Prudential has paid out over $800,000 in total so far to more than 1,000 people impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak under its relief package, the insurer said yesterday.
About 20 per cent of the cash was paid out as hospitalisation allowances, while the remainder went to those served with quarantine orders, said Prudential Singapore's chief customer officer Goh Theng Kiat at a virtual media briefing.
The insurer had launched the $1.5 million Prucare package in February to support small and medium-sized enterprises and people affected by the pandemic.
Under the scheme, a one-time cash benefit of $500 is paid out to Prudential customers and their immediate family members who are served with quarantine orders.
If admitted to hospital in Singapore for Covid-19, these individuals are also entitled to a daily allowance of $200 for up to three months of hospitalisation. These cash benefits are applicable to Covid-19 cases that emerge from Jan 23 to July 31.
At the briefing, Prudential also launched a new app designed to help users better manage their health.
The app, called Pulse by Prudential (Pulse), is free, and is mainly driven by an artificial intelligence-powered chat bot that enables users to get a report on their health status, check on possible causes of their symptoms, and for a fee, get connected to a doctor for an online consultation.
The health assessment function operates by having users fill out a 15-minute questionnaire, after which they will receive a report on their overall health status and long-term disease risks.
The symptom checker provides users with insights into possible health conditions based on the symptoms experienced. At the end of the chat bot conversation, users are guided to an appropriate triage outcome and given further information about possible causes.
For a $15 fee, Pulse will also connect users to doctors for a video consultation of their health condition.
The video consultation service is available 24 hours a day, and any medication prescribed can be collected at a local Guardian pharmacy or delivered to the user for a fee.
In addition, Prudential is extending the Prucare relief package to all who register for Pulse, even if they are not Prudential customers.
These individuals will be entitled to a $100 daily allowance for hospitalisation due to Covid-19 for up to three months. Their hospitalisation must commence between the date the user registered for Pulse and May 31.
Mr Dennis Tan, chief executive of Prudential Singapore, said Pulse is part of Prudential's long-term strategy in the region to make healthcare more accessible and affordable.
He said: "The launch of the app in Singapore is timely in the light of the Covid-19 spread and the nation's circuit breaker measures. With Pulse, they can have real-time health information at their fingertips and ready access to a doctor without having to leave their homes.
"To provide further peace of mind, we are providing a daily allowance to Pulse users in the event that they are hospitalised for Covid-19. We hope this support measure will provide some relief and comfort to Singapore residents during this challenging period."
