Middle East: Aetna adds new COVID-19 coverage and mental health benefits
Aetna International has announced new updates to its Summit, Pioneer and add-on plans that will enhance the COVID-19 diagnostic coverage and mental health support available to its global members. The updates are part of the company’s wider commitment to addressing the growing physical and mental health challenges associated with the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and are designed to provide members with an easily accessible way to manage their health and well-being on a daily basis.
In terms of COVID-19 coverage, subject to local laws and regulations, the new enhancements will allow members to access a COVID-19 test even if they are asymptomatic. This type of testing could help businesses and individuals mitigate the risk of transmission. After a qualifying period, members with either Pioneer or Summit plans will benefit from outpatient tests and diagnostic procedures for communicable diseases (including COVID-19) when they do not have symptoms. This benefit extends to outpatient antibody tests. Additionally, to further support members’ physical health during this challenging time, Aetna is also adding vaccinations as a stand-alone benefit to its range of COVID-19 cover for both Summit and Pioneer plans, without any price impact.
Aetna International CEO EMEA David Healy said, “Countries around the world are facing a range of infection rates and restrictions and are tackling these with vastly different healthcare systems and strategies. This means our cover needs to be flexible and adaptable as we all continue to navigate the new routines created by the pandemic. We want to ensure businesses, and their employees, have access to appropriate COVID-19 testing, whenever they need it and wherever they are.”
The expanded range of mental health and well-being benefits are designed to support members on their health journey, from discovery and growth to mental health treatment and support. They are applicable to Summit plans, a flexible IPMI solution created for businesses, as well as Pioneer plans, IPMI designed for individuals and their families.
The new updates include access to Aetna Mind, a holistic approach to supporting members with evidence-based tools and support, from conversational chatbot app (Wysa) to employee assistance programme (EAP) counsellors, as well as clinical support via vHealth Doctors, where eligible.
Saudi Arabia: Tawuniya launches flexible motor insurance product
The Company for Cooperative Insurance (Tawuniya) has introduced a fully flexible car insurance product (Motor Flex), offering customers the ability to select their insurance covers. The new product reflects Tawuniya’s commitment to innovate and focus on providing its clients with insurance options that best meet their needs while also incorporating developments in professional insurance practice.
Tawuniya vice president of motor insurance Mansour F Abuthnein said the launch of this product is in line with the company’s strategy to innovating insurance products and services.
He said, “Motor Flex has the added benefit of enabling clients to take control of their insurance coverages and costs. It targets the vehicle owners who will be able to create their bespoke protection cover. The new product provides mandatory third-party liability besides the choice of seven other covers depending on the client’s specific needs, including fire, theft, intentional accidents, hail & flood, roadside assistance, glass breaking, and towing.
“There is no doubt that the mandatory third-party liability insurance, which launched in 2020, increased awareness of the need for motor insurance. Our role as a leading insurance company is to provide cover options, which ensure they are flexible enough to meet our clients’ requirements and needs. The introduction of Motor Flex is part of our ongoing commitment to offer more innovative insurance programmes with alternative options and encourage clients to expand their insurance protection at the best cost to themselves by choosing from a range of packages tailored to their needs. Motor Flex is the first of several new insurance products Tawuniya plans to launch in 2021.”
UAE: Daman partners with Frontline Heroes Office on new insurance top-up programme
The Frontline Heroes Office has announced a new initiative that will provide expanded medical insurance coverage for the nation’s limited income frontline heroes and their immediate families. The new insurance top-up programme was developed in partnership with the National Health Insurance Company – Daman, with funding from the Frontline Heroes Office.
The initiative ensures that 10,000 eligible professionals enrolled in the Frontline Heroes Office registry will benefit from expanded coverage with benefits similar to Daman’s Enhanced ‘Sahtak’, the health insurance plan provided to expatriate employees of Abu Dhabi government, starting 1 February.
The Frontline Heroes Office insurance top-up programme was developed in direct response to the results of a survey of over 8,000 frontline professionals working in healthcare facilities across the UAE and at entities responsible for sanitisation and prevention, conducted during the formation of the office. In the survey, one theme UAE frontline heroes identified as a challenge was their overall health and well-being during the pandemic.
The new programme will be administered by Daman, which has extensive experience designing and managing similar insurance expansion programmes for specialised government-funded initiatives. The health insurer will work directly with employers to identify and register eligible frontline professionals into the programme in accordance with a range of criteria set by the Frontline Heroes Office. It will coordinate with treating medical facilities in terms of service approvals, coverage of claims and any interfacing required with its network of facilities.
The new 12-month top-up programme covers deductibles and co-insurance that are set in the beneficiaries’ existing health insurance plans such as those set for consultations and pharmaceuticals. Additionally, those with plans with annual limits on pharmaceutical coverage will receive further coverage of up to AED3,000 ($817) if they exceeded that limit.
Daman has established a dedicated customer service team who will be reaching out to qualified frontline professionals to enrol them in the programme and introduce its expanded benefits.
AED1 = $0.27
UAE: Cebu Pacific offers COVID-19 insurance add-on
In a bid to boost confidence in air travel as well as prioritise health and safety, the Philippines’ largest national flag carrier Cebu Pacific has introduced COVID Protect, its newest add-on to CEB Travelsure, which provides coverage for COVID-19-related hospitalisation and treatments.
The newest top-up provides passengers who test positive for COVID-19 up to AED76,459 ($20,819) coverage for hospitalisation and medical expenses. With the extensive benefits and coverage this add-on provides, travellers – specifically those flying from Manila to Dubai – have peace of mind when flying with CEB, while at the same time able to have the opportunity to protect their loved ones in the Philippines. CEB Travelsure is the airline’s comprehensive travel insurance plan.
CEB Travelsure COVID Protect is supported by Insurance Company of North America under Chubb.
Passengers can easily avail of this insurance add-on when booking flights on the CEB website, while existing CEB Travelsure insured passengers can simply purchase the COVID Protect add-on up to two hours prior their flight via the airline’s ‘Manage Booking’ portal. Chubb also offers a 24/7 emergency hotline, while claims may be filed online. M
AED1 = $0.27