AIA Singapore has announced that it will cover the costs of 50,000 video medical consultations, as well as extend pre-authorisation to all private hospitals and healthcare providers.
The video medical consultations will be provided by on-demand tele-medicine provider WhiteCoat, and will be available to all policyholders of AIA HealthShield Gold Max, a MediSave-approved Integrated Shield Plan (IP), according to the insurer’s statement.
The insurer also announced enhancements for the 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. Pre-authorisation is already available for policyholders seeking treatment with AIA’s panel of private specialist doctors.
The enhancements are effective April 15, and are in line with the recommendations of the 2016 Health Insurance Task Force’s report on managing the cost of health insurance in Singapore.
According to AIA, policyholders will be able to obtain a certificate of pre-authorisation prior to admission or day surgery at any private hospital and/or healthcare provider. Requests for pre-authorisation should be submitted at least three working days prior to the intended date of admission, and policyholders will be notified via SMS and/or email once the request has been approved.
Pre-authorisation is not required for emergency treatments including COVID-19 cases, as eligible claims will be accepted automatically, the company added.
“Even as we tackle the immediate challenge of COVID-19, we also need to take steps to manage the longer-term challenge of rising healthcare costs,” said Dr Alan Ong, medical director of AIA Singapore. “Pre-authorisation was a key recommendation put forth by the Health Insurance Task Force and complements AIA’s other efforts such as our panel of AIA Quality Healthcare Partners, and AIA Vitality – our comprehensive health and wellness programme. As an industry leader, we need to help moderate healthcare inflation, and ensure that people have assurances regarding the coverage of their medical costs.”
