New alliance provides innovative product to established market
03 June 2013 | Magazine Archives FAnews & FAnuus | Features / Profiles | Wimpie Van Der Merwe, Global Choices Lifestyle
Although it is something none of us like to think about, we may, through an accident or illness, be placed in the position of no longer being able to work permanently, temporarily or in the same line of work and support ourselves or our loved ones. Financial products have long been aimed at providing financial assistance but unfortunately that is only a fraction of the challenges that need to be addressed in the time following the life changing event or occurrence.
Global Choices and the QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA) joined efforts during September 2012 to launch Disability Assist, a comprehensive platform of specialised products and services, assisting in the transition that people with disabilities and mobility impairments will face.
Disability Assist consists of products and services, which include: a panel of lifestyle adjustment services; products and experts; compensation claims assistance; medical assessments; and a variety of preventative products for insurers to embed in products as risk prevention.
Representation in public and private sector
Disability Assist was founded in cooperation with QASA and as such includes real life knowledge of the needs of the people who will benefit from the product. The organisation continually consults its members to determine their needs and ensures that the association is constantly evolving to meet these needs.
In turn, QASA is represented in many forums at all levels of the public and private sectors to ensure that the needs of people with mobility impairments and disabilities are met.
Comprehensive range of services
The platform of specialised products and services has three categories and include Disability Support, Compensation and Medical Assessment, taking care of aspects in the physical, financial and legal spheres of incidents where temporary or permanent disability may occur.
1. Disability Support
Adapting to, and coping with a sudden disability can be a challenging time, let alone the frustration of dealing with government systems, compensation processes and bureaucracies. Disability Assist has a panel of lifestyle adjustment experts who will provide assistance with these challenges, by offering advice and assistance to ease the process as much as possible. It provides services such as:
• disability assistance for procurement, referral and discounts, including a call centre, website and mobile apps for 24-hour emergency assistance;
• disability transport services, which includes a para-transit shuttle and home-safe chauffeur;
• content and assistance category services to attend to the needs of the client in all aspects of his or her disability. These include: organisations that offer support; service providers of assistive devices for home and work; wellness providers for personal care; rehabilitation organisations; and organisations responsible for conversions of vehicles, driving schools, and more.
2. Compensation
Disability Assist provides victims of motor vehicle accidents in South Africa with immediate access to a Road Accident Fund (RAF) claims management system, guaranteeing a 100 percent recovery payback, applying a simple and effective solution including:
• Relief – no queues or administration issues in dealing with the RAF, ensuring a rapid turnaround pay-out time;
• Recoveries – 100 percent of the RAF pay-out guaranteed, with no costs to the client; and
• Representation – Disability Assist teams provide complete medical, administrative and legal support.
3. Medical Assessment
Following an accident or sudden trauma, Disability Assist offers a comprehensive medical assessment service. The service includes:
• medico-legal cover following a motor vehicle accident;
• policy benefits, which includes a medico-legal report;
• emergency ambulance transfer;
• specialist referral;
• motor vehicle and motor vehicle related policy cover.
Linked to most insurance products
Disability Assist is typically linked to life/disability products, medical schemes and short-term insurance products as part of the policy benefit schedule. Premiums vary depending on the disability benefit cover, and is in the range of R0,75 to R10,00 (excluding VAT). A number of insurers are already part of Disability Assist’s client base.
