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The Claim Lab Presents at the ICA Annual Conference We had the honor of being invited to speak at the ICA Annual Conference this week. Munich Re co-presented with us, Eleni Pitaridis Senior Claim Consultant from their Atlanta offices, provided great claim practice insight to add to our Psychosocial perspective. The audience were very interactive, […]

Let’s Look at the Whole PersonEvery year, claims close later than they should, cost more than they should, and surprise the teams managing them more than they should. Not because the medical was misread. Not because the treatment plan was wrong. Because something underneath the medical file was driving the claim the entire time, and […]

On February 8th 2026, at the Winter Olympics in Cortina Italy, the world held their breath as Lindsey Vonn threw herself down a mountain… The previous day, against all odds, she posted the 3rd fastest time in qualifying. She was enduring a torn ligament in her knee and had been warned against competing. She ignored that […]

I would like to introduce you to one of our claims consultants, Ellie Bedard, who attended Professor Michael Sullivan’s training course on the Progressive Goal Attainment Program (PGAP). This program is, in our experience, the “gold standard” in interventions for claimants with psychosocial issues, helping them return to work. To become an accredited clinician is not […]

Are mental health claims getting the attention they deserve? Is our industry doing enough to support claimants in their return-to-work journey while managing carrier risk? Lingering claims impact everyone. Munich Re Life US and The Claim Lab invite you to an insightful discussion on practical strategies and insights to improve outcomes and reduce long-term disability exposure. […]

Introduction In conversations around mental health and disability, it’s easy to assume that rest is synonymous with recovery. We often default to the belief that stepping away from responsibilities—especially work—is inherently healing. But as clinical psychologist Dr. Les Kertay recently reminded us, this well-meaning instinct can inadvertently hinder recovery. “I never thought it was a […]

…And that might be a stretch! When mental health claims extend into long-term disability (LTD), there’s often an unspoken assumption: the condition must be chronic, severe, or permanent. But as Dr. Les Kertay, Chief Psychologist at The Claim Lab points out, that’s rarely the case. “By the time we’re in LTD… Perhaps unstable, treatment resistant bipolar-I […]

Dr Les Kertay – Chief Psychologist at The Claim Lab We’re facing a mental health crisis in the workplace, but perhaps not exactly the one most people think. While headlines focus on rising demand for mental health services, the deeper issue is our collective inability to distinguish between normal work stress and clinical conditions requiring […]