

With an estimated 1 in 5 people suffering with a mental health problem at some point in their lives, this can be a significant burden on our society.

Insurance company disability statistics suggest that mental health is behind around 40% of new disability claims and around 80% of long-term ongoing disability claims.

This is an area we need to shine a light on to find ways to assist people to work through it. We have seen John Kirwan and a number of other high profile people in the media in the past, but it needs constant reminding, as the message does not always get through.

Early next year one of our insurers, Partners Life, is getting behind this excellent cause to help raise funds for the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand through their sponsorship of the Partners Life Dual and Mal Law’s High Five-0 Challenge.