It is simply untrue to state that insurers “pocketed $1 billion in the space of 42 days,” when profits projected at the beginning of the crisis have not eventuated.

The pause on non-urgent elective surgery and some ancillary services lasted for six weeks, as opposed to the several months that were originally projected. During this 6-week period we paid out over $280 million on almost 100,000 episodes of hospital care for around 70,000 members.

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has also asserted that any medical treatments which did not take place in the March-June quarter as a result of restrictions would be deferred rather than forgone – something we are now seeing through a strong bounce back in claims. Claims deferred do not equate to claims saved.

We are proud of how we have supported our customers through COVID-19.

Bupa has provided more than $184m in benefits to customers through hardship relief including the six-month deferral of the April premium increase, and we are continuing to offer financial hardship support for our customers, either as premium relief, premium discounts or suspension of policies. This has been clearly communicated to customers and we encourage anyone experiencing financial difficulties as a result of COVID-19 to get in touch and join the 38,000 customers we’ve already helped.

A full description of the ways in which we have supported our customers, and not profited through COVID-19 is contained in our letter to CHOICE, much of which has been ignored.

A further critique of CHOICE’s methodology can be found in this media release from Private Healthcare Australia.

At a time when the health and finances of everyday Australians are being challenged, we are extremely disappointed that CHOICE would seek to mislead consumers.

To support our customers’ health and financial wellbeing through the COVID-19 pandemic, Bupa has helped in a number of pragmatic ways. These include:

• A $50m hardship fund for customers suffering financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic with relief mechanisms consisting of premium waivers, premium discounts, policy suspensions and unemployment cover depending on customers’ individual circumstances.
• Delaying the April 1 premium increases for six months, saving customers around $134m.
• Making sure ALL customers with a hospital policy are covered for lung and chest conditions, including those arising from COVID-19 related claims, irrespective of the terms of that policy.
• Expanding cover to include claims for psychology, speech pathology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and dietetic services delivered through telehealth, while at home.
• Expanding cover to include rebates on many health aids and medical appliances purchased online to provide added flexibility at a time where many people are practising social distancing.
• Providing customers with access to Australia’s leading home fitness and nutrition program, 28 by Sam Wood, for three months at no cost.
• Access to a dedicated COVID-19 assistance and advice helpline.

We are pleased that all COVID-19 tests from employees and residents at Bupa’s Clayton care home have returned negative and the home has now reopened to visitors following advice from the Public Health Unit.

Visitors will need to follow the same health and safety precautions as other Bupa care homes across Australia.

We thank our employees, residents and their loved ones for the patience they have shown during this difficult time.

Thursday 11 June 2020

Bupa has temporarily closed its Clayton, Victoria aged care home to visitors after a former employee returned a positive COVID-19 test. 

The former employee worked their final shift at Bupa Clayton on Thursday, 4 June and is now in self-isolation. Bupa continues to maintain contact with the former employee to offer support.

All staff and residents at the Clayton home will now undergo COVID-19 testing today and tomorrow and will receive ongoing support.

Bupa has activated its COVID-19 outbreak management plan and is working closely with the Department of Health & Human Services. Bupa has made contact with the relatives of the home’s residents.

Employees, residents and recent visitors to the home can be assured that Bupa is doing everything possible to help ensure their health and safety.

Extra precautions at the Clayton home include twice daily clinical observations for all residents; physical isolation of separate communities within the home; staff use of PPE at all times; deep cleaning of all hard surfaces and increased cleaning shifts day and night; and temperature screening of all staff on arrival at the home.

Bupa will also ensure residents can continue to communicate through virtual means with their loved ones while the home is closed to visitors.

Bupa thanks its employees, residents, their families and the Clayton community for their support and understanding during this stressful and anxious time.

For more information on the preventative measures in place across Bupa’s aged care homes, visit Bupa’s Newsroom.

Media reference number: 20/069

As you know, Bupa Global Latin America has operations based out of Miami, and we have a joint venture, GeoBlue in Philadelphia. We are supporting our colleagues to make sure they and their families are safe, and anyone affected has access to the support they need. We are also seeing how we can play our part in the community through donations and in-kind support.

As members of Bupa’s Executive Team, we feel it is important to reaffirm our personal and organisational commitment to diversity and inclusion, valuing and respecting people and serving customers and communities without prejudice and bias.

Through our Bupa Values and the Bupa Code we are committed to embracing our differences and to zero tolerance of discrimination. As leaders, we must all continuously, and consciously, work to reinforce this, ensuring Bupa is an inclusive organisation that welcomes everyone - all ethnicities and backgrounds, disabilities, genders, sexual orientations, ages, and religious beliefs.

We stand together for a workplace and a world that is diverse, inclusive, tolerant and respectful.

Cindy Shay, Director, Health Care Management and Innovation at Bupa said that undergoing chemotherapy at any time, not least during a global pandemic, can be a very stressful experience for a patient and their family.

“Testing positive for COVID-19 is a concern for everyone, but particularly for the elderly and those with compromised immunity such as patients undergoing cancer treatment. Where clinically appropriate, many immuno-suppressed patients are taking heightened precautions to reduce their exposure to the virus.”

“Bupa’s Chemotherapy Choices Program enables patients to receive treatment in the familiar and controlled environment of their own home,” Ms Shay said.

Bupa partnered with service provider chemo@home in August 2018, to provide eligible customers with greater choice over their treatment options at no extra cost to them under Bupa’s Chemotherapy Choices Program. The service is delivered by specially trained nurses and pharmacists at patient’s homes.

Australian and international clinical studies have found that chemotherapy treatment delivered at home can be a safe and effective alternative to having chemotherapy treatment in hospital. It also helps reduce the risk of hospital acquired infections, and may minimise side effects, such as nausea, anaemia, and dehydration in some people due to the personalised nature of the care they receive.

By delivering chemotherapy at home, the service is likely relieving pressure on the broader hospital system during the COVID-19 pandemic by reducing hospital admissions.

“Patients and family can also be assured that the chemo@home nurses and pharmacists are delivering safe, patient-centric services that strictly adhere to infection control policies, standard contact and droplet precautions and government regulations relating to COVID-19,” Ms Shay said.

The Chemotherapy Choices Program is currently available to eligible customers in Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney; with services planned to commence in Brisbane this month.

For more information on the program click here.

“These are extraordinary times that require decisive responses. While we respect the right of individuals to make their own choices, Bupa believes there is a significant collective benefit of the COVIDSafe app to the Australian community,” Mr El-Ansary said.

“We will be encouraging our employees, customers and residents to download the app, however we will also remind them that it is voluntary for them to do so. We are supportive of measures that can reduce the strain on Australia’s health and care system and help us return to everyday life.”

Bupa joins organisations such as the Australian Medical Association and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, as well as national cyber security organisations in encouraging people to download the app.

“The demand for elective surgeries hasn’t reduced during the COVID-19 restrictions. The decision today gives a path forward for the return of selected elective surgery and gives our customers greater certainty.

“Bupa’s priority is the safety and wellbeing of people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re in the process of providing financial assistance to members who need it. We’ve also moved to pay for mental health, physio and certain other types of healthcare delivered over the phone and video. The safe return of selected elective surgery will give many customers peace of mind and reinforce the value of their private health insurance at a time of uncertainty.

“We’ll work with providers to assist customers with any backlog of surgery or complications from delays,” Ms Amos said.

Click here for the latest information on our health insurance stores, optical & hearing stores, dental clinics and aged care homes.

What is the coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that cause illnesses such as the common cold, to more severe conditions such as pneumonia, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The strain of the novel (new) coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)) that has caused the outbreak originating in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China causes a disease now named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 for short).

What are the symptoms?

The main symptoms caused by this coronavirus are like those you would have with the flu and can include:

• fever (high temperature)
• cough
• shortness of breath
• sore throat

In more severe cases the virus can cause pneumonia and death. Older people and those with pre-existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease) appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with respiratory disease.

When should I seek help?

If you have travelled from overseas in the last 14 days or you have had contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19, and you are experiencing flu-like symptoms (such as fever, coughing, sore throat or shortness of breath), seek medical attention immediately.

In Australia, please ring and let your doctor know about your symptoms and your travel or contact history or call the National Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080 for further instructions.

In New Zealand, please self-isolate and contact the dedicated COVID-19 Healthline number (for free) on 0800 358 5453 or +64 9 358 5453 for international SIMs. They will provide you with further instructions.

How can I protect myself?

Actions that can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 are also similar to those taken to combat the seasonal flu and include:

• Keep a distance (more than 1.5m) from others, especially from anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing
• Respiratory etiquette i.e. coughing and sneezing into tissues or your upper sleeve. Dispose of tissues immediately and wash your hands afterwards.
• Performing hand hygiene i.e. regularly wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using alcohol-based hand rubs if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

Where can I find out the latest information?

The Australian Government’s Department of Health and the New Zealand Government’s Ministry of Health are the best places to get the latest information on the coronavirus.

Information for Bupa customers, residents and their families, and our people

At Bupa, we are also closely monitoring government advice and regularly updating our teams so they can assist customers and residents if needed.

We are also preparing for future developments, should they occur, to ensure the health and safety of our people, our residents and our customers are prioritised.

Health Insurance

For our health insurance customers, Bupa has frozen premium increases for all customers (read more here). We will also be providing more than $50m in assistance for customers suffering financial hardship due to COVID-19. All Bupa customers with a hospital policy will be covered for COVID-19 related claims, irrespective of the terms of that policy (read more here).

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bupa temporarily closed the majority of its retail stores from 5pm Saturday 4 April. Retail store staff are continuing to help customers through phone or online channels and by processing financial hardship applications.

Seven stores across Australia remain open to service customers, these locations include:

• Collins Street (VIC)
• Swanston Street (VIC)
• Chatswood (NSW)
• Barangaroo (NSW)
• Brisbane CBD (QLD)
• Perth CBD (WA)
• Rundle Mall (SA)

As a result of temporary store closures and the widespread adoption of physical distancing practices, we are seeing more customers calling contact centres. This is leading to short delays at times and we ask for your patience as we respond to customer queries.

From 1 June, we will gradually re-open all of our 75 retail stores with the health and safety of our customers and staff our number one priority. These openings will take place on a state-by-state basis as follows:

Monday 1 June: Retail stores in QLD, ACT, SA and NT will re-open

Tuesday 2 June: Retail stores in WA will re-open

Tuesday 9 June: Retail stores in NSW will re-open

Monday 15 June: Retail stores in VIC and TAS will re-open

To ensure the safety of our customers and staff, we will implement strict hygiene and social distancing measures to minimise the risk of exposure. If you:

• Have had contact with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19
• Have arrived in Australia from overseas in the last 14 days
• Are feeling unwell with flu like symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat

We ask that you please do not visit our store and instead call us on 134 135 or visit bupa.com.au to resolve your enquiry. As the situation evolves, these measures and list of open stores may change as deemed necessary and we will keep you updated as required.

Aged Care

For our aged care residents and their families, we are very mindful of the need to take every possible step to protect our aged care residents from coronavirus (COVID-19). We have strong infection control measures in place across our care homes and have introduced new rules to limit visits to care homes to help protect the safety of our residents and employees. Read more on the latest Bupa Aged Care updates here.

We also want to help our residents feel connected during this time. See how you and your family can get involved by sending letters and pictures to our residents here.

Dental

For our Bupa Dental patients, in line with the latest clinical and regulatory advice to the dental profession, we’re open and again able to take appointments for all your dental care needs, whether a preventive dental check-up, or treatment that you were mid-way through or would like to commence. 

Bupa has implemented a number of safety measures to help minimise risk of COVID-19 exposure within our dental practices. These include:

• Standard infection control procedures to reduce the spread of any infection;
• The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for all treatments such as standard level 2 surgical masks, protective eyewear and gloves;
• Strengthened cleaning procedures, including actively promoting the regular use of antibacterial hand sanitiser and surface wipes;
• Stringent personal hygiene measures for our people;
• Requesting patients reschedule their appointment if they are or have recently been unwell, or are experiencing any flu-like symptoms; and
• Touch free temperature checks for our patients.

If you have an enquiry, please call your local Bupa Dental practice.

Optical & Hearing

For our Bupa Optical & Hearing customers, we are reopening the 25 Bupa Optical & Hearing stores that temporarily closed. A staged approach to reopening has been adopted to reflect the different circumstances and Government guidelines in each state.

Stores in Queensland and South Australia recommencing trade on Monday 25 May, followed by stores in New South Wales (Monday 1 June) and Victoria (Tuesday 9 June).

Hearing services will also resume when each store reopens (for those stores with Hearing services).

We have increased our cleaning and hygiene measures to ensure our stores are safe for you and our team, including:

• Hand sanitiser
• 1.5 metre physical distancing
• Limited customers instore
• Increased cleaning.

Find out more about which stores are open here. Customers can also purchase our full range of contact lenses online, as well as selected sunglasses and prescription glasses. Visit our Bupa Optical website.

Bupa Medical Visa Services

For customers who either require or have booked a visa medical examination, please refer to our Bupa Medical Visa Services website for the latest update.

Our people

In our corporate offices, we have encouraged all office-based employees to work from home. Whilst there are some exceptions to this approach, such as our customer contact centres and key technology support roles, we’re doing our best to make sure the work environment is as safe as possible by minimising hot desking, introducing additional cleaning services, and ensuring social distancing protocols are observed.

We have also introduced additional special leave provisions for full-time, part-time and casual employees to access up to two weeks’ of COVID-19 paid discretionary leave, depending on their individual circumstances.

Read more from Hisham El-Ansary, CEO, Bupa ANZ here.

“Australians are hurting, and we all need to play our part”, Mr El-Ansary said.

“We recently announced $50m of financial hardship relief for customers most impacted by the economic fallout of COVID-19. We recognise that all our customers are being impacted in some way, and today’s decision to delay the annual premium increase by six months, provides further relief.

“This will give us all time to draw breath and assess the impact of the suspension of non-urgent elective surgery on hospitalisations, as well as the take-up of newly introduced tele-health services.

“Over the past month, we’ve sent more than 2.2 million emails or letters advising of premium increases due to take effect on 1 April. Those increases will now not apply for another six months. Customers don’t need to take any action - we will put the changes through our systems and update customer accounts accordingly.

“We’ve also had literally thousands of customers applying for financial hardship assistance through our website since it was announced last Thursday. That opportunity remains open, and we encourage any customer requiring assistance to contact us,” Mr El-Ansary said.

Customers can access the financial hardship application form online at www.bupa.com.au/COVID19 Customers are asked to be patient as customer service teams work to process the large volume of applications.

We can confirm this resident is recovering in isolation and we are wishing the resident well during their recovery.

The health and wellbeing of the residents at this care home, their families and our staff remains our absolute priority.

Public Health will decide and implement the relevant tracking and any testing for any who have had contact with the resident who has tested positive. We are working closely with Public Health and will implement their instruction on who needs to self-isolate. We are also following Public Health instructions for containment and further risk mitigation.

We’ve been in contact with the impacted resident’s family and our wider care home residents and their families. We continue to offer our support and provide reassurance to them on how we are caring for their family members.

No other Bupa site is affected by this isolated COVID-19 case. All of our care homes throughout New Zealand are closed to visitors, with continued strict infection prevention control protocols.

We are also supporting all of our staff as they care for our residents. We’d like to thank our staff, residents, their families and the Napier community for their support and understanding during this time.

For more information on the preventative measures in place across Bupa’s aged care homes in New Zealand, click here.

Our resident is a member of a 14-person community who live in close proximity. To ensure the safety of our residents and staff, the 14-person community has been placed into immediate isolation. Additional infection prevention control measures were immediately put in place, including additional restrictions, equipment and hygiene measures. For additional safety, we are treating the situation as an infection outbreak area.

The testing of our resident took place yesterday (Wednesday 25 March). The results are due to be back on Friday (27 March) and will be advised by Public Health.

We’ve been in contact with impacted residents’ families to offer our support and provide reassurance of how we are continuing to care for their family members. We know that this will be a difficult time for the families, as well as our residents and our team.

We are establishing which staff members had close contact with the probable resident case. All staff who had close contact with this resident have been asked to go into self-isolation for 14 days from the time of their last contact with our resident. Any staff who had casual contact with the resident have been permitted to continue work by Public Health.

The team at Gladys Mary are aware of this evolving situation and are committed to continuing to care for our residents. Our team will be using Personal Protective Equipment, including gowns, masks and gloves where required.

The Gladys Mary Rest Home has been shut to all visitors since Tuesday 24 March and will remain so.

We are working closely with Public Health and the local District Heath Board and continue to follow their advice.

No other Bupa site is affected by this probable case. We are maintaining our strict infection prevention control protocols, including no visitor access, hand hygiene and physical distancing across all of our sites.

We recognise this can be a stressful and anxious time for everyone and will provide more information as this situation evolves.

For more information on the preventative measures in place across Bupa’s aged care homes in New Zealand, click here.

Hello everyone,

A short while ago, I was informed of our first confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19) with a colleague in our 255 George St, Sydney office receiving a positive test result.

Our thoughts are first and foremost with our colleague and we are doing everything we can to support this person and their family, whilst also being respectful of their privacy.

The NSW Health Department is currently working through a contact tracing process to determine who might be at risk of contracting the virus. They will speak with at risk people directly to ensure they are well informed of the risks and next steps, as well as to ensure the health and wellbeing of them and their families. If you are not contacted by the Health Department, your risk has been assessed as low.

Late yesterday, we had identified this individual as a potential high-risk case and immediately initiated our COVID-19 response and business continuity plans to help protect the people who have had close or casual contact with this person. Last night we also undertook a precautionary deep clean of all Bupa levels of the George Street building.

Given that a deep cleaning of our office has already taken place, and in line with Health Department advice, our George Street office will remain open to the small number of people who are unable to work remotely. I urge anyone who is feeling uncomfortable or has concerns, to work from home. If your role means you cannot do this, then please discuss this with your manager who can help you work through your options.

As community transmission of the virus is increasing, this is a timely reminder for all of us to continue to practice good hygiene, work from home where possible, and ensure physical distancing (1.5 metres apart) from each other. If you are feeling unwell or experiencing flu like symptoms, please do not come to work and immediately seek medical advice.

As a reminder, we have a free and confidential Employee Assistance Program available to you and your immediate family members for any additional support you may require.

For more information, and to ensure you are familiar with the precautionary measures we are taking across Bupa, see our dedicated Workplace page.

We may need to keep physical distance from each other at this time, but it’s important that we stay socially connected; continuing to care for and support one another. You can read more about the resources and suggestions available to you on Workplace to help you with this.

Please take extra care at this time and I will keep you updated as the situation changes.

Regards, Hisham

Bupa’s Director of Health Partnerships and Innovation, Cindy Shay, said “Bupa supports initiatives that promote financial transparency and empower consumers to make informed decisions about their healthcare. We are hopeful that, in time, the website will also include specific information about specialists and their billing practices to provide a more complete picture.”

“The website is also an important resource in demonstrating the value of private health insurance through visual breakdowns of insurer contributions and the percentage of patients who experienced a gap-free procedure,” Ms Shay said.

Bupa has a number of its own initiatives in place that help members avoid ‘bill shock’ following common hospital procedures.

“We understand the cost of living pressures many Australians are living under. As such, we are proud to have established extensive arrangements with Private Hospitals and Specialists offering customers no gap or known-gap services.”

Bupa’ website also houses a number of tools to help customers understand cost implications including a procedure calculator that also incorporates hospital admission fees when using a Bupa Members First or Network Hospital with no additional co-payment.

“Ultimately, the best way for consumers to avoid ‘bill shock’ and minimise costs is by being proactive and ensuring they are receiving the appropriate cover for their stage of life and healthcare needs,” said Ms Shay.

To help member navigate costs, Bupa also encourages members to speak with a Bupa health insurance expert before seeking a referral from their GP.

“Our health insurance team are able to identify all specialists with no or known-gap fee structures. Members can then compile a list for discussion with their referring GP,” said Ms Shay.

Australians are also encouraged to utilise the Australian Medical Association’s ‘informed financial consent’ brochures, which provide guidance on the types of questions that should be asked of doctors to fully understand fees upfront.

Bupa Health Insurance Managing Director, Dr Dwayne Crombie, said delivering value for money to customers remained a priority, with a continued focus on addressing affordability of premiums and reducing members out-of-pocket costs when needing care.

“We’ve tried to achieve a delicate balance between affordability for members and the higher than CPI growth in healthcare costs,” Dr Crombie said.

“Healthcare costs are increasing faster than other segments due to rising demand for treatment from an ageing population and more chronic illness, on top of the traditional inflationary costs such as wages.

“We’ve again absorbed some of those costs on behalf of members, recognising the hip pocket pressures Australians are facing.

“We remain committed to delivering value for our members; we pay hundreds of millions of dollars more on average in benefits than our main competitors and our customers have the lowest out-of-pocket costs for medical services as a result.

“While I’m supportive of seeing further health insurance reforms by the Federal Government, I also know that we need to continue to deliver innovative models of care which improve the lives of our customers and help contain claims growths.

“Last financial year alone we delivered hospital substitution programs such as rehabilitation, mental health and chemotherapy services in the home to more than 6,000 members. This provision of services at home not only helped deliver a more positive patient experience with the same clinical outcomes, but also had savings of more than $6m. Greater flexibility to fund additional services such as these will only continue to deliver greater value and choice of setting to members.

“Customers can also have increased confidence we use their money responsibly, with the lowest management expenses ratio of all insurers. We also captured more than $50m in savings this past year through improved operational efficiency which helped keep the premium increase below the actual claims growth,” Dr Crombie said.

The premium increase will come in to effect on 1 April 2020. Bupa members will be contacted from February with their individual premium changes, which can vary depending on type of cover and what state they are in. Customers are encouraged to undertake a cover review to ensure they are receiving the appropriate cover for their stage of life and healthcare needs.

A new partnership with online mental health treatment provider THIS WAY UP (TWU) will allow Bupa members* to access online programs for common mental health difficulties like stress, worry, anxiety, and depression.

Bupa’s Managing Director of Health Insurance, Dr Dwayne Crombie, said “the initiative is a great example of thinking about alternative ways to deliver healthcare to meet the needs of members while achieving equally compelling clinical outcomes”.

“Research has demonstrated that internet based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (iCBT) delivered via accredited programs such as THIS WAY UP is effective in treating anxiety and depression,” Dr Crombie said.

“We know that two commonly cited barriers to receiving mental health support are limited access and the associated costs. Thanks to Bupa’s partnership with THIS WAY UP we can now address both – courses are available online 24/7, with 100 per cent of costs covered for eligible Bupa members.”

On average, 80% of people who complete one of THIS WAY UP’s courses benefit substantially, with 50% no longer being troubled by anxiety or depression.¹

Almost half of all Australians aged 16-85 years will experience a mental health disorder at some time in their life.²

“Internet-based treatment allows consumers to undertake treatment at a place and time that is suitable and convenient to them; this may be outside of normal business hours, or undertaken over the weekend. We know that for our members located in regional and remote areas of Australia, access to online health services can be a key enabler to receiving such support.”

Developed by a team of leading St Vincent’s clinical psychologists and psychiatrists, these courses teach specific coping skills to manage symptoms of anxiety and depression and are designed to mimic a course of CBT treatment you'd typically receive when seeing a clinician face-to-face. All courses on offer have been proven to reduce symptoms through clinical trials conducted by the Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD), with the results published in leading scientific journals.

THIS WAY UP is part of the Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD), a joint facility of St Vincent's Hospital and the University of New South Wales established to reduce the impact of anxiety and depressive disorders on individuals.

THIS WAY UP’s Clinical Director, Dr Mike Millard, welcomed the partnership.

“The mission of THIS WAY UP has always been to ease the burden of mental illness through providing clinically-proven mental health interventions in a way that is accessible to more Australians.

“It is often difficult to seek and access mental health treatment. By enabling individuals to enrol in our courses anytime anywhere, without the need to obtain a referral or waiting in line for the next available slot, we encourage consumers to access the therapeutic tools they need sooner than they might be able to otherwise.

“By further removing the barrier of treatment cost, we are certain that THIS WAY UP’s partnership with BUPA will empower more individuals to take action towards regaining their mental health. We commend Bupa for taking such a leadership role in funding innovative care beyond hospital walls”

*A benefit can only be paid after completion of a Bupa recognised Online CBT course. On selected Domestic and International Extras and Package Covers, including Advantage OSHC Cover. Yearly limits, fund rules and waiting periods apply.

1. THIS WAY UP. Available from: thiswayup.org.au/about-us/research
2. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Mental health services in Australia. Available from: www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health-services

“Since taking over the role of CEO earlier this year, I have made it my number one priority to get the quality of care right in our aged care business for each one of our 6500 residents," he said.

“A number of changes have been made, including hiring a new Managing Director of Aged Care, increasing the number of people that we have focussed on quality care, clinical services and training, as well as auditing of all of our homes in a similar manner to the external regulator.

“Overwhelmingly, the aged care sector delivers a great service for the vast majority of people. Sometimes we don’t always get that right. And where we don’t get it right, I can assure you that we are absolutely committed to addressing those problems as effectively and quickly as we can. People should be confident that in the vast majority of case we deliver a great service to their loved ones.

“We have nine homes that are sanctioned by the regulator and three of those homes have already passed their auditing process and we've got applications to remove sanctions from those. So, I expect in the near term that we'll have six homes under sanction, which is still six too many and it's my expectation and my ambition that we will have all of our homes operating effectively the end of this year.”

WATCH:

For more on our response to recent aged care reports, click here.

Return to Aged Care News

Bupa is committed to ensuring that past mistakes don’t happen again and is currently rolling out a range of major improvements to its aged care business.

One of the first changes was appointing a new Managing Director of Aged Care for Australia, Suzanne Dvorak.

We sat down with Suzanne to hear about her first few months at Bupa and what she has been focusing on to help return all of Bupa’s aged care homes to full compliance.

“We’re also making sure that the right levels of senior management are in place, with new experienced General Managers and Clinical Care Managers joining our team. We’ve rolled out training for those who have been working with us for some time to ensure that we have the best level of clinical care for those living in our nursing homes.

“Additionally, there’s been a range of improvements introduced, including increasing staff numbers and reintroducing self-auditing. There has also been a lot of work around reviewing and improving food and nutrition options for those who live in Bupa’s nursing homes.

“Our team are doing everything possible to care for the residents who choose to call Bupa their home. Every day, those who work in our aged care homes come to work to do a good job. The team prides themselves on doing the best job that they can do.

“I think that we have absolutely acknowledged our faults in this, and we have said sorry to those relatives and to those residents who live with us.”

WATCH:

For more on our response to recent aged care reports, click here.

Return to Aged Care News

At Bupa, we seek ways to continuously improve the quality of care and standards of living for our residents. Where we haven’t met the expected standards and have let people down, we are deeply sorry. This has been the subject of some recent media coverage. We are making the necessary improvements to put things right.

In the vast majority of our 72 aged care homes across Australia, things are working well and we are meeting the expected standards for our residents.

We are investing millions of dollars into our aged care business. This has included additional staffing, resources and training. We’ve also listened to residents and their families and are acting on their feedback.

We know that fixing some of these issues takes time, but a number of the homes that were previously identified as having problems have now passed external audits, are no longer sanctioned and have been fully re-accredited.

Since joining Bupa in June of this year, I can assure you that we are taking our responsibility very seriously and we are committed to ensuring we support our residents with care and respect every day.

Bupa is proud of the 9,000 people who work hard in our homes to ensure residents’ clinical, lifestyle and wellbeing needs are met.

Our nurses, carers and support staff are committed to caring for those in our care.

We are working to improve the quality of care in each and every home we operate, to help ensure that past mistakes don’t happen again and to restore confidence in all of our homes.

Suzanne Dvorak

Managing Director, Bupa Villages and Aged Care 

For more on our response to recent aged care reports, click here.

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In that capacity, Gerald has partnered with Bupa on many significant programs of work over the past few years.

Prior to his extensive experience at both EY and Deloitte, Gerald has also held a number of roles in both the banking and private equity sectors.

“I am delighted to announce the appointment of Gerald Marion as our new Chief Customer and Strategy Officer. He has a key understanding of our businesses and customer challenges. Gerald will be a valuable addition to Bupa’s Executive team and help us make a step change in how we think about and deliver for our customers,” said Hisham El-Ansary, Chief Executive Officer of Bupa A&NZ.

Gerald will start at Bupa on 1 August 2019.

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UPDATED

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) Health Services contract sees Bupa responsible for supporting the provision of end-to-end health care to 85,000 Defence personnel, delivering services both on-base and through a network of off-base providers.

Following a 6-month handover between the previous service provider and Bupa, operations officially commenced on 1 July 2019.

Bupa has worked closely with the ADF to minimise any disruption to personnel.

“Throughout the handover, our priority has been to ensure a smooth transition and continued health care to ADF personnel,” said Emily Amos, Managing Director, Bupa Health Services.

Bupa is one of Australia’s largest and most diverse health and care companies.

Bupa’s values underpin its purpose, its people and culture, and the way health and care are delivered to its customers.

If you're a health provider that would like to join the ADF Health Services Contract network, please visit our Provider Hub for more information. 

For more information or assistance, contact Bupa Central Support Office on 1800 316 915 or adfhscproviders@bupa.com.au.

14 January 2019

Bupa awarded ADF Health Services Contract

Bupa has confirmed it has been awarded a contract to provide an integrated health care system to the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

Richard Bowden, Bupa’s Chief Executive Officer, said the ADF Health Services Contract would see Bupa responsible for supporting the provision of end to end health care to Defence personnel.

“Bupa is delighted to have been selected to provide this service and we look forward to leveraging our network of care providers to deliver health outcomes for the Australian Defence Force community,” Mr Bowden said.

“This complements the care we provide for more than five million Australians every day as both a health insurer and care provider through our dental, optical, audiology and medical assessment clinics.”

The handover between the incumbent and Bupa will take place over the next six months with the contract commencing on 1 July 2019.

“Our first priority is ensuring the people and processes are in place to allow for an orderly transition and continued health care to ADF personnel,” Mr Bowden said.

“Information on the range of health and administrative positions that will be available is on our website and we invite contact from anyone who is interested in being part of this exciting health care environment.

“Bupa will provide stakeholders with further information on the ADF Health Services Contract and we look forward to a productive relationship,” Mr Bowden said.

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Dr Dwayne Crombie, Managing Director of Bupa Health Insurance, said that by looking at where the biggest expenditures came from, the health system can work together to deliver a sustainable system.

“These are all very good and very useful procedures. They are helping us live longer lives and have better quality of life. But many of these operations are symptomatic of people getting older and more of the population being overweight or obese.

“Greater access to more sophisticated technology to improve health outcomes should be celebrated, but we need to understand that these advances come with increased costs.

“It also tells us that if we want to be able to put downward pressure on health insurance premiums, we need to be able to trial different ways of delivering healthcare which don’t affect quality of care but may reduce cost or give patients more choice.

“This includes continuing to look at why prosthetics for hips and knees cost significantly more in Australia than other parts of the world. It means changing the mindset that a person must stay in hospital for rehabilitation after a knee or hip replacement where all the evidence says the outcome is the same or better if done in their home.

“And it also means understanding that surgery for many of these conditions could be avoided if appropriate preventative health measures, including weight management, are appropriately promoted and funded.

“We’re keen to have these discussions, to work with clinicians to see people getting the right care, in the right place, at the right time and for the right price,” Dr Crombie said.

Read more about factors affecting the cost of private health insurance. 

“I would like to thank the Honourable Nicola Roxon for her excellent contribution to Bupa Australia and New Zealand over the past five years, first as a Non-Executive Director and then as Chairman. We have greatly valued her unique insights, skills and experience and her deep understanding of the health and community services sector. We sincerely thank her for her significant contribution to Bupa and wish her every success.

“I'm delighted that Bryan Mogridge succeeds Nicola as Chairman. Bryan knows Bupa well having been a Non-Executive Director of Bupa Australia and New Zealand since 2013 and Chairman of Bupa Care Services New Zealand and its predecessor from 1998-2015. He brings substantial experience having served on the boards of both private and public companies, in Australia and New Zealand, and as a distinguished business leader over many years.”

Bryan Mogridge said:

“It is an honour to be appointed Chairman of Bupa Australia and New Zealand. I look forward to working with Hisham El-Ansary as Chief Executive Officer and the team to pursue Bupa’s purpose of helping people live ‘longer, healthier, happier lives’. I would also like to recognise the significant contribution that Nicola has made and wish her well for the future.”

Nicola Roxon said: 

“It has been a privilege to have served as Chair and a Board Member over the past five years. Bupa provides vital services across health insurance, dental, optical, medical visa services and aged care. With Hisham El-Ansary in place as Chief Executive Officer, now is an appropriate time for me to leave. I have great respect for Hisham who is bringing great passion and energy to the leadership of Bupa Australia and New Zealand.”

Bupa also announced Michael Hawker’s appointment as the Deputy Chairman of the Bupa Australia and New Zealand Board. Michael joined the Bupa Australia and New Zealand Board in April this year as a Non-Executive Director and is also a member of the Bupa Group Board.

Notes for editors:

Nicola Roxon

The Honourable Nicola Roxon was appointed as Non-Executive Director of the Bupa Australia and New Zealand Board in 2014 and Chairman in March 2018. Ms Roxon was a member of the Australian Parliament from 1998 to 2013 and was Australia's Health Minister and Minister for Ageing for four years from 2007. Ms Roxon received national and international awards in recognition of her public health work, particularly for driving Australia's leadership in tobacco control (introducing plain packaging). In 2011, Ms Roxon became the nation's first female Attorney-General and was appointed Minister for Emergency Management in 2012. Ms Roxon is the Chair of the Health Employees Superannuation Trust of Australia (HESTA). Ms Roxon is a Non-Executive director of Dexus and Lifestyle Communities and is also a patron of BreastWest Foundation. Ms Roxon holds a BA/LLB (first class honours) from Melbourne University and is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Bryan Mogridge

Mr Bryan Mogridge ONZM joined as Chairman of Bupa Care Services NZ Ltd, New Zealand’s largest private aged care provider, in 1998. He was appointed a Non-Executive Director of Bupa Australia and New Zealand Group in 2013. Mr Mogridge has wide experience at both director and executive level, spanning over 45 years. He has been Chief Executive Officer of two public companies and a director of several public companies. He is a Non-Executive Director of Mainfreight, SeaDragon (NZX listed companies) and Adherium Ltd (ASX listed company). Mr Mogridge has chaired the Board of Trustees of the Starship Foundation (New Zealand’s National Children’s Hospital) for over 20 years and has chaired national bodies such as The NZ Wine Institute, The NZ Food and Beverage Exporters Council and The New Zealand Tourism Board. He is a recipient of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM).

Michael Hawker

Mr Michael Hawker joined the Board of Bupa Australia and New Zealand Group and the Bupa Group in April 2019. He has extensive knowledge and experience of financial services with a long career in the banking and insurance industries in both executive and Non-Executive roles in Europe, Asia and Australia. Mr Hawker is a Non-Executive Director of Macquarie Group Ltd (banking), Macquarie Bank Ltd (banking) and Washington H Soul Pattinson Pty and Company Ltd (investment). He was formerly a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Risk Committee of Aviva plc, Chief Executive and Managing Director of Insurance Australia Group (insurance), Group Chief Executive of business and consumer banking at Westpac Banking Corporation (banking), Chairman of The George Institute for Global Health (medical research institution), and Chairman of the Insurance Council of Australia (insurance representative body). Mr Hawker won 25 rugby caps for Australia during an international career between 1980-87. He was Chairman and Non-Executive Director of the Australian Rugby Union and a member of the International Rugby Board Council and Executive Committee. He is a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia.

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All affected customers will be contacted directly and fully reimbursed today.

Director of Customer Experience, Sally Damiani, says Bupa is extremely sorry for the error. 

"Due to a system error, on 4 June some members' credit cards were accidentally charged twice for their health insurance premium.

"We apologise for the mistake and for the inconvenience this has caused customers.

"This matter was taken very seriously. We are alerting affected customers but most importantly we have rectified the issue and all customers will have the amount refunded today."

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Bupa’s Health Link website has been designed to cut through that noise, helping customers and members of the public navigate through the complex health system and providing them with information they can trust.

It's is the evolution of the much loved Blue Room, an online content hub which has had more than five million visits since it was launched in 2016.

Bupa recognised it’s potential to have an even greater impact if the content was more easily discoverable through search engines and better connected to the rest of Bupa’s offerings and services.

It’s now home to more than 1000 evidence based and fact checked articles, videos, and infographics centred around health and wellbeing.

Bupa Australia’s Chief Marketing and Customer officer Jane Power says the customer was front and centre when redesigning the site.

“We invested in a major research project in 2017 to find out what questions our customers are asking when it comes to their health and wellbeing and how can we help answer those questions. How can we use content to help people live longer, healther, happier lives? The site has been designed around these customer insights,” she said.

“Health Link will help further our understanding of our customers so we can deliver relevant content as part of our relentless pursuit of personalisation at scale.”

Bupa’s Head of Content Alex McDonald says Health Link will offer a significantly improved on-site experience for customers and members of the public.

“The Blue Room has been a hugely successful platform for Bupa, but we recognised the potential to take it to the next level. We’ve spent the last 2 years optimising every existing article and creating a new website structure so it can be easily understood by Google.

“We’ve added new articles, videos and tools where needed and migrated Bupa’s A-Z of health information over from bupa.com.au.

“This is an opportunity for us to become a publishing house in our own right, so we can build up internal capability to help us reach our customers in a way that’s very powerful.

“Nobody knows our customers better than we do and we have a whole team of internal experts who can provide health information and help people work out where to turn to for help.”

You can check out Health Link here.

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Tamsyn Elder, Bupa’s Head of Workplace Health Partnerships, said while the research was done in good fun, it also came with a serious warning about the need to get the flu vaccination.

“Plain and simple, flu kills. On average 3,500 Australians die from influenza and just under 20,000 are hospitalised every year,” Ms Elder said.

“In addition to the health benefits of the vaccine, the promise of a lollipop as a reward is something that is always well received by our patients. Last year we administered 46,255 flu vaccinations ourselves and handed out just over 40,000 lollipops.

“As we’ve gone around workplaces we’ve tracked which colour lollipop has been the most popular, and hands down red was the winner. Almost half of all people chose a red lollipop, green and orange didn’t even come close.”

Ms Elder added that the increased prominence of flu across Australia this year, including 63 deaths up until 5 May, has seen demand for vaccinations from workplaces.

“There has been a very significant and deadly start to flu season in many Australian states.

“Australian businesses have responded well. Companies who we provide corporate wellness programs to have had a real awareness on the need to be organised and have been actively requesting vaccines to be delivered to their workers. We’ve actually had to stagger some companies to manage the demand,” Ms Elder said.

Want to make sure your workplace is ready for Winter? Get in touch with Bupa Healthier Workplaces here.

Read more health news

“Dying is part of life. Palliative care and how people want to die is still quite a taboo topic, but it’s an important part of healthcare and health insurers have a role to play in encouraging end of life care conversations,” Ms Shotton said.

“One of the main selling points of private health insurance is choice. We promote choice of obstetrician for childbirth and choice of surgeon for knee or heart operations; we need to also ensure people have choice of where care is delivered as someone approaches the final stages of life.”

In 2016 Bupa partnered with St Vincent’s Private Hospital Brisbane to trial the Bupa Palliative Care Choices Program. The program saw Bupa fund access to a range of in-home health services, including specialist palliative care and nursing services at home and 24-hour telephone support services.

The results of the two-year trial saw 93% of all program participants die in their preferred place of death (hospital or home). Furthermore, 37% of all program participants who died, were supported to die at home as that was their wish. The care was also delivered at a lower average cost per customer compared with the 12-months prior to the program trial.

“This program demonstrates how we can empower patients to have choice, improve quality of care, deliver high satisfaction from patients and families, and do so in a way that supports sustainable health care costs,” Ms Shotton said.

“We also learned that the main supports that help people to stay at home and out of hospital are the nurse and doctor visits that can happen whenever needed, as well as the nursing support workers who can stay overnight. This intense support has helped families to manage, care for and keep their loved one at home, if that has been their wish.”

Following the success of the initial pilot, the program will continue to be delivered at St Vincent’s Private Hospital Brisbane and has now been expanded to include a partnership with Calvary North Adelaide Hospital in South Australia.

Bupa is also exploring options to expand the program in both NSW and Victoria in the near future.

Read the latest media releases and statements from Bupa

Dr Dwayne Crombie, Managing Director of Bupa Health Insurance, said cost and unexpected out-of-pocket costs were a deterrent for many Australians to visit the dentist.

“When people go to a dentist there’s normally two questions; how much will it hurt and how much will it cost? This removes one of those worries,” Dr Crombie said.

"We’ve actually had customers contact us after a dentist visit, surprised that there was nothing for them to pay. It shows when health insurers and care providers work together they can deliver real value for money and delight customers.

“We’ve had gap-free dental for children since 2006 and saved our customers more than $21 million in 2018 in out of pocket costs through that initiative. It’s great that so many members have also embraced our Members First Platinum offer since we introduced it last year.

“As a health insurer we’ve seen the impact of cost of living pressures and concern around increasing premiums. We need to continue to have innovative models of care, to play a role in getting a decent outcome for our members and demonstrate the importance of private healthcare in Australia,” Dr Crombie said.

The Member First Platinum network was launched in September 2018 and has grown to include almost 900 dental clinics nationwide. To be part of the network, dentists agree to deliver certain services at no additional charge to Bupa customers in return for a higher payment from the insurer.

In 2018 Bupa paid out a total of $700 million in dental claims for general dental, major dental and orthodontics. 93 per cent of Bupa members live within 10km of a Member First Platinum dentist.

Read more dental news

More recently, May 17 has become a day of celebration for the LGBTIQ+ community, acknowledging progress towards equality.

Bupa’s Pride Network marked IDAHOBIT this year by celebrating the allies who continue to support the LGBTIQ+ community and play an important role in building acceptance.

“An ally is anyone who actively supports those who might not have much of a voice in our community. It saddens me that people feel like they can’t be themselves and I want to make sure I’m standing up for those people,” said Sarah Chand, a member of the Pride Network.

For many LGBTIQ+ people, the decision to be out in the workplace is a difficult one. Recent research by the Diversity Council of Australia found that 74% of LGBTIQ+ people surveyed felt being out at work was important, however only 32% were out to their colleagues.

When Andrea started working at Bupa she was happily engaged to her partner. Unsure how this would be received by her new team, she chose not to disclose her sexuality.

“People often assumed my partner was man, and because I’m quite shy I wouldn’t correct them. I really like my team, so it felt uncomfortable to lie to them,” said Andrea.

At a work event she was introduced to a member of the Pride Network and finally found someone to confide in. The two hatched a plan and with her new-found ally by her side Andrea was finally able to come out to her team. Her worst fears unfounded, a celebratory morning tea was organised where Andrea shared her wedding photos with her team.

“It was an amazing experience. I’ve learned that just telling people you support them is enough to change a life,” said Andrea.

Bupa’s Pride Network formed in 2017, when a group of LGBTIQ+ employees and allies were looking for ways to support each other and took positive steps to create a network to benefit those across the organisation.

“The wellbeing of our people and the community is integral to Bupa’s purpose. When we set out to form a Pride Network we knew that creating a safe and inclusive workplace for our people would be the focus,” said Carol Corzo, Head of Inclusion.

The group has made some serious strides since its inception; growing from a small group of committed people to a wide-reaching active network with representation and support across the Bupa organisation.

Members are trained on self-care and on LGBTIQ+ mental health, with many receiving a Mental Health First Aid qualification. A Transgender and Gender Diverse toolkit has been developed to support employees who are transitioning, and key systems are being updated with inclusive gender options.

The group also provides invaluable opportunities for networking both in formal and informal settings; developing communities of support around those who need it most, demonstrating that Bupa is a workplace where everyone is welcome to be themselves.

One of our Pride Champions, Ray Pastoors, has blogged about what IDAHOBIT means to him.

Read more about working at Bupa

Sally Damiani, Director of Customer Experience, said the move to digital cards was made in response to customer feedback and to make it easier for people to claim their health expenses back on the spot.

“Our customers told us they didn’t want to carry a plastic card,” Ms Damiani said.

“They saw what was happening in other parts of their life and they rightly had the expectation that health insurance should be just as easy.

“This now means that customers can get their cards as soon as they become members and is particularly useful for overseas students who don’t like to rely on post.

“In addition to giving members the benefit of online claiming, reducing manual claims and allowing money to be back in the bank account of customers quicker, this move will also save up to 5,000kg of plastic each year.

“Whilst in the scheme of things 5,000kg is not a significant contribution on the global scale, every bit helps and customers get better service as a result,” Ms Damiani said.

The digital card is optional for all Bupa members and it is estimated that more than half of all members will take up the offer. Tap and claim is available now for Android customers.

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The review of the care homes where Extra Services were available found that while most were available at the time of the review, some Extra Services were not available as intended at that time.

As a result, in July 2018 Bupa commenced a remediation program and began contacting affected residents (or their families) that had been paying for Extra Services at an impacted home to personally apologise and to explain the actions that would be taken to compensate them.

Bupa has reimbursed fees paid during their stay for Extra Services not available as intended at the time of our review, with interest.

Jan Adams, Bupa’s Managing Director of Aged Care, said

“We apologise unreservedly to those residents and families who have been affected, and we have reimbursed all current residents impacted with interest.

“We are committed to addressing this to put things right. Those who may have been affected have been contacted directly by Bupa. To date, we have repaid approximately 550 residents.

“We notified our regulators including the ACCC as soon as we became aware of this issue and have worked throughout to communicate openly to all involved.

“We have made significant changes to our systems to ensure this does not happen again. We also engaged independent external advisers in the development of the repayment program to ensure a fair and equitable approach.

When Bupa uncovered this issue, they notified appropriate regulators including the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the Department of Health and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (formerly the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner). Bupa engaged with the ACCC in respect of the scope and timing of their approach to communicating with and reimbursing residents who may have been affected and kept them updated about the remediation program which was designed with external assistance.

The ACCC has now raised some concerns regarding the extent to which Extra Services were available to affected residents during the period 1 January 2011 to June 2018, commencing proceedings in the Federal Court seeking a range of relief from Bupa including financial penalties.

Bupa continues to offer Extra Services in New Zealand but no longer offers them in its aged care homes in Australia.

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Health insurer Bupa has confirmed it has adopted Federal Government reforms to age-based discounts and will offer the option of increased excess levels to help Australians of all ages save money on private health insurance.

As of this week, the changes mean customers under 30 are now entitled to discounts up to 10 per cent for hospital cover premiums, applied automatically.

Customers can also now choose the option of a higher excess, in order to lower their premium. Depending on the product, voluntary excesses may increase from $500 for singles to $750, and from $1000 for families to $1500.

Dr Dwayne Crombie, Bupa Health Insurance Managing Director, said this decision will give customers the chance to make real savings on their health insurance costs.

“We know health insurance is a big expense for households across Australia and we want to do everything we can to keep it affordable,” Dr Crombie said.

“The Australian Federal Government reforms have given us the choice to make our health insurance offering more affordable for many customers. We’re choosing to quickly implement these optional changes in full to help ensure health insurance isn’t out of reach for Australians.

“We will also offer customers aged 18-29 years annual discounts of up to 10 per cent off their private health insurance hospital cover premiums.

“The more under 30s we have taking up health insurance annually, the better it is for all health insurance customers because it helps to keep premiums lower,” Dr Crombie said.

Also coming into effect this week, rural and regional customers will have access to travel and accommodation benefits being added to hospital cover.

“We are keen to support our rural and regional customers who have to travel long distances for care and need accommodation while seeking treatments and health services,” Dr Crombie said.

All Bupa customers will have their policies re-named to align with the Government’s new Gold, Silver, Bronze classification structure on 1 July. All current members will have been received communication about these changes as part of the rate review. 

More information about the Government private health insurance reforms can be found here.  

UP NEXT: Bupa to deliver more for customers when Gold Silver Bronze categories are introduced

Read more health insurance news

The program is delivered over skype or other video conferencing tools directly into classrooms, and involves an interactive class focussing on early intervention to help set children up for a happy and emotionally healthy life.

During its first year, KAS Wellbeing aimed to reach up to 70 schools and 10 000 students across Australia.

But, the program far exceeded its targets, reaching three times the number of schools (204 schools) and 50% more students (15 392).

There were a range of reasons why schools decided to take part in the sessions, including to support rural students in drought affected areas.

Here’s what some teachers had to say about why they decided to take part:

“We are currently experiencing one of the worst droughts ever and I thought it was relevant to support the students who were invited to attend.”

“Friendship challenges had come to our attention with this group and we considered the session to be another way of supporting the children in navigating these.”

“We booked this session because we were looking for some practical strategies that our Year 5/6 students could find out about, prior to transitioning to high school.”

And they weren’t disappointed, in a post program survey:

• 99% of teachers said they would recommend the program to other teachers,
• 96% said they believed the KAS Wellbeing session was likely to positively influence students’ future choices and decision-making
• 99% said the sessions were likely to have improved student understanding of help-seeking options, and
• 98% indicated they planned to book another session.

Here’s some of their feedback:

“Students got a better understanding of their feelings, how to deal with them and who they can talk to.”

“(The students) were all engaged in the topic and it gave them a deeper insight into the role our emotions play in our lives. They enjoyed listening and interacting with the Kids Helpline counsellor.”

“I am eager to do more of these sessions in the future and I think it was very useful to open the students’ eyes to what is available and what it might be like to use these services.”

Bupa’s head of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Rebecca Crimean says it’s wonderful to see so many children benefiting from the partnership between Bupa and yourtown, the organisation which runs Kids Helpline.

“Through this partnership we wanted to find a way to help children develop the tools and skills to be able to cope with life’s challenges,” she says.

"We know the emotional wellbeing of their kids matters to our customers and our people, so it’s fantastic to receive such positive feedback about the program and to know that more than 15 thousand extra children will now know what to do and who to turn to if they need help.”

Managing Emotions was the most selected topic for discussion (108 sessions) closely followed by Developing Resilience (105 sessions).

Of the 204 participating schools, 62% were in major cities, 22% in inner regional areas, 13% in outer regional areas, and 2% in either remote or very remote areas.

Learn more about the Kids Helpline @ Schools Wellbeing program here.

Justin James, Director of Customer Growth, said Bupa started moving to a more customer focussed framework in 2014. However, findings from the Royal Commission into Banking Misconduct reinforced Bupa’s commitment to do what is right for customers and to ensure staff remuneration drives appropriate behaviours.

“There was a lot for banks and financial advisors to learn through the Royal Commission. Although we’d already started this change, those lessons gave us the assurance that we had made the right decision and our practices were in line to community expectations,” Mr James said.

“Our work in this space has been underway for almost five years. We’ve had external advice from PriceWaterhouseCoopers to shape our thinking, which, paired with the insights form the Royal Commission, is a major reason we feel we are ahead of the curve.

“We have moved away from a framework solely recognising and rewarding our people based on sales and our customer focused reporting now aligns with our Fair Customer Practices and Value Conversations approach."

“There will be further improvements, but we believe we’re demonstrating change from a ‘sales’ reward culture to one that helps ensure that the customer's needs and choices are the only things that matter, regardless of financial value,” Mr James said.

Performance indicators are now set on customer conversations and the quality of that conversation regardless of whether there is a sale outcome. These are largely driven through Net Promoter Score results, a widely accepted measure of customer satisfaction. 

“Our thinking is, if we reward customer-led behaviour, then we will grow an organic customer-led culture and that’s exactly what we have seen over the past few years,” Mr James said.

“We’re also evolving the way we recruit so that we appoint people with the right profile and motivations to reflect our culture, while also overhauling our training to help our people deliver valued conversations every time.”

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There are 70,000 New Zealanders currently living with dementia, with the number expected to increase to 170,000 by 2050 according to Alzheimers New Zealand.

To achieve the award and dementia friendly status, Bupa met the selected criteria across seven standards that form the Dementia Friendly Recognition Programme. The criteria was over and above the existing standards regularly met by the aged care provider.

Bupa’s positive initiatives have included an 0800 Dementia phone helpline and an online dementia awareness course for the public.

The award was presented to Managing Director of Bupa Villages and Aged Care, Jan Adams by Alzheimers New Zealand’s Chief Executive, Catherine Hall.

Ms Adams said the national award recognises the ongoing work Bupa New Zealand is undertaking in the area of dementia.

“Bupa is one of the largest providers of dementia care in New Zealand and we are committed to delivering our ‘Person First, Dementia Second’ approach. This award acknowledges the wonderful work of our aged care team and the benefits their efforts are delivering for our residents living with dementia,” Ms Adams said.

Alzheimers New Zealand Chief Executive Catherine Hall says the fact that the number of people with dementia is growing so fast is a major concern.

“It’s a major reason why Alzheimers New Zealand is so intent on creating a more dementia friendly New Zealand in which people with dementia are better understood, accepted and supported. We need the corporate sector, the health sector, government, the media – everybody – to recognise the implications of the dementia challenge and to take steps to address it. It’s very pleasing to see that Bupa has already stepped up to the mark in this regard,” Ms Hall said.

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Under the settlement, Bupa Australia will pay a total of approximately A$157 million to the ATO, reflecting taxes, interest, penalties and an offset for overpaid withholding tax for the 2007 to 2018 years.

The settlement will provide certainty for both Bupa Australia and the ATO in relation to the taxation treatment of Bupa Australia’s future cross border funding costs, which will be within the ‘low risk’ or ‘green zone’ rating in accordance with the risk framework set out in the ATO’s Practice Compliance Guideline PCG 2017/4.

Bupa Australia said: “We are pleased to reach this in-principle agreement. Importantly, the settlement will provide clarity for Bupa Australia and the ATO in relation to how taxes will be assessed in the future. This certainty allows us to continue to focus on delivering healthcare services to our customers.”

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Read the latest statements and media releases from Bupa

TerryWhite Chemmart Chief Executive Officer, Anthony White said the partnership was an important strategic alliance aligned with its vision to be customers’ choice for health and value, and to become Australia’s favourite pharmacy.

He said both companies saw the value of working together on programs that would be of significant benefit to the customers of both organisations, including helping them feel rewarded and valued for staying healthy.

“We have a reputation for delivering professional trusted advice, great value prices and highly accessible frontline healthcare. Our partnership with Bupa will allow us to offer that service to more Australians.”

Bupa Health Insurance Managing Director, Dr Dwayne Crombie said the partnership is intended to deliver more value for money for customers and make healthcare easier to access.

“Health insurance has traditionally had limited involvement in pharmacy. This partnership will provide customers with an opportunity to reduce costs on medication and pharmaceutical supplies and have ready access to healthcare advice and preventative care,” Dr Crombie said.

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Annette Schmiede, Executive Leader of the Bupa Health Foundation (BHF) announced the two successful recipients of the grants. They are:

• Best care, first time – Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney

• Follow my journey - Central Queensland Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast PHN

​This is the first time BHF has provided funding of this nature under a new grants submission process.

"We believe that these projects show great potential in addressing this pressing healthcare matter for Australia," said Ms Schmiede.

“Mental health has been a focus for the BHF for some time. As a health insurer, Bupa has seen mental health claims growth far exceed all other areas of claims. When talking to the community and Bupa customers we hear consistently that they want community-based care.”

“We undertook considerable testing across the research community and the general community to identify the challenges. We then asked the research sector to respond, with high impact research that would translate into improved services.”

Following an overwhelming response from the research community, the two successful projects were selected for their collaborative approach to research aimed at improving the consumers experience and wellbeing through new models of care.

Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre responded to the BHF’s call with a youth-focused, technology driven proposal. Professor Ian Hickie from the Sydney Brain and Mind Centre said it was important to measure the tangible benefits technology provides in empowering young people to access the best care.

"We want to test whether better coordinated care with new technology saves lives and makes more productive lives by better coordinating the care," said Professor Hickie.

Taking a person-centred approach, the Central Queensland Wide Bay Sunshine Coast PHN use their funding to evaluate and improve on care delivery following the recent introduction of a stepped care model in their region.

Assoc. Professor Pattie Hudson, CEO of Central Queensland Wide Bay Sunshine Coast Primary Health Network, said little is known about how consumers move through various stages of mental health care, or the emotional toll moving between providers may take.

"The research project will use evidence to determine the patterns of service usage across the system, but it will also be heavily informed by the voices and experiences of those that use these services. As far as we know, this will be the first system-wide evaluation of the mental health system from a consumer perspective," said Assoc. Professor Hudson.

Just as nature knows it’s best to be part of a group whose purpose is to help keep you safe and well, Bupa’s Member’s First network of more than 10,000 registered healthcare providers helps their members to live longer, healthier and happier lives.

Quality healthcare can be expensive which is why Bupa pays more back to it's members when they visit a Members First provider. This means that in most instances, members will receive higher benefits and have the certainty of knowing how much they’ll get back¹.

The new campaign, developed by AJF Partnership, educates Bupa members and non-members about the range of great value health and care services available across Australia.

“Bupa has always helped people live longer, healthier and happier lives. This purpose drives our continued investment in our Members First network," said Bupa’s Director of Health Insurance Marketing, Gretchen Fox.

"This campaign brings that network to life in a beautifully simple and compelling way."

AJF's Executive Creative Director, Andrew Foote, said the analogy represents the care and commitment that members will feel, knowing they're supported by more than 10,000 registered healthcare providers.

“During the creative process for this campaign, we were looking to humanise Bupa’s expansive network and interestingly, we found that a powerful way to do this was to not use humans at all," said AJF’s Executive Creative Director, Andrew Foote.

The campaign launched on 24 February and is running nationally across TV, outdoor, radio, social, online, press, instore, shopping centre panels and digital.

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¹For most items at our Members First extras providers covering dental, physio, chiro, podiatry consultations and selected optical. Yearly limits apply, waiting periods, fund and policy rules apply.

Dr Dwayne Crombie, Managing Director of Bupa Health Insurance, said where possible Bupa had sought to add value to policies and provide customers with higher cover, rather than remove items to meet the minimum criteria.

“The majority of Bupa customers will be better off or see no changes to their existing product because of the introduction of Gold, Silver, Bronze and Basic. People on top cover will now be on Gold cover with no changes to their hospital benefits,” Dr Crombie said.

“For those on Silver, Bronze or Basic cover, Bupa will be providing ‘Plus’ cover, where benefits are higher than the minimum requirements. This means we will be offering Silver plus, Bronze plus and Basic plus.

“Where we have removed items, most often in our budget products, we’ve tried to align that to the needs of customers. An example of this is joint replacements; some of our policies currently cover replacements for shoulder and ankle joints but not hip or knee. Under the new guidelines insurers have to cover all joint replacements or none at all.

“We know that many of our customers on Budget cover have limited use for hip and knee replacements so rather than add additional cost to their policy, we have chosen to remove shoulder and ankle procedures to maintain an affordable level of cover,” Dr Crombie said.

Like all health insurers, Bupa will also no longer be able to provide cover for some natural therapies as part of government reforms. Bupa will inform customers of how the changes will impact them as part of the annual rate review letter received from mid-February through to March.

“We’ll make it very clear to our customers where they have items removed. The aim of these reforms is to make health insurance clearer and easier to understand; we’re committed to delivering these changes in that spirit.

“Bupa is proud of maintaining meaningful value in our products for our customers. Having more in our health insurance policies is what differentiates us from our competitors,” Dr Crombie said.

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Dr Dwayne Crombie, Managing Director of Bupa Health Insurance, said the ex-gratia offer would be open to all existing customers, who held their policy at 1 February and who have received the Far North Queensland Floods Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment.

“These are catastrophic floods and the people of Townsville and surrounds should have one less thing to worry about,” Dr Crombie said.

“We’ll provide eligible customers with three months premium relief and no out-of-pocket dental check-ups and cleans at Bupa Dental Townsville and North Queensland Family Dental until 1 June 2019.

Eligible customers can contact Bupa on 134 135 or at a Bupa retail outlet. The Bupa Townsville store at Stockland Townsville Shopping Centre is open usual hours for business.

People can lodge their application from 11 February 2019 until 1 June 2019. Customers are required to provide evidence of receipt of the Far North Queensland Floods Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment from the Department of Human Services. Customers will be provided premium relief based on their level of cover as at 1 February 2019 and must have Extras cover that includes general dental to receive the dental offer.

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In his 2017 book Irresistible, NYU Stern School of Business professor Adam Alter revealed 46 per cent of young adults would choose to have a broken bone over a broken mobile phone.

Health insurer Bupa today announced its plan to help people avoid having to make that choice with the introduction of Bupa Valuables Insurance – online general insurance cover for specific items that people care about most, such as a mobile phone, bicycle, tablet or even musical instrument.

Fab Tiani, Bupa’s Director of Digital and Enterprise Growth, said Valuables Insurance is designed to provide cover for fire, theft, storm, flood, cyclone and accidental damage or loss.

“You only pay to insure the items that you cherish rather than paying to insure everything in your home,” Mr Tiani said.

“It’s designed for those new to insurance or millennials in share houses. It can provide cover for those without contents insurance and individuals who don’t think they need it or renters – almost two-thirds of renters don’t take out contents insurance.

“You will only pay to insure the specific items you value most, rather than paying to insure everything in your home.

“Additionally, because the product is only available online costs are kept down, meaning premiums start at just a few dollars a week,” Mr Tiani said.

Bupa Valuables Insurance is distributed by Bupa HI Pty Ltd ABN 81 000 057 590 an authorised representative of the issuer, Insurance Australia Limited ABN 11 000 016 722 AFSL 227681. Any advice is general only and does not take into account your personal circumstances. Consider the Product Disclosure Statement to see if this product is right for you.

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Bianca Archibald, Bupa Merrivale Care Home Caregiver

With the release of a new Bupa parental leave policy, extra support for people like Bianca Archibald, Bupa Merrivale Care Home Caregiver, is a ‘real bonus’ to the start of 2019.

The new policy provides additional paid leave to all Bupa employees across New Zealand. It will give them access to an additional 12 weeks of paid (primary carer) leave and two weeks of secondary carer leave. In addition to the new parental leave policy, Bupa has also committed to providing employees 20 days paid domestic violence leave.

Bianca Archibald, Bupa Merrivale Care Home Caregiver, is pregnant with her first child and is due in early April and says the additional paid leave will be a big help to families.

"Pregnancy is a stressful time with lots going on, so it’s nice not to have to worry about the extra support. Just to know that it’s going to be ok and sorted is great and a real bonus," Ms Archibald said.

The Bupa parental leave policy will be additional to the standard Government parental leave benefits.

Kate Dee, Bupa’s Australia and New Zealand People Director, said that investing in people is a priority for Bupa.

"We’re excited to offer this new policy as it illustrates our serious commitment to our people. This includes supporting them through the important milestones in life such as parenthood.

We want to be supportive to our people so that they can continue to deliver on our purpose of helping people to live longer, healthier, happier lives for our residents," Ms Dee said.

Increased parental leave is proven to increase retention rates of employees, reduced training and recruitment costs.

Each episode features a real-life story from a parent, with Kids Helpline counsellor Leo providing expert insight and advice.

Find Mumbles, and more resources for connecting families here. Or search Mumbles in your favourite podcast platform.

14^th Jan - Episode One: The impact of bullying

Bullying is awful, no matter what the circumstances. So, what happens when it goes so far that your child has to move schools? Renee shares her heartfelt story in our very first episode.

21^st Jan - Episode Two: Struggles with everyday anxiety

What’s it really like dealing with anxiety at a young age? Debbie shares how she responded to her daughter’s fears and helped her to move to a place of feeling more confident and in control.

29^th Jan - Episode Three: Social anxiety and withdrawal

Starting high school can be a stressful time, especially for young people struggling with anxiety. Rachel shares her story of how she has supported her daughter through social situations, and helped her build better coping strategies.

4^th Feb - Episode Four: Family life with ADHD

What’s it like to have multiple children with ADHD? Ruth shares how she supports her three boys, who all have various types of ADHD. It’s a wonderful story of understanding, adapting and growing together.

11^th Feb - Episode Five: Teens and social media

How do you support teens who have a history of trauma and an addiction to their smartphones? Carlie shares her deeply personal story that’s highly relatable in today’s tech-savvy world.

More information:

For information on the Kids Helpline @ School Wellbeing program and to register your interest click here.

Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25 – call 1800 55 1800 or visit kidshelpline.com.au.

He has significant strategic communications, public affairs, media and external relations experience across multiple sectors and geographies.

He has a strong track record of building both highly effective teams and corporate reputation, having spent the past decade in roles with the Victorian Government’s Department of Health and Human Services, Treasury Wines and Cadbury.

Prior to this he was an adviser within the British Government.

“I am very pleased to welcome Roger Sharp back to Bupa. He has a strong history of building successful, engaged and positive teams,” said Richard Bowden, Chief Executive Officer of Bupa A&NZ.

Roger will start at Bupa in February.

Dr Dwayne Crombie, Managing Director of Bupa Health Insurance, said the lower rate was recognition of affordability and cost of living challenges facing Australian families.

“The increase in healthcare costs hasn’t gone away, but it’s not good enough to expect customers alone to keep absorbing these costs,” Dr Crombie said.

“This lower increase means we will share some of that cost with our members, but we also continue the push for broader reform of the health system as every component has a role to play in keeping healthcare affordable for Australians.

“The introduction of age-based discounting aims to encourage broad participation across all ages, not just older or less healthy people. Any measure that makes health insurance more affordable for all Australians is important.

“While we have the lowest operating costs of any of the big funds, the amount we paid in claims last year increased 4.7 per cent which equates to $139m. This means more of our members are getting benefit from their coverage. It also reflects the rising cost of continuing to provide world class healthcare.

“We remain committed to delivering value to our customers with initiatives such as our Members First Platinum dental network to provide no out of pocket costs on a range of common preventative dental services.

“We will also expand our no excess cover for children in hospital (effective 1 July 2019), further adding value for families to our gap free offers for dental, optical, podiatry, chiropractic and physiotherapy treatments for children,” Dr Crombie said.

The premium change will take effect from 1 April 2019. For more information please view our FAQs.

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Hisham El-Ansary is currently Bupa Australia and New Zealand’s Chief Financial and Strategy Officer and joined Bupa in 2008.

In his ten years with the company Mr El-Ansary has held a variety of roles including Managing Director of the Health Services business as well as holding responsibility for strategy, M&A and business development.

He led the company’s move into Dental and Medical Visa Services. He is known for his focus on the customer and his broad and deep understanding of the business. Over the past 30 years, he has held senior executive roles in a variety of industries including retail, energy, aviation and construction.

Mr El-Ansary is a Fellow of CPA Australia and of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is also a director of children’s charity, Very Special Kids.

Mr Bowden joined Bupa in 2002 when the company acquired AXA Australia Health, where he was Managing Director. As MD of Bupa Australia, he oversaw the company’s significant expansion and growth, including the acquisition of MBF in 2008 and the launch of the Bupa brand in Australia in 2011. In 2012, he moved to the UK for four years as Chief Executive of Bupa’s UK businesses, returning to his native Australia in 2017.

Bupa Australia & New Zealand Chairman Nicola Roxon, recognised Mr Bowden for his long and distinguished career:

“Richard has made a wonderful contribution to Bupa and will leave a lasting legacy when he retires from Bupa next year

“We have known about Richard’s plans for some time and are delighted Hisham has been appointed as his successor.”

Noting the key role Mr El-Ansary has played in Bupa over the last decade, Ms Roxon commented:

“Hisham’s knowledge of Bupa and of the health and care sector make him ideally equipped to lead Bupa Australia and New Zealand over the next phase of its development. He is a passionate advocate for excellence and for putting customers front and centre, and we look forward to a smooth leadership transition over the coming months.”

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The robotics are designed to help muscles regain strength and for the nervous system to relearn motor skills and develop new neural pathways in the brain.

Patients are suspended from a harness and the robotic movements take the patient through the motions of walking, stair climbing and standing strongly.

Bupa Therapy Operations Manager, Angela Aldous says the robotics can help people with neurological and orthopaedics conditions.

"The robotics system has been designed to help people with a range of conditions, including spinal cord injury, stroke, traumatic brain injuries, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis," she says.

"It has a wide application and is also helping those with orthopaedic conditions, and where mobility and gait training is required."

For more information about the robotic G-EO System^TM or Bupa Therapy, call (03) 7017 8580 or visit the Bupa Therapy website.

Everyone is welcome. You don’t have to be a Bupa member or NDIS participant.

About Bupa Therapy

Bupa Therapy provides speech pathology, occupational therapy and physiotherapy for adults with neurological and physical conditions, offering a “one stop therapy” experience.

The state-of-the-art facility, located in West Melbourne, Victoria, includes a rehabilitation gymnasium for individual and group therapy sessions, as well as individual treatment rooms and some of the latest rehabilitation equipment available.

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The Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt, says the minimum hospital treatments covered by the new policy bands will be in place by April 1 2019.

Bupa says it has advocated for greater transparency and communication of health insurance products and costs for some time.

That has included working with government and other appropriate reform bodies to help make industry-wide changes that further reduce complexity and increase transparency for customers.

"One of the key government decisions will be the minimum level of cover required in a bronze product to attract the rebate. There is a real balance needed between keeping things affordable for those with tight budgets while wanting to have products that are worthwhile and which don’t incentivise more expensive care by providers than is really needed," Bupa said in a statement.

Mr Hunt says the system will not lead to a change in prices for procedures, but will allow consumers to clearly see what their policies pay for.

"For the first time, people will be able to see on a single page what is included and what isn't. There's no increase in prices as a result of this," he told the Nine Network.

"We're not changing policies, we're categorising them so that everybody can see very simply what's in, what's out. Exactly what they are personally covered for."

A gold policy includes everything, including treatments many people don't need, said Mr Hunt.

"One of the great complaints that we have is that many males, many women beyond child bearing age will say, I've only just discovered I'm being covered for pregnancy when of course there's no need for that," he said.

The government has recommended 20 basic hospital treatments, including appendix surgeries, chemotherapy and tonsillectomies be covered by all bronze policies. 

Procedures such as IVF and joint replacements would be included under gold coverage.

Gold/Silver/Bronze policy classification was one of a suite of reforms announced by the Government in October last year.

The Government is still working through final details on a number of the other reforms, which the industry across the board has supported and says it will help consumers.

Further information about the new product tiers and the treatments covered by health fund products will be provided to customers in the first half of 2019.

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“At Bupa, we’re always looking for more ways to deliver additional value and make quality health care affordable for our customers,” Ms Thilo said.

“Bupa is pleased to announce its new Members First Platinum dental network, which will provide our customers (who have combined hospital and extras cover*) with no out-of-pocket costs on a range of common preventative dental services. This includes general check-ups, mouthguards and x-rays.

“Bupa Dental customers currently receive outstanding value when they visit a Members First dental provider. The Members First network allows our customers to receive dental care without unexpected gap payments, in line with their health insurance policies. Bupa’s new Members First Platinum network will offer even greater value to our customers.

“This new network, which will operate at select clinics across Australia from September, will provide our customers with more options about which dental clinic they choose and how much they pay for general dental check-ups and preventative care. The current Members First network will continue to be available for Bupa customers to utilise, with the benefits of the current Members First arrangements continuing to apply in full.

“We know that regular dental check-ups and preventative dental care are essential for good oral health, as well as overall health. We also know that the cost of dental care sadly prevents many Australians from seeing a dentist. Members First Platinum has been designed to ensure Bupa customers can have regular check-ups and preventative care by removing some of the financial burden.

“We know that dentists are passionate about the oral health of their patients and we’re confident that many dentists will be interested in removing patients’ out-of-pocket costs via the new Members First Platinum network. Dentists are invited to apply to become a Members First Platinum network provider. It is a voluntary initiative, with no changes to existing Members First arrangements,” Ms Thilo said.

Bupa is aiming to have a number of Members First Platinum providers across Australia. Information for Members First dentists regarding the new network and application details are currently being distributed.

Bupa customers will be informed in September 2018 about where the new Members First Platinum dental providers are located, as well as details of our ongoing Members First providers.

Up next: Free dental check-ups with Members First Platinum

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*Refers to Bupa customers with hospital and extras cover where benefits are payable. Waiting periods, fund and policy rules apply.

“We appreciate the speed in which Cricket Australia has responded to the ball tampering issue. Our sports people need to be role models for our children and the bar needs to be set high. We support the sanctions handed down to the players involved and are encouraged that those involved are getting the health support and care they need during this time. We fully support the decision to have a full review of the culture of Cricket Australia. It is critical to us that we have partners that are aligned to Bupa’s values and expectations of the broader Australian community."

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This three-year partnership establishes Bupa as a dedicated supporter of Tasmanian football, as well as the wider, local community.

“It’s fantastic to have Bupa on board as the league’s major partner. Bupa is a well-known and respected health and care company, with strong ties across the state. Bupa also has a proud history of supporting clubs in the AFL, and we’re thrilled to have them behind the TSL,” TSL Manager Carl Saunder explained.

“It has been a challenging period for the TSL and it is fantastic to have the support and backing of a reputable company that truly cares about Tasmania.”

“We are excited for the first bounce of the Bupa TSL season on Good Friday. It is shaping up as a great season with a balanced competition and exciting talent across our seven clubs,” Mr Saunder said.

Bupa has a strong presence in Tasmania and their relationship with the Apple Isle only strengthens with this new partnership, providing meaningful support to the local game.

Peter Hudson, Tasmanian born ex-AFL player and Bupa Australia’s Head of Marketing Development, confirmed the great opportunity of having Bupa partner with the TSL.

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