INCOME PROTECTION – KAREN'S STORY

< back to the news list

The morning after a heavy hailstorm, Vision Super staff member Karen Olesen was checking on the chooks at her parents' hobby farm in Yarram, when without warning she slipped and fell on a muddy concrete path.

For the next 6 weeks, Karen was unable to do anything other than lie on her left side. It took 6 more months, a battery of tests and numerous hospital visits for doctors to discover that she had torn the muscles of her right leg in five places.

The hidden cost of waiting

"After 60 days I'd used up all my annual and sick leave. I also needed to pay rent and bills. I hadn't applied for social security because I didn't think my injury was that serious. But one month became two, and two became three, and my leg wasn't healing quickly enough."

As a Vision Super Saver member, Karen had automatic Income Protection cover with a waiting period of 90 days. It was a financial challenge to wait out the 90 day period, but eventually she was able to lodge a benefit claim.

"I was lucky because I could stay with my parents, friends looked after me and I had some savings. But I'd see my bank balance go down and think to myself, 'how am I going to pay for the next doctor's bill?' I'd definitely recommend people think about changing their waiting period to 60 or 30 days."

(click here for more information about changing your waiting period)

Freedom to be independent

After 9 months, Karen resumed working two days a week, gradually increasing to 3 and then 4 days. While she eased back into work, she also received partial benefit payments. Today Karen still needs her walking stick to get around, and has many more hours of physiotherapy ahead of her. But she still feels fortunate.

"With income protection, I can take a cab if I need to. I'm not as fully reliant on people to take me places; I can still have my independence and do things on my own."

"Something as simple as slipping on a path I've walked hundreds of times...I'm lucky I had income protection from the start, but I didn't think I'd ever have to use it."

Is your income protected?

Unfortunate incidents are often completely unexpected; by the time the need arises, it is often too late to take out insurance cover.

Find out if your income is adequately protected. Contact our Member Services team on (03) 9911 3222 or 1300 300 820 for regional members or email us.

< back to the news list