Tony's story with heart disease

Tony was 44 when first diagnosed with heart problems, which lead to a double bypass. A superfit police officer, who regularly participated in endurance sports, everyone was shocked by the diagnosis. While Tony’s surgery was successful, his recovery was complicated by depression and stress, which on his doctor’s advice lead to an extended period off work.

On the financial side, you might say that Tony was relatively fortunate even though he had limited personal cover in place. Being a member of the police force meant that almost 80 per cent of his income was paid to him while he spent the next 13 months convalescing (under a combination of regular sick leave, a sick leave ‘bank’ in his award and Work Cover).

When Tony returned to work, his reduced salary continued because he couldn’t perform at his previous level. Within five months, Tony’s depression returned and he decided to retire from the police force.

Two years on, Tony and his wife now rely on her nurse’s income to pay all their living expenses, sizeable mortgage repayments and ongoing medical bills ($130 per visit for Tony’s counselling and $300-$400 per visit for his cardiologist).  On the advice of his doctors, Tony is planning to take a year off to rest before looking for another job. He is also expecting to receive a lump sum disability payment from his super fund soon.

While Tony was fortunate to get considerable financial support from his former employer, the financial stress of a high mortgage and job insecurity – fearing he could no longer cope as a policeman – impeded his recovery.

What difference would Trauma cover have made? It would have allowed the couple to reduce their substantial mortgage debt and give Tony the breathing space to re-evaluate his employment options without worrying about money.