Yemisi Izuora
AXA Mansard has projected that its partnership with mobile telecoms company Airtel Nigeria will help improve access to health insurance for Nigerians.
The new collaboration means that customers can now dial *987*7# from their phones to enrol for health insurance – which should improve uptake of health insurance in a country that is known for otherwise low participation.
Head of Emerging Customer and Digital Partnership Group, AXA Mansard, Mr Alphred Egbai, said Airtel customers would have access to over 1,000 hospitals nationwide.
“Our research has shown the value and importance of having a health insurance plan to the public especially for the emerging customers in the country, but for many reasons, the uptake of insurance products has been low.
“In order to mitigate these challenges and satisfy the health needs of the retail consumer whilst also encouraging the uptake of health insurance in the country, we have partnered with Airtel Nigeria to provide a solution that gives users a convenient way to purchase and manage their AXA Mansard micro-insurance plans”, he stated.
The plans available will include malaria cover, inpatient, outpatient, specialist medical consultations, immunisations, family planning, ambulance services and dental care.
Speaking on Airtel’s partnership with AXA Mansard, Head of Mobile Financial Services, Airtel Nigeria, Muyiwa Ebitanmi, said the mobile health insurance initiative ‘demonstrates Airtel’s commitment to providing innovative and relevant solutions that will empower more Nigerians to conveniently access best-in-class health insurance value offerings’.
Last September, over 20 million residents of Lagos were given access to healthcare through a new Government scheme. The Universal Health Coverage policy gave residents of Lagos access to care in any hospital of their choice for N8,500 (US$22) per year – meaning a family of six would pay N40,000.