NFC, the radio
frequency technology considered by experts worldwide as “the next best thing”
in mobile transaction, continues its integration in the Philippines – this time
providing much needed upgrade in the way healthcare is delivered to thousands
of Filipinos.
This after leading
health care provider PhilCare came up and put in operation NFC-capable
membership cards designed to make availment of health services from hospitals faster,
more efficient, and close to paperless.
PhilCare is the first
health care provider in the Philippines to adopt and actually put into use
cards with near field communication NFC technologies.
“We are proud to
introduce this new technology to the HMO industry. We’ve been looking for the
best technology to make medical services smoother and more convenient for our
clients and providers and NFC seems to be the perfect fit for this goal,” said
Noemi G. Azura, PhilCare’s President and CEO.
The NFC-capable card means
to do away with the usual tedious process of availing health services from
health maintenance organizations (HMO). With a single tap, hospitals and
clinics can now determine coverage and benefits of a member, as well as other
details of the member’s account.
Basic consultations
and procedures will also be processed faster with just a single tap, since it
will no longer require long waiting times just to confirm coverage. Thanks to this new innovation, members only
need to hand over their NFC-enabled health cards to any of the 200 service
providers of PhilCare with NFC-capable phones from Samsung.
Making this
transaction possible is NFC, a form of wireless, radio-wave technology that allows
two objects – a reader device and a storage device – to send and receive
information via brief contact.
The NFC technology is
used by banks, retail, transport, and service providers worldwide and has been
deployed to accommodate wireless payments.
This new technology is
the first of its kind in the Philippine health care industry and allows patient
information to be updated in real-time, ensuring quick, efficient, and accurate
service.
“We are very excited
with this technology and in the future we hope to set up a rewards program for
members with the NFC cards,” Azura said.
“All these innovations
are geared towards providing best-in-class customer service to our members.
This is just the start of our foray into NFC technology, which will be part of
an ecosystem all intended to bring a new brand of bridging access to health
care for our members,” Azura added.
The launch of its new
membership cards is only one of the many innovations PhilCare has set up to
affirm its position as a pioneer in the health care industry.
In 2013, PhilCare
launched its mobile application GO! Mobile, becoming the first HMO provider to
bring the service to its members.
PhilCare’s Go! Mobile
app is designed as a quick reference guide for members on their coverage and benefits
while also giving access to complete lists of PhilCare-affiliated hospitals,
clinics, and doctors.
Just last year, the
mobile app introduced various updates in addition to being made compatible with
iOS devices alongside Android devices. With GO! Mobile, PhilCare members no
longer need to call any hotline for provider information since it is made
available right at their fingertips.
In addition to its
mobile app, PhilCare also recently launched its eCommerce website, becoming the
first HMO provider to offer online purchases for its health care packages.
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About
PhilCare: Established in 1982,
PhilCare is one of the country’s pioneering Health Maintenance Organization
(HMO) companies. The company is built on a vision to allow Filipinos enjoy a
better quality of life by providing them access to world-class health services.
Three decades after it was founded, PhilCare remains a pioneer and a recognized
leader in Philippine HMO. Today, PhilCare sets the pace for the industry not
only with the reliable in-patient and out-patient health care it provides, but
also with the total wellness and healthy living it actively promotes.
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