Behind the Claims Podcast

"They're not in it to make money. They're in it because they have a vision…and the money follows it.” Most people think successful business owners keep going because they want more money. They don't. They keep going because stopping would break them. In this episode of Behind the Claim , Adam Hall sits down for an honest conversation about what actually drives people who could ret...

Say you receive a letter on your kitchen table saying your employer or insurer has arranged a specialist appointment to assess your ability to work. There’s a doctor’s name, a date, and a time. Most people just show up. They assume it’s legitimate. They assume everything was done by the book. And most of the time, nobody tells them otherwise. But here’s the thing. In many cases, that letter does n...

“Stress is not a diagnosis. And if there’s no diagnosis, there’s no injury. And if there’s no injury, there’s no claim.” In this episode of Behind the Claim , Dr Danny Tang returns to break down one of the most important documents in a workers compensation claim: the Certificate of Capacity . Most injured workers sign it without reading it closely. Many treating doctors complete it without fully u...

Movement is key to getting better. Don’t sit around and do nothing.” Most injured workers are told to rest and wait for the pain to settle. But for many people, that approach can delay recovery and keep them away from work longer than necessary. In this episode of Behind the Claim , Stephen sits down with John Beshay, an exercise physiologist and chiropractor, to explain why some workplace injurie...

"It was my safety way. There was no highway option." Melissa Tearle was in her mid-twenties, the only woman on site, surrounded by concreters and demolition workers who weren't exactly lining up to talk safety. So she stopped trying to force it. She found a smarter way in. Over the next 30 years, she built a career most safety professionals only read about in textbooks. From small-sc...

“Unfortunately, back pain is not a diagnosis. Back pain is a symptom.”Most people think workers compensation is about treatment. In reality, many claims stall because of small but critical details in the paperwork. In this episode of Behind the Claim, Stephen speaks with Dr Danny Tang from Patrick Street Medical Centre, a GP with more than 30 years’ experience in occupational health and workers co...

Christopher was about to turn 18. He had a new car, his first loan, and plans for the future. On the morning of 1 April 2019, his birthday, he drove himself to work. At 12:20pm, a nine-storey scaffold collapsed at a Sydney construction site. He never came home. In this episode of Behind the Claim , Stephen speaks with Christopher’s mother, Patrizia Cassaniti, about what happened that day and the w...

“You can walk into a client’s home and find the client deceased.” That line captures the reality of aged care work in Australia. In Episode 5 of Behind the Claim, Stephen Zheng speaks with Izmir Pooloo from Your Aged Care about what aged care actually involves, how people access services, and what has changed under the new Support at Home program introduced on 1 November. The conversation unpacks:...

“You’ve only got that period of time. That’s your time to shine.” The job market is unpredictable, and when you’ve been out of work for a while, returning can feel personal, confronting, and exhausting. In Episode 4 of Behind the Claim , Stephen sits down with Paulo Ubaldo, Business Development Manager and Disability Employment Consultant, to talk honestly about what actually helps people return t...

“Injury is not fun. No one wakes up and decides, today I’m going to get injured at work.” But the hardest part isn’t always the injury, it’s what happens next. Overnight, people are thrown into a workers comp system they don’t understand: forms, investigations, jargons, and long letters. When you’re already struggling, it can make everything feel even heavier. In this episode, Stephen chats with p...

“You can’t X-ray anxiety, that’s what makes psych claims so complex.” Psychological injury claims are the fastest-growing and most misunderstood part of workers compensation. They now make up over 10% of all work injury claims, and they’re costing 38% of the entire scheme. In episode 02 of Behind the Claims, Stephen sits down with Abbie (Rehabilitation Division Head) and David (Sales Relationship...

“Sometimes the first call an injured worker gets is: When are you coming back? That’s the worst question you can ask.” Most people think recovery after a workplace injury is all about doctors and medical treatment. The truth? Medical care only explains about 8% of whether someone actually gets back to work. The real difference comes from the employer. In this episode, Eric (senior rehab consultant...