MLC Life Insurance is extending its Vivo health and wellness service to financial advisers, following its launch to customers last month.

Vivo provides a suite of services to MLC Life Insurance customers to improve their physical health, mental health and wellbeing. It brings together all the support and tools available and is offered at no additional cost.

MLC Life Insurance is now making Vivo’s Virtual Care service available to advisers and their practice staff that partner with MLC Life Insurance.

It offers access to the following services:

• Doctors Online: To get answers to general and non-urgent medical questions from a panel of registered doctors in Australia.
• An Expert Medical Opinion: An in-depth review of any physical condition from leading global medical experts, delivering a better understanding of diagnoses and treatment options
• Mental Health Navigator: A discreet, expert clinical review of diagnosis and treatment plans for mental health conditions.
• Fitness Consultant: A video consultation with an exercise physiologist who will deliver a fitness plan tailored to goals and lifestyle.
• Nutrition Consultant: A video consultation with a dietitian who will provide a nutrition plan tailored to goals and lifestyle.

Michael Downey, General Manager of Retail Distribution Partnerships, MLC Life Insurance, says that offering Vivo Virtual Care to financial advisers will provide them with an additional tool to address rising stress levels in the industry.

“The changes we have seen in the past few years have sadly brought a huge mental health burden on advisers. Personally, I have spoken to many who want to leave the industry because things are simply too hard,” he says.

The recent Australian Financial Advisers Wellbeing Report 2021¹ by Deakin University revealed that:

• 82% of practitioners found regulation and compliance to be ‘highly’ to ‘very highly’ stressful
• 73% of planners experienced high levels of burnout from work
• 67% deal with some level of depression
• 17% were depressed most or all the time.

“While we are helping customers to improve their health and wellbeing – from fitness consultations through to a second opinion on a medical condition from a team of experts – we wanted to offer the same service to advisers,” continues Downey.

“We’re here to protect our customers, but we also have a responsibility to support the people who provide them with the vital advice that delivers that protection. Our experience shows Vivo can make a significant difference in people’s lives, and we want advisers to access that too.”

For more information on Vivo visit https://www.mlcinsurance.com.au/partnering-with-us/financial-advisers/vivo-wellbeing

^{1The E-Lab and Deakin University. 2021. The Wellbeing of Financial Advisers in Australia Report. Produced by The E-Lab PL Sydney Australia, https://wellnessdesigns.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/AustralianFinancialAdvisersWellbeingReport-2021.pdf}