RiskeBusiness (ReB) Articles

Medical cannabis: From research breakthroughs to shifting public perceptions and ensuring safe use

In this article from Science direct (Integrative Medicine Research) published in December 2024 based on Korean research, learn about the evolution of medical cannabis use and the recent advances in medical cannabis including some of the emerging results from current clinical trials. 

ALUCA CPD POINT: 1 TECHNICAL

READ article ScienceDirect

What is Ethics?

Ethics is about more than just following rules—it’s the freedom to choose how we act and make decisions that reflect who we truly are. At its core, ethics challenges us to question what’s good, right, and purposeful in our lives, helping us navigate complex choices. In this piece by The Ethics Centre, explore how ethics helps us define our values, principles, and purpose. It’s about taking responsibility for our actions, standing by our beliefs, and making decisions we can truly live with. Ready to dive deeper into what guides us to make the best choices? Click to read more.

ALUCA CPD POINT: 0.5 ETHICS

READ article The Ethics Centre

Top Trends 2025, Life Insurance

In this interesting “Top trends 2025, Life Insurance” trend book from Capgemini  read about the new trends that have emerged that are changing the way life insurers approach their business. Find about the three core themes that Capgemini believe will drive the future of life insurance. These include Customer first, Enterprise Management and Intelligent industry.

ALUCA CPD POINT: 1 CUSTOMER and 1 GENERAL

READ article by Capgemini Research Institute

Ending this Loneliness Together

In this state of the nation report on “Loneliness in Australia” by Ending Loneliness Together, they share that at least 1 in 3 of us feel lonely, and 1 in 6 of us feel very lonely at any given time. Loneliness is an experience that affects all of us but some of us are more vulnerable than others. Young people, carers, people who have poorly met financial needs, those who live in rural areas, live alone, have chronic disease and poor mental health, are particularly vulnerable to loneliness . The implications of loneliness go beyond the individual and also negatively affect Australia’s economy. Loneliness not only leads to increased risk of illness and increased burden on our health services, but also reduced workplace productivity. Find out more about this in the full report.

ALUCA CPD POINT: 1 CUSTOMER

READ article by Ending Loneliness

How to live a good life

What do you need to flourish in life? Philosophy and science suggest there are six key ingredients to live a good life.

ALUCA CPD POINT: 1 ETHICS

READ article by Ethics.org

CapGemini’s Top Trends 2025 Life Insurance

This interesting article from Capgemini provides a comprehensive overview of the top life insurance stats and trends that will define the life insurance industry in coming year, offering insights into how carriers can stay competitive, drive growth, and meet the evolving demands of policyholders.

ALUCA CPD POINT: 1 GENERAL

READ article by CapGemini

Systematic review and narrative synthesis of cognition in perimenopause: The role of risk factors and menopausal symptoms

ALUCA CPD POINT: 0.5 TECHNICAL

READ article by ScienceDirect

Examining fraudulent claims through AFCA’s eyes

AFCA’s Approach. It is widely known that AFCA is not bound strictly by legal principles or precedent. Indeed, this approach to decision-making is enshrined in AFCA’s Complaint Resolution Scheme Rules at Rules A.14.2 and A.14.3 which state:

ALUCA CPD POINT: 0.5 REGULATORY

READ article by Madison Marcus

Long COVID: A Clinical Update

Discover how long COVID impacts health and what advancements in research are uncovering about this complex condition. In this comprehensive review by The Lancet, experts explore the persistent symptoms and severe effects of long COVID, from organ damage to quality of life impacts. Drawing on insights from epidemiology, clinical studies, and real-life experiences, the paper highlights current treatments, evolving research on biomarkers, and personalized care approaches. Dive in to understand long COVID’s effects on individuals and healthcare systems and what the future might hold for those affected.

ALUCA CPD POINT: 1 TECHNICAL

READ article The Lancet

How to deal with differing work ethics between generations?

Feeling frustrated when others don’t match your effort is natural, especially in a fast-evolving workplace. As automation reshapes tasks and five generations work side by side for the first time, questions of fairness and workload balance have never been more relevant. Understanding how generational values shape attitudes toward work can offer valuable insights into these challenges. Dive into the latest research from the Ethics Centre on bridging generational work ethics and creating a more harmonious workforce.

ALUCA CPD POINT: 1 GENERAL

READ article The Ethics Centre

The Well-Being of Working Parents

The COVID-19 pandemic placed immense pressure on working parents, who have had to juggle professional responsibilities with caregiving roles. Many reported feeling overwhelmed, burned out, and ineffective. In the summer of 2021, McKinsey surveyed over 35,000 US working parents to explore how they’ve coped and what impact this has had on their mental health and well-being. This interactive report sheds light on their experiences and offers practical suggestions from parents themselves on how employers can better support them.

ALUCA CPD POINT: 0.5 TECHNICAL

READ article by McKinsey

Prioritizing brain health: Scaling what works to add years to life and life to years

How many additional years of optimal health could be gained if mental and substance-use disorders were treated with the same priority as other health conditions? The McKinsey Health Institute, in collaboration with the Healthy Brains Global Initiative, set out to explore this question through a series of interactive studies.

ALUCA CPD POINT: 0.5 TECHNICAL

READ article by McKinsey

How to achieve great health for all? Start in your city

Unlock the potential for healthier cities! The McKinsey Health Institute (MHI) reveals that targeted city-level interventions could add 20 to 25 billion years of higher-quality life globally—equating to five extra years per person in urban areas. With cities projected to house 70% of the population by 2050, this is a game-changing opportunity. Discover how organizations can make an immediate impact on longevity, brain health, climate resilience, and healthcare capacity. Don’t miss out on how your city could lead the way to a healthier future!

ALUCA CPD POINT: 1 GENERAL

READ article by McKinsey

The missing billion: Lack of disability data impedes healthcare equity

According to the McKinsey Health Institute, 1.3 billion people live with significant disabilities, often facing substantial barriers to healthcare. Addressing the lack of health data on this population is crucial for reducing care inequity and improving outcomes. Discover more about these critical issues and proposed solutions in our latest report.​​​​​​​

ALUCA CPD POINT: 0.5 TECHNICAL

READ article by McKinsey

The Ethics Centre – Productivity isn’t working, so why not try being more ethical

In this interesting article from The Ethics Centre discover why improving productivity isn’t working and explore the power of ethical behavior in transforming the economy. In this insightful analysis, Ross Gittins discusses the potential for ethics to enhance prosperity and reduce societal angst. Don’t miss this compelling argument for a more ethical and prosperous future and how market economies rely on a high degree of trust.

ALUCA CPD POINT: 0.5 PROFESSIONALISM and ETHICS

READ article by The Ethics Centre

Working Nine to Thrive

In this article from McKinsey and Company, discover how aligning employment with modifiable health drivers can enhance life quality and generate trillions in economic value. Learn how employers can leverage factors like social interaction, mindsets, and sleep to create a thriving workforce and benefit society. Explore the potential of these six key drivers of health as identified by the McKinsey Health Institute (MHI) that employers can influence and learn about the benefits when employers and employees work together to improve these modifiable drivers of health.  

ALUCA CPD POINT: 1 GENERAL

READ article by McKinsey

Reframing employee health: Moving beyond burnout to holistic health

McKinsey Health Institute – November 2, 2023

A McKinsey Health Institute survey of 30,000 employees in 30 countries emphasizes the importance of holistic health at work, including physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being. Positive work experiences improve holistic health and job performance. Effective strategies should address both enablers (like flexible work policies) and demands (like workload). Employers have a significant opportunity to impact employee health positively, highlighting the need for a balanced approach to workplace health.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 0.5 – GENERAL

READ article by McKinsey Health Institute

Ernst & Young – How to build a resilient mindset

Developing organizational resilience starts with leadership, emphasizing a clear purpose to navigate challenges effectively. Leaders play a crucial role in fostering resilience by maintaining a realistic yet optimistic outlook, which helps overcome obstacles and achieve long-term goals. A resilient mindset involves adapting to challenges, using effective coping strategies, and staying flexible amidst changing demands. In this article from Ernst & Young, Heidi Grant from EY outlines a three-step approach: leaders find their ‘why,’ encourage diverse ideas within teams, and integrate resilience strategies into organizational culture to build lasting resilience.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 0.5 – GENERAL

READ article by Ernst & Young

The Ethics Centre – Ethics Explainer: Shame

Shame is a complicated emotion. It’s most often characterised by feelings of inadequacy, humiliation and self-consciousness in relation to ourselves, others or social and cultural standards, sometimes resulting in a sense of exposure or vulnerability. This article from The Ethics Centre looks at the distinction between guilt and shame and where shame can go wrong.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 0.5 – PROFESSIONALISM AND ETHICS

READ article by The Ethics Centre

Why Should Anyone Be Led By You? Harvard Business Review

For any ALUCA members looking to upskill in leadership or refresh their existing leadership knowledge, this McKinsey Award-winning article and video by Gareth Jones and Robert Goffee delves into the unexpected qualities that leaders need in order to be truly inspirational.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 0.5 BUSINESS & TECHNICAL + 0.5 PROFESSIONALISM & ETHICS = 1 POINT TOTAL

READ article from the Harvard Business Review and WATCH video from The HR Congress

McKinsey Health Institute – Closing the Women’s Health Gap: A $1 Trillion Opportunity to Improve Lives and Economies

While improving women’s health has positive economic outcomes, it is foremost an issue of health equity and inclusivity. Addressing the women’s health gap could improve the quality of life for women, as well as creating positive ripples in society, such as improving future generations’ health and boosting healthy ageing.

This detailed report by the McKinsey Health Institute explores the definition of women’s health beyond reproductive health, gender-responsive care delivery systems, drug withdrawals due to women’s health risks, data gaps, timely diagnosis barriers and much more.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 2 – TECHNICAL

READ report by the McKinsey Health Institute

RGA: Artificial Intelligence – A New Frontier for Rehabilitation

To complement ALUCA’s recent webinar ‘Towards Tomorrow: Exploring the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Rehabilitation’, this article by Linda Winterbottom, Claims Rehabilitation Consultant at RGA, delves into the potentially transformative impact of AI on the rehabilitation ecosystem.

This fascinating and timely piece explores AI’s demonstrated benefits in diagnostics, mental health, therapeutic care and recovery, AI’s integration into vocational and occupational rehabilitation, the limitations and risks, as well as providing case studies.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 0.5 – TECHNICAL

READ article by Linda Winterbottom, Claims Rehabilitation Consultant at RGA

Harvard Business Review: A Simple Hack to Help You Communicate More Effectively

In our rapidly evolving world, effective communication has never been more critical, with our personal and professional success being potentially influenced by every conversation, negotiation, meeting, or pitch. We are much more likely to achieve our communication goals if we package our messages in a clear, concise, logical manner.

In this article by Matt Abrahams, a lecturer in Organisational Behaviour at Stanford Graduate School of Business, he presents a simple three-question structure that can be leveraged as a tool when making introductions, presentations, answering questions, providing feedback and more.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 0.5 – CUSTOMER

READ ARTICLE on the Harvard Business Review website

Gen Re: Generative Artificial Intelligence in Insurance – Three Lessons for Transformation from Past Arrivals of General-Purpose Technologies

Past arrivals of general-purpose technologies (GPTs) offer insights into potential implications of the diffusion process of generative artificial intelligence (AI). Among these insights are three lessons for transformation: the benefits of labor augmentation, the velocity of the feedback cycle between ongoing technical improvement and innovation in application sectors, and the possibility of a J‑curve effect in productivity.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 0.5 – BUSINESS, TECHNICAL AND SPECIALIST

READ article by Gen Re

Deloitte: Mind the Gap – How to Provide the Australian Community with the Life Insurance it Needs

According to Deloitte’s 2023 research, the Australian public is currently up to 60-80% underinsured, presenting a compelling opportunity for life insurers to fill this social need.

In this insightful report, Deloitte estimates the Australian life insurance industry could grow to more than three times its current size by addressing the under-served and underinsured segments of the market, such as the middle-income segment. Life insurers have the opportunity to reach and better serve this middle market through innovation in product, channel, network management and engagement. Success will be achieved when insurers take a system-wide view and place the social good agenda alongside their own growth ambitions.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 1 – GENERAL

Download and READ Mind the Gap by Deloitte (link is under the social media icons)

The Conversation: Several companies are testing brain implants – why is there so much attention swirling around Neuralink? Two professors unpack the ethical issues

In January 2024, Elon Musk announced his company Neuralink has implanted its first computer chip in a human subject’s brain. In what is usually considered the realm of science fiction, now academic and commercial groups are testing “brain-computer interface” devices to enable people with disabilities to function more independently.

In this fascinating article from The Conversation, a Professor of Bioethics and Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery address the topics of safety, ethics and neuroscience surrounding this groundbreaking technology.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: ETHICS 0.5

READ article by The Conversation

Risk Info: 2023 Zurich TPD Round Table Parts 1-5

As part of the Risk Info Round Table Series, this industry-wide panel discusses the challenges associated with Total and Permanent Disability Insurance in Australia, such as assessing ‘Permanency’, the rise of mental-illness related TPD Claims and more. Featuring ALUCA Board Member Carmel Twist and ALUCA Life Member (and previous Board Member) Carly Van Den Akker.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 1.5 – TECHNICAL

READ more and View Risk Info Zurich TPD Roundtable Videos

PWC: Experience is Everything. Get it Right.

Give customers a great experience and they’ll buy more, be more loyal and share their experience with friends. What truly makes for a good experience? Speed. Convenience. Consistency. Friendliness. And one big connector: human touch—that is, creating real connections by making technology feel more human and giving employees what they need to create better customer experiences.

This fascinating report by PWC reveals a number of key customer insights including the price premium of good customer experience, the impact of bad experiences, what people value most in their customer experience, human vs automated interaction in Australia vs overseas and much more.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 1 – CUSTOMER

READ the Key Findings and READ Full Report by PWC

KPMG’s Life Insurance Insights 2023

Unveiled at ALUCA’s Executive Leader Forum in Canberra in October 2023, KPMG’s Life Insurance Insights provides analysis and key figures for the Australian life insurance market based on financial results up to 30 June 2023. This report details industry size, industry profits, product revenue, customer impact and much more.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 1 – GENERAL

READ Life Insurance Insights 2023 by KPMG

The Human Technology Institute – Facial Recognition Technology: Towards a model law

In Australia and around the world, facial recognition technology is growing exponentially. Facial recognition technology is used to unlock a smartphone, organise photos of friends and family, in home security systems, at passport control, and in monitoring and surveillance by employers and law enforcement.

While facial recognition is primarily used to identify an individual or to verify that they are who they claim to be, it is increasingly being used also to assess characteristics, such as a person’s age, gender or even emotions. Our law should protect against harmful uses of facial recognition, while also fostering innovation for public benefit.

ALUCA CPD POINTS 0.75 total: – LEGAL 0.25 + ETHICS 0.50

READ Report Overview and READ Exec Summary pages 6-13 of the Report by The Human Technology Institute – Facial Recognition Technology: Towards a Model Law

The Ethics Centre – On saying “sorry” most readily, when we least need to

A word that can mean little can mean much. This article by The Ethics Centre considers the intentions, perceptions and power behind a word so commonly used in society. Even if we haven’t done wrong technically, we might have had a chance to help, and turned away. Using “sorry” to express true regret—to “repent”—could be the rarest use of “sorry” there is.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: ETHICS 0.25

READ article by The Ethics Centre

ATLIS 2023 Paper 2nd Runner-Up, ‘REP760: What can we learn from the Silver Screen?’

This paper, by Stuart Wing – Product Manager at REST, analyses ASIC REP760, the learnings to be gleaned and why now is the time for Super Funds and Insurers alike to be placing value for money and the member journey at the front of their collective minds.

ALUCA CPD POINTS 0.5: GENERAL

READ REP760: What can we Learn from the Silver Screen?

ATLIS 2023 Paper 1st Runner-Up, ‘Redefining the Role of Life Insurance’

This paper, by Vanessa Back – Senior Claims Consultant at RGA, examines the advancements in digital and data capabilities, allowing life insurers to involve themselves in preventative and predictive health solutions for customers in the pursuit of a common goal – to live longer, healthier lives thereby producing a healthier book of business, reducing claims costs and improving industry sustainability.

ALUCA CPD POINTS 0.5: GENERAL

READ Redefining the Role of Life Insurance

ATLIS 2023 Winning Paper, ‘The Rise of Artificial Intelligence – Life Insurance Implications: Is the Risk Worth the Reward?’

This paper, by Matthew Garrett – Claims Technical Specialist at the Australian Retirement Trust, breaks down the complex issues around AI into an easy to digest analysis of how AI has the capacity to revolutionise life insurance for the good of customer and insurer alike.

ALUCA CPD POINTS 0.5 total: – TECHNICAL 0.25 + ETHICS 0.25

READ The Rise of Artificial Intelligence – Life Insurance Implications: Is the Risk Worth the Reward?

The Conversation – Erasing or Replacing Errors in a Patient’s Genetic Code can Treat and Cure Some Genetic Diseases

This recent piece by David Liu, Professor of the Natural Sciences at Harvard University, looks at gene editing as a way to alter sections of a person’s DNA to correct mutations, in the hopes of treating or even curing genetic diseases. The article also discusses the ethical aspects of this new technology.

ALUCA CPD POINTS 0.5 total: – TECHNICAL 0.25 + ETHICS 0.25

READ article on Gene Editing by The Conversation

The Conversation – How do Blood Tests Work? Medical Laboratory Scientists Explain the Pathway from Blood Draw to Diagnosis and Treatment

To complement ALUCA’s webinar ‘Understanding Lab Test Results’, this article from The Conversation by Rodney E. Rohde, Regents’ Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science at Texas State University and Nicholas Moore, Associate Professor of Medical Laboratory Science at Rush University, describes how blood specimens are collected, testing pathways, the challenges faced as well as the evolution of medical laboratory testing.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 0.5 – TECHNICAL

READ article by The Conversation

The Ethics Centre – Who are You? Why Identity Matters to Ethics

A cornerstone of ethics is our fundamental human need to be recognised for who we are and who we want to be. This article from the Ethics Centre discusses the concept of identity crisis and the ethics of recognition.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 0.5 – PROFESSIONALISM AND ETHICS

READ Who are You? Why Identity Matters to Ethics by The Ethics Centre

The Ethics Centre – The New Normal: The Ethical Equivalence of Cisgender and Transgender Identities

This article from the Ethics Centre looks at the complex relationship between sex and gender. What drives clashes is divergence over the metaphysics of sex and gender: what is ‘sex’, really? What is ‘gender’, really? The way we answer these questions shapes our estimation of which people can belong to which group, how people can behave, and in what ways society should recognise our identities. 

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 0.5 – PROFESSIONALISM AND ETHICS

READ The New Normal: The Ethical Equivalence of Cisgender and Transgender Identities by The Ethics Centre

Latest Medical Advances in Cancer Detection by Pacific Life Re

This report by ALUCA Gold Sponsor Pacific Life Re focuses on new diagnostic techniques aiming to diagnose cancer at earlier stages.

Cancer is easier to treat if it is diagnosed early. Multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests are being developed which aim to detect cancers at more treatable stages. These tests seek to identify fragments of DNA circulating in blood which have been released by cancers. The ability to diagnose (or rule out) cancer using a simple, minimally invasive test could be extremely valuable. Data from a recent trial sheds light on how effective the technology currently is and what its major limitations are.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 0.5 – TECHNICAL

READ Latest Medical Advances in Cancer Detection by Pacific Life Re

Capgemini’s Top Trends in Life Insurance 2023

This report by Capgemini looks at the drivers, opportunities, and risks shaping the life insurance industry in 2023, revealing the tactical and strategic initiatives carriers are undertaking to ensure profitable growth and future readiness.

Life insurance reinvention will continue in 2023 as the industry aims to ensure ongoing relevancy. Pushed by current geopolitical and financial challenges, life insurers remain hyper-focused on system modernisation, digital transformation and innovation to boost customer centricity.

Moreover, worldwide risk awareness sparked by the pandemic has encouraged carriers to personalise solutions and focus on bettering customer lives through financial wellness. We also anticipate firms to continue to invest in intelligent automation, omnichannel distribution, and cloud solutions.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 1 – GENERAL

READ Top Trends in Life Insurance 2023 by Capgemini

The Ethics Centre: ESG is not just about ticking boxes, it’s about earning the public’s trust

This article by The Ethics Centre discusses that in order to earn the public’s trust, businesses need to take Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards seriously, and communicate what they’re doing authentically and transparently.

ESG is a framework used to assess a business’s activities and performance on ethical and sustainable issues. This includes an organisation’s ability to safeguard the environment, manage relationships with employees, supply chains and the community, and how company leadership, shareholder rights and internal controls monitor the outcomes. Importantly, the framework serves as a tool to assess how an organisation manages risks and opportunities in our changing world. 

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 0.5 – PROFESSIONALISM AND ETHICS

READ the article from The Ethics Centre

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW): Overweight and Obesity

Based on the latest available data, two in three (67%) of Australian adults are living with overweight or obesity. This is approximately 12.5 million adults. These interactive graphs by the AIHW explores the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Australian children and adults, revealing the variations by population groups, remoteness and socioeconomic areas.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 1 – TECHNICAL

READ the AIHW’s Overweight and Obesity Report

Bain & Company – Customer Behaviour and Loyalty in Insurance: Global Edition 2023

The traditional premise of insurance—providing capital to cover risk and reimburse claims—doesn’t fully satisfy anymore. Customers increasingly are looking for help from insurers to reduce and even prevent the risks that pervade their lives.

This detailed report by Bain & Company delves into a desire from consumers globally for more convenient digital tools, more risk-prevention services, a greater value on purpose, personalised experiences and much more.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 1 – CUSTOMER

READ Customer Behaviour and Loyalty in Insurance: Global Edition 2023

The Ethics Centre – Ethics Explainer: Truth and Honesty

How do we know we’re telling the truth? If someone asks you for the time, do you ever consider the accuracy of your response? This article from the Ethics Centre discusses the theories of truth as well as the ethical aspects of truth and honesty.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 0.25 – PROFESSIONALISM AND ETHICS

READ

The Ethics Centre – Ethics Explainer: Trust

Trust forms the foundation for relationships, cooperation, social interaction and the development of societies, but it is equally important as it is dangerous. This article from The Ethics Centre looks at the distinction between trust and trustworthiness, the ethics of trust, as well as defining interpersonal vs institutional trust.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 0.25 – PROFESSIONALISM AND ETHICS

READ

World Economic Forum: Global Gender Gap Report

Following ALUCA’s popular International Women’s Day event held last month, we share the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2022, which benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions (Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment).

After benchmarking 146 countries, the report found it will take another 132 years to close the global gender gap. As crises are compounding, women’s workforce outcomes are suffering and the risk of global gender parity backsliding further intensifies.

So how did Australia and New Zealand rank? Find out:

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 1 – GENERAL

READ the Global Gender Gap Report 2022 by the World Economic Forum

Cutaneous Melanoma: An Underwriting Primer by Hank George, FALU

Did you know that melanomas are gram for gram the deadliest cancer in humans? This insightful paper by Hank George FALU details useful information for underwriters including Melanoma Pathology Report Analysis, the significance of family history as a risk factor, Melanoma staging, additional prognostic factors and much more.

Hank George, FALU, has been in the life insurance industry for over 40 years, specialising in medical underwriting. He has published over 500 articles and addressed most major life industry organisations in North America and in over a dozen other countries.

ALUCA CPD POINTS: 1 – TECHNICAL

READ Cutaneous Melanoma Underwriting Primer by Hank George, FALU