AIA Singapore recently announced enhancements for AIA HealthShield Gold Max plans, including the extension of claims pre-authorisation at all private hospitals and healthcare providers across Singapore. Asia Advisers Network spoke with Ms Melita Teo, Chief Operations Officer of AIA Singapore, to find out what it means for policy holders.
“Pre-authorisation is not new in Singapore. But AIA Singapore is the first insurer to make this facility available on such a large scale and as a compulsory feature of the product,” she said.
It gives customers assurance on whether the treatment is medically necessary and whether the cost is reasonable and customary, and as the claim would be assessed even before the treatment begins, assurance that the claims would be paid.
90% of pre-authorisation approved within same day
To be clear, pre-authorisation is not needed for emergency treatments.
For non-emergency treatments at all private hospitals and healthcare providers nationwide, policy holders can easily activate pre-authorisation in 3 simple steps.
This can be done via the 24/7 contact center AIA HealthShield Gold Max hotline – 1800-248-8000, agents through digital submissions, and if they prefer to self-help, via the AIA Singapore website or My AIA SG mobile app.
While requests for pre-authorisation should be submitted at least 3 working days prior to the intended date of admission, Melita shared, “The process is simple and very straightforward, and currently about 90% of the pre-authorisation is approved within the same day.”
A multi-faceted approach
“Healthcare is unique to every customer because of their unique circumstances. At AIA, our healthcare proposition is multi-faceted,” she said.
The insurer had also introduced a panel of private specialists a few years ago to bring quality healthcare to customers, worked with global medical management solutions provider Medix to offer expert second opinion on medical conditions and treatment, as well as partnered WhiteCoat to offer remote primary doctor consultations over telemedicine to be able to see a doctor without stepping out of their house.
Sharing statistics and results of the various initiatives, Melita said, “Currently, when clients submit their claims, 90% of the claims are approved.” But that still leaves about 10% of claims which may be declined or partially declined. Hence, pre-authorisation takes that anxiety over bills away and give customers the peace of mind to focus on their recovery.
From working with Medix in the past two years, she said, “We’ve seen 20% of our customers who had a change in diagnosis because Medix looked at the medical reports in great detail. We’ve also seen a 60% change in treatment plans. More importantly, 25% of customers avoided unnecessary medical treatments.”
And with WhiteCoat, in the current COVID-19 situation, it has given customers added convenience to see a doctor 24/7, anytime, anywhere, in the comfort of their home.
“The various actions we have put in place for our customers are a reflection of our desire to provide sustainable, quality healthcare to all of our customers,” she concluded.
Read more about AIA Singapore’s enhancements for AIA HealthShield Gold Max plans, including the extension of claims pre-authorisation to cover all non-emergency admissions and day surgeries at all private hospitals and healthcare providers across Singapore here: https://www.asiaadvisersnetwork.com/Article/aid/60801/AIA-Singapore-extends-medical-claims-pre-authorisation-to-give-clients-peace-of-mind
For more information visit: https://www.aia.com.sg/en/announcements-pre-authorisation.html
Watch the explainer video on the Pre-Authorisation service here.
Download the hi-res version here.
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