UAP enhances medical cover for children to include Covid-19 testing, treatment

UAP Old Mutual Group has enhanced its recently launched Afya Imara Junior medical insurance product for children to include Covid-19 testing and treatment.

Speaking of the enhanced benefit, Japheth Ogalloh, General Manager Health Business at UAP Old Mutual said the improvement came as a result of changing times and business environment.

“We have to respond to the times. The Covid-19 pandemic has really changed the environment and the medical business has not been left behind, so we needed to ensure that we are taking care of Covid-19 cases for children,” he said.

The Afya Imara Junior cover was launched as the first ever comprehensive medical cover exclusively for children through which children from birth to 18 years of age can access the medical insurance cover without necessarily having to be under their parent’s covers.

Ogalloh noted that through the enhanced benefit, the cover allows for both testing as well as hospitalization of affected children.

Since the launch of the product and subsequent improvements on the same, Ogalloh revealed that there has been marked interest and uptake particularly because it addresses an existing need in the market adding that there was growth in product uptake since the launch of the product.

“Medical insurance is a critical cover for Kenyan families especially now that medical expenses have spiralled out of control for many. In addition, there are many reported cases of lifestyle diseases and the likes and one of the gaps that has not been addressed is how we take care of children,” said Japheth.

The cover is structured in three parts including an inpatient benefit which takes care of all admission costs as well as outpatient services and a third option availing access to either all hospitals within the wider UAP Old Mutual network or to Gertrudes Children Hospital, the biggest paediatric facility in the region.

Through innovative products such as Afya Imara Junior, UAP Old Mutualaims to grow the penetration of health insurance in the country which stood at a paltry 1 percent in 2019.

“The idea is that the solutions that are in the market are not flexible – its either a corporate solution or a family solution – but this is going to help the uptake of medical insurance with important factors such as pricing being well considered and legacy restrictions for children’s policies heavily minimized,” said Ogalloh.