AIA Singapore to provide 50,000 video medical consultations for all AIA HealthShield Gold Max policyholders and extend Pre-authorisation to all private hospitals and healthcare providers

Singapore, 17 March 2020 – AIA Singapore today announced that the insurer will cover the costs of 50,000 video medical consultations¹ provided by WhiteCoat, an on-demand tele-medicine provider, for all policyholders of AIA HealthShield Gold Max – a MediSave-approved Integrated Shield Plan (IP). This is the latest in a series of proactive initiatives from AIA Singapore to protect individuals and families from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Individuals who require professional medical advice can engage WhiteCoat’s Singapore-registered doctors from the comfort of their own home, exclusively via the AIA Healthcare App. After 50,000 video medical consultations have been utilised by AIA HealthShield Gold Max policyholders in Singapore, they can continue to engage WhiteCoat’s services at a pre-negotiated rate of S$12 per consultation².

First to provide policyholders Pre-authorisation of medical claims at all private hospitals and healthcare providers nationwide

AIA Singapore also announced today other 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. Pre-authorisation is already available for policyholders seeking treatment with AIA Quality Healthcare Partners, a curated panel of private specialist doctors.

This extended service will be provided to all AIA HealthShield Gold Max policyholders – representing approximately 1 in 5 Singapore Residents³ – effective 15 April 2020. The initiative is aligned with the recommendations of the 2016 Health Insurance Task Force’s report⁴ on managing the cost of health insurance in Singapore.

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 3 working days prior to the intended date of admission. 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.

Requirement for pre-authorisation – applicable only to non-emergency treatments

Policyholders should activate Pre-authorisation for any non-emergency admission or day surgery¹⁰ in order to ensure full insurance coverage¹¹. Pre-authorisation is not required for emergency treatment¹².

For treatment at public hospitals / institutions, policyholders do not need to activate pre-authorisation. AIA Singapore is working towards enabling automatic pre-authorisation in public hospitals for AIA policyholders, and will announce further information on this in due course.

For treatment by AIA Quality Healthcare Partners, policyholders are only required to activate a pre-authorisation request, and where necessary, AIA Singapore will work directly with the healthcare provider to ensure submission of the required information to AIA. Once approved, policyholders will be notified and receive a Certificate of Pre-authorisation.

For treatment by other private healthcare providers, policyholders will need to activate the request and follow up with the doctor to ensure that the doctor submits the required information. A Certificate of Pre-authorisation will be issued for approved requests. Treatment which is not pre-authorised may be subject to pro-ration, where policyholders will need to bear a percentage of the bill.

For a smooth transition when claims pre-authorisation service is extended, and in view of the ongoing COVID-19 situation, a grace period will be provided until 30 June 2020 before pro-ration comes into effect for non-panel AIA HealthShield Gold Max A cases¹³ without pre-authorisation. The application of pro-ration factor will be based on the date of admission / day surgery. AIA Singapore will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation as it unfolds and may extend this grace period for pro-ration as required.

For all AIA HealthShield Gold Max claims related to the COVID-19, AIA Singapore will continue to monitor the evolving COVID-19 situation and will provide updates in accordance with the latest guidelines from the relevant authorities.

* Subject to the applicable deductible and co-insurance, after applying the Pro-ration Factor.
** Pro-ration will not apply for claims related to COVID-19. Refer to AIA Singapore website for more information.
*** If the AIA HealthShield Gold Max B / B Lite Insureds are admitted to Private Hospital (Panel / Non-Panel), the existing Pro-ration Factors will apply with or without pre-authorisation.

Coverage provided for COVID-19

AIA HealthShield Gold Max plans will continue to provide local hospitalisation coverage for policyholders seeking treatment for COVID-19¹⁴.

Any claims relating to COVID-19 will be expedited by a dedicated customer care team contactable via email at SG.ClaimsQN@aia.com. Alternatively, policyholders may also call AIA Customer Care Hotline at 1800-248-8000.

As the COVID-19 local situation evolves, AIA Singapore will continue to review measures and provide updates in accordance with guidelines from all relevant authorities including the Ministry of Health (MOH).

For more information on the latest AIA coverage terms related to COVID-19 in Singapore, please visit www.aia.com.sg.

AIA Healthcare App is available on the Apple App Store for iOS and the Google Play Store for Android. For more information on pre-authorisation, please visit: https://www.aia.com.sg/en/announcements-pre-authorisation.html.

About AIA

AIA Group Limited and its subsidiaries (collectively “AIA” or the “Group”) comprise the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group. It has a presence in 18 markets in Asia-Pacific – wholly-owned branches and subsidiaries in Hong Kong SAR, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Mainland China, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan (China), Vietnam, New Zealand, Macau SAR, Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar, a 99 per cent subsidiary in Sri Lanka, and a 49 per cent joint venture in India.

The business that is now AIA was first established in Shanghai a century ago in 1919. It is a market leader in the Asia-Pacific region (ex-Japan) based on life insurance premiums and holds leading positions across the majority of its markets. It had total assets of US$284 billion as of 31 December 2019.

AIA meets the long-term savings and protection needs of individuals by offering a range of products and services including life insurance, accident and health insurance and savings plans. The Group also provides employee benefits, credit life and pension services to corporate clients. Through an extensive network of agents, partners and employees across Asia-Pacific, AIA serves the holders of more than 36 million individual policies and over 16 million participating members of group insurance schemes.

AIA Group Limited is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited under the stock code “1299” with American Depositary Receipts (Level 1) traded on the over-the-counter market (ticker symbol: “AAGIY”).