Maisha Health Fund turns medical cover digital, widens access by unveiling USSD phone-based registration

MAISHA Health Fund, Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe’s health insurance unit, recently turned its medical aid cover digital by rolling out a USSD-based registration of the service to the public via the mobile phone.

The innovative and convenient service — coming in the midst of the Covid pandemic — will be available to all Zimbabweans who will be able to access it by simply dialling *147# on mobile phones.

Speaking after the launch of the service, Mr Eddie Chibi, Cassava Smartech’s Chief Executive Officer, said the group was enhancing access to healthcare services through paperless, digital solutions, that minimise cost and risk to members by restricting movement and physical contact.

“We are faced with a health access challenge because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and our *147# USSD platform will curb exposure to members, who now don’t have to physically complete forms, especially those from among the marginalised members of our population, or travel to fulfilment centres to register for these services,” Mr Chibi said.

“As a group, we are committed to serving where the need is greatest, and we believe through such innovations we will be able to widen access and at the same time ensure convenience, safety and healthcare affordability to many, using technology,” he said.

Mr Chibi added that the launch of the service, a first in the health services sector, was expected to drive adoption through increased access to digital platforms, and would hopefully go a long way in reducing infection rates and the spread of the coronavirus.

Medical cover has traditionally been the preserve of those in formal employment, and often employer-driven. But with the new Maisha Health Fund service, Cassava is opening up access for many more previously excluded groups, including farmers, SME’s and those in the informal sector.

“I believe with this launch, we have broken a major barrier to healthcare access, as we reach out to more people in more places using the mobile phone,” said Mr Chibi.

Maisha Health Fund Managing Director Mrs Hazel Banza said the USSD platform will give customers access to the existing Maisha Health Fund Medical Aid packages, which start from as low as US$8 per month, or the Zimbabwe dollar equivalent.

“At Maisha we pride ourselves in our personal and customised service to our members. In our drive to keep things as simple and accessible as possible, we have delivered an even smarter approach with our new mobile platform,” she said.

Mrs Banza said the new USSD platform also represented an extension of the digital transformation of healthcare services that Maisha Health Fund has rolled out in the last few months.

“With this new mobile phone platform, we have provided people with the necessary tools to access health services anywhere, anytime, at their convenience, using a secure platform, thus empowering members to take ownership of their health,” she said.

The USSD platforms allow members to select a suitable package from a choice of six options. The choices include the options to add family, dependants or for just individual cover.

Upon registration and payment, the next step is biometric registration at healthcare service providers. This enables our members to have a digital identity such that there will be no need for a member to carry around a physical membership card for them to access service.-chronicle.cl.zw