Manulife launches first-in-market, fully digitized cashless service for day surgeries

Hong Kong – Manulife Hong Kong today launched Cashless Day Surgery eService, the market’s first all-digital cashless service which enables customers to obtain speedy claims pre-approval for colonoscopy and gastroscopy (OGD) day surgery simply by entering their Hong Kong Identity Card (HKID) number and date of birth on a designated online platform, thereby eliminating the claim submission process.

The new Cashless Day Surgery eService will be phased in at 70 designated specialists and 10 surgical centres across Hong Kong. It is initially offered as a value-added benefit to Manulife’s Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) Flexi Plan customers, with plan to extend to the company’s other protection products.  

At Manulife, close to 40% of medical claims are related to colonoscopy and OGD surgical procedures. Through these investigatory processes doctors can detect and prevent colorectal cancer, and find and treat ulcers, tumours and other diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Colorectal cancer is the most common form of cancer in Hong Kong, accounting for 17% of all new cancer cases, with more than 5,600 people diagnosed in 2017 ¹. 

“For insurance, the claims procedure is the moment of truth in proving the value of protection. At Manulife, enhancing the claims experience has always been a top priority for us,” said Guy Mills, Chief Executive Officer of Manulife Hong Kong. “Following our successful eClaims solution, we are excited to present another customer-centric digital service from our insurtech pipeline.” 

“Our new first-in-market Cashless Day Surgery eService benefits both our customers and medical partners. Colonoscopy and OGD patients only need to take a few simple steps to gain fast pre-approval. There is no paper form and the whole experience is fully digital and seamless. For surgeons, it means a lot less work and lower cost when handling claims,” added Mr. Mills.  

The new cashless service is currently offered to Manulife First VHIS Flexi Plan customers who subscribe to comprehensive coverage including the Major Medical or Major Medical Plus options. For customers, there are four simple steps: 

1. Access: when making the pre-approval application, scan the QR code provided to access a designated online system;
    
2. Input: enter only HKID number and date of birth;
    
3. Confirm: eligible customers will receive an SMS about pre-approval status and the claimable amount;
    
4. Acknowledge: upon completion of the surgery, enter the HKID number in the online system, and it is all done! Claims will be completed directly between Manulife and the specialists or surgical centres. 

The Cashless Day Surgery eService is the latest in a series of Manulife’s insurtech services that make things simple for customers. Recent innovations include the enhanced ClaimSimple.hk website, which offers eClaims, My Medical Card and Find My Doctor services, and BuySimple.hk, the company’s direct online sales platform with instant quotes, tax-savings calculators and online VHIS and MPF TVC application services.