During this 10-minute discussion, Dr. Adela Osman, Chief Medical Research Officer for RGA South Africa, and Gayle Kanchanapume, Executive Director, Global Claims, Value Added Specialist, discuss chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia and share some advice for claims adjudicators managing claims arising from these conditions.
An Invisible Illness: A Dialogue with RGA’s Dr. Adela Osman and Gayle Kanchanapume
Chief Medical Research Officer, RGA South Africa
Dr. Osman is the Chief Medical Research Officer for RGA South Africa, responsible for all medical aspects of the claims, underwriting, product development, and pricing functions. She also leads RGA South Africa’s research and development efforts and is a frequent presenter, sharing her expertise through webinars, articles, and other media. As part of the executive team, Dr. Osman regularly engages with clients to support their business objectives.
Dr. Osman graduated from the University of Witwatersrand in 2005 with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery. After completing her internship and community service, she worked as a Medical Officer in state hospitals before joining a private practice and focusing on family health.
After her years in practice, Dr. Osman moved to the insurance industry. Her areas of expertise include claims, medical marketing, underwriting, product development, and consulting with the legal department on medical issues. Dr. Osman has since completed specialized training on disability medicine and impairment with the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners (ABIME). She further expanded her studies with the ABIME by successfully completing medico-legal report writing and court testimony training, which equips her to act as an independent medical examiner and scientific expert witness.
Dr. Osman is currently the chairperson of the Medical and Underwriting Standing Committee of the Association for Savings and Investments South Africa (ASISA), which is mandated to protect the right of the risk industry to underwrite, manage quality assurance of risk information, and draft best practice underwriting guidelines for the South African market.
Executive Director, Global Claims, Value Added Specialist
Gayle has more than 20 years of experience in both the Australian/New Zealand and Asian life claims markets, having held various claims roles since 1999, including case management, technical support, and leadership positions with both insurers and reinsurers. Gayle joined RGA in May 2017 and was appointed as Executive Director, Global Claims, Value Added Specialist in August 2020. Recognizing the pivotal role of the claims assessment process in the insurance value chain, Gayle focuses on projects and initiatives that develop the claims skillset and advance claims management capability.