By Tom Phillips[1] • • Updated • nfcw.com[2]
Australian consumers can now upload a digital private health insurance card to Apple Wallet and use their iPhone or Apple Watch to make an insurance claim by tapping a healthcare provider’s Health Insurance Claims and Payments Service[3] (HICAPS) terminal.
Four of Australia’s largest health insurance providers — Medibank[4], Bupa[5], NIB[6] and GU Health[7] — have begun issuing digital membership cards that also enable customers to make gap payments via Apple Pay if treatment costs exceed their insurance cover.
To use the service, customers first download and activate their digital card from their insurance provider’s app. Once activated, the card can be accessed via Apple Wallet and used to initiate and complete an insurance claim for treatment costs at more than 89,000 healthcare providers registered with the HICAPS claims and payments processing service.
After tapping a HICAPS terminal and entering the details of their claim, users will receive confirmation that it has been approved and be prompted to make any gap payment that may be necessary.
“We know our customers are using their phones and smartwatches to buy groceries, tap on to public transport and pay for their morning coffees, so it’s no surprise that they now expect to be able to make their Bupa claims with a quick tap of their device,” Bupa’s Emily Amos says.
“New customers can choose to opt out of a physical card and take up the digital option during the sign-up process, while existing customers
