Editor’s Note – Autumn 2020


Welcome to the Autumn Edition – we are sure it was worth the wait 😀

As the curtains close on the first quarter of this new decade, our resilience is being rigorously pressure-tested by yet another large-scale emergency. The COVID-19 pandemic is proving to be as unpredictable as it is surreal. These are trying times but rest assured that Amanda, Jim and the ALUCA Board are closely monitoring this rapidly evolving situation and will continue to keep you informed in regards to upcoming events.        

In this edition….

Hannover’s article on Rheumatoid Arthritis and related diseases is informative and relevant. It clearly defines RA characteristics and delves into epidemiology, treatments and risk factors complete with diagrams. Did you know that females have triple the prevalence of males?  Or that smoking is a risk factor?  [and yet another reason not to light up!]

From the legal perspective…. we have two insightful articles for you. Firstly, an update 12 months since the handing down of the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry. The second, explores the implications of genetic testing within our industry in light of the Joint Parliamentary Committee report. Here is a vexing question: in a perfect world of information, will those who have good genetic material and/or a long life expectancy based on genetic testing and lifestyle data, choose not to purchase the life insurance products on offer today?

The 2019 ALUCA-MLC-Monash winning paper by Monash University student Charles Chu meshes perhaps our greatest industry challenge of income protection sustainability with behavioural economics. Through the Claim’s lens this paper explores new ways of approaching traditional thinking and provides viable alternatives. Congratulations Charles on an excellent paper!

And finally…. after listening to your feedback and after much consideration….. it’s time to evolve, reinvigorate, diversify and continue our digital journey by splitting ReB into two parts. Moving forward, get ready for regular, bite-sized evidence alerts, education pieces, articles and papers. Our quarterly publication will continue with a focus on ALUCA news and updates, upcoming events and quarterly highlights. We believe that this change will better serve our ALUCA members – so be sure to let us know what you think!

At this ReB milestone, I would like to sincerely thank a small group of people for their amazing support over my last six years as Editor – Amanda McKernan, Jim Welsh, Tracy Peterson, Devi Uka and of course Jamie Robinson who about five years ago helped me take ReB from a 1990’s style public service staff newsletter [harsh but true] into the digital age.

Stay safe and I hope you really enjoy our last edition of ReB – in this format.

Cheers

Michael Reid
ReB Editor

Michael.Reid@aia.com 
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