FREE Consultation with the 'World's Best Doctors®' - major expansion of healthcare insurance - Asian Alliance Insurance
Only local insurer to offer individual medical insurance cover of up to Rs 1 Mn
Providing policyholders free access to the world's 5,000 Best Doctors® and several unique packages, including the only individual medical insurance cover offered locally, that covers up to Rs 1 Mn, are part of Asian Alliance Insurance PLC's (AAI) strategy for large-scale expansion in the health insurance sector, the Company revealed recently.
"We were focusing totally on Life Insurance on the basis of protection in the past, but now being a member of the Softlogic group, who is enjoying 65% of private healthcare market, enables us to expand our products in the horizon of healthcare." Asian Alliance Insurance Assistant General Manager - Life Insurance, Suranga Waduge stated. He pointed out that providing policyholders the access to the world's top 5,000 doctors, free-of-charge, through the company's Non Life health insurance packages as well as its Life insurance packages represents a unique proposition in many aspects.
"The benefits of this collaboration are two pronged," he said. "The first aspect is the 'Ask Best Doctors®' service (Figure 1) which enables policyholders who are internet users to get medical advice regarding a condition from top-notch doctors, many of whom are based in the USA and UK and other parts of Europe, who have been chosen on the basis of recommendations that they have received."
"The 'Inter-Consultation Facility,' (Figure 2) the second aspect of the 'Best Doctors®' proposition, enables policyholders to get a second opinion from these leading medical profes- sionals. For example, if a medicine recommended by a local doctor or if a surgery is required, policyholders can check the side-effects of medicines or the necessity for a surgery, from these top-notch doctors."
Waduge noted that Asian Alliance Insurance is the only insurer in the South Asian region to provide the 'Best Doctors®' facility, which he observed was widely used in developed countries such as Australia.
In addition to policyholders of Asian Alliance using this facility, it is extended to their family members to consult the 5,000 Best Doctors® as well, he added.
Apart from providing access to the world's leading medical professionals Asian Alliance Insurance has set itself apart by becoming the only insurer in the country to offer an individual medical cover of Rs 1 Mn. - 'Asiri Alliance Medical - Esteem,' and by offering unparalleled benefits on its healthcare products, Asian Alliance Insurance's Head of Healthcare Projects, Harin Perera said.
"Asian Alliance Insurance offers products for individuals of different income categories, providing every Sri Lankan the ability to live a healthy life," Harin Perera explained. Apart from the 'Esteem' package, Asian Alliance Insurance offers 'Basic' which offers medical coverage up to Rs 75,000, 'Executive' which covers up to Rs 300,000 and 'Empire' which covers up to Rs 500,000 under the 'Asiri Alliance Medical' brand, he disclosed.
OPD cover is provided for 'Esteem,' 'Empire' and 'Executive' packages ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 which is another unique benefit. In addition to the cost of hospitalization covered by conventional packages, the above 3 packages cover the cost of pre and post-hospitalization including costs associated with the diagnosis prior to hospitalization and following discharge from the hospital. The 'Asiri Alliance Medical - Empire & Esteem' products include the Best Doctor's option free of charge.
"While many other policies require a minimum hospital stay of 24 hours for the policyholder to be compensated, packages offered by Asian Alliance Insurance have eliminated this need. 135 specified day care surgeries are covered under this category which spans from orthopedic treatment to Chemotherapy for Cancer and provides the policyholder convenience which avoids unnecessary hospital stays", Perera said.
In addition to the benefits provided to customers by the policies, Asian Alliance Insurance together with Asiri Group Hospitals offer 'Asiri Amazing Care' facility to customers who maintain their medical records online. "Among the attractive benefits of this service are ambulance services, discounts on wellness packages, online payment, round-the-clock emergency care and priority admission", Perera added.
Asian Alliance Insurance's parent company - the Softlogic Group's ownership of the Asiri Hospitals Group has also enabled the insurance provider to further strengthen its offering by providing a more personalized service with the setting up of designated desks and the appointment of designated staff at these hospitals. The Asiri Alliance range of health-
/b care products provides the opportunity for an individual of topping up a current group medical policy that one may be entitled to as a result of working in an organization. If one may feel that the entitlement is inadequate, they can opt to top up the existing cover and be entitled to an enhanced amount that could meet the medical insurance needs of the individual as well as the individual's family. The customer will benefit from higher coverage and will be only paying premiums for the added amount. "If you are covered up to Rs 200,000 from an Asian Alliance Insurance healthcare policy provided by your employer but you wish to extend the cover to Rs 500,000 you can make necessary arrangements to do so," he said.
"With the increasing cost of private healthcare in the country, a lifetime's earnings can be wiped off in one instance," Perera said on a final note, stressing the need for healthcare insurance in the present day context. "In order to avert such a situation, a person may separate a sum in the form of an Insurance premium. Asian Alliance Insurance PLC has also tied up with Sampath Bank Credit Cards, where cardholders can pay premium on a 12 month, interest free installment basis with the Policy holder paying 11 installments and Sampath Bank paying 1 installment; if the Card holder wish to pay the amount in full, enjoy a 10% discount" stated Perera.
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