MLC will offer specialist medical advice on critical, chronic and degenerative illnesses through an international service for all existing and new MLC critical illness insurance clients for no additional cost.
Not available at any other insurer in Australia, the Best Doctors service is a global network of 50,000 peer-nominated medical specialists that participate in consultation with local doctors, providing patients with a second medical opinion.
The service will be available from 2 November this year and collects all existing medical information of the patient including scans, treatment plans, reports and pathology through departments of the hospital where the client or a family member has been treated.
Specialists will provide insights regarding complicated medical conditions and supply additional information on diagnostic and treatment protocols that might not be readily available or commonly known.
Eligible MLC critical illness clients and their immediate families are able to utilise the service with no limit on the amount of times they can access it.
MLC general manager sales Colin Woods said this service is an opportunity for advisers to approach their clients and address a real need in critical illness insurance, in a market that is severely underinsured.
"This is obviously one way of adding value to your clients, building your business and providing them with a recovery plan," Woods said.
"It's a service there for you and your clients to use in a time when you are seeking confidence and clarity," he said.
"Best Doctors is an important initiative because Australians are three times more likely to claim on a critical illness policy than a life or total and permanent disability policy, yet only 2 per cent of all Australians have critical illness insurance," MLC executive general manager of insurance Andrew Hagger said.
Best Doctors is a privately-held company that operates in 30 countries.
