SINGAPORE (THE BUSINESS TIMES) - Insurer Great Eastern (GE) said it has expanded its partnership with telemedicine start-up Doctor Anywhere to provide discounted consultation fees for policyholders of the insurance company's Integrated Shield plan.
Policyholders of GE's Great SupremeHealth will be entitled to a preferential consultation fee of $12, which covers general practitioner (GP) consultations through online video and walk-ins at any of the 300 Doctor Anywhere panel clinics island wide.
This flat fee also applies to consultations during public holidays and weekends. Medicines are separately charged, and will be delivered for free in three hours, a spokesman for Doctor Anywhere said.
Doctor Anywhere's consultation fees typically range from $20 to $35, depending on the mode of consultation and the location of clinics.
Mr Patrick Kok, managing director of group operations of GE, said: "With increasing public concerns about visiting GP clinics during the Covid-19 pandemic, we have broadened our shield insurance coverage beyond hospitalisation to provide convenient island-wide GP coverage via video consultation and panel clinics for our Great SupremeHealth policyholders.
"Telemedicine services have risen in popularity among Singaporeans who prefer to seek medical attention through online consultations, the insurer said.
From January to March, there was a 41 per cent increase in total sign-ups to use the start-up's video consultation service and an 89 per cent increase in total calls made among the GE group insurance customers.
The local telehealth start-up's 24/7 video consultation platform allows users to skip long clinic waiting queues to consult a Singapore-licensed doctor anytime, anywhere, it noted. Medical history, health reports and other documents are stored in-app for easy access.
Through Doctor Anywhere's in-app shopping platform, policyholders of GE's Great SupremeHealth plan can also shop for a wide range of health and wellness products and services, such as nutritional supplements, skincare products, physical therapy sessions and even book home-based healthcare services.
Mr Lim Wai Mun, founder and chief executive of Doctor Anywhere, said: "This milestone agreement is a precursor to further investment into technological solutions to improve the patient experience and quality of healthcare, and we look forward to a strong and meaningful collaboration."
