Mobile application for health claims registration as an innovation in the Lithuanian insurance market
December 14, 2015
ERGO Life Insurance, a European company, introduced health insurance application for smart mobile devices in Lithuania. The novelty in the market will allow everyone to immediately submit a request for claims along with all required documents, and to receive the claims paid faster. The occurrence of this innovation has been caused by two main factors, namely, the growing health insurance market, and the improving computer literacy of the clients. Presently, 9 out of 10 persons having health insurance coverage apply for the compensation of damages electronically.
The new application will allow those clients of the insurance company who download it to apply for the health insurance claim using mobile phone or a tablet. The programme is linked to the ERGO database thus the clients will only have to insert their name, surname, insurance book or card number, and to photograph the required financial documents; there will be no need to provide all required information repeatedly. Free application is already available and supports all the main mobile phone operating systems.
Investments in health insurance-related smart solutions are prompted by the development of the insurance market and the determination of companies to use health insurance services as an employee motivation tool. Most of ERGO health insurance clients are businesses which provide their employees with health insurance coverage. Given the consumer habits, the insurers forecast that the application will soon become very popular.
“Almost 90 per cent of ERGO health insurance clients in Lithuania submit requests to pay insurance claims electronically. We, therefore, saw the need to simplify this procedure and to make it available on mobile devices. In this way, our customer will now be able to ask for compensation of health care costs right in the medical institution or at the chemist’s,” Polina Šmakova, head of health insurance of ERGO Life Insurance SE in Lithuania, said.
According to her, the new application is a logical adaptation of health insurance products to the pace of modern life and the growing client needs. “Every procedure which takes only a few clicks on the Internet must have a mobile access, too,” Mrs Šmakova said.
This year, the number of people who obtained their health insurance coverage with ERGO Life Insurance in Lithuania amounts to as many as 11, 348. To compare, last year this number amounted to only 6,519. In three quarters of 2015, ERGO Life Insurance has paid over EUR 1.5 million for health care expenses of health insurance clients in Lithuania. This amount is almost one third higher than in 2014. The average benefit for a single item of health care insurance services amounts to EUR 35.
ERGO in the Baltic States
ERGO has been among leading insurance groups in the Baltic States and offers a complete range of coverage including non-life insurance along with life and health insurance. Premiums of ERGO Baltic totalled EUR 163 million in 2014. Last year customers in the Baltic countries were paid more than EUR 82 million for insurance claims. ERGO is also present in Belarus offering services in the non-life sector. Over 550,000 customers in the Baltic States trust the services, know-how and financial stability of ERGO Group.
ERGO companies operating in the Baltic countries are part of the ERGO Group – one of the major insurance groups in Germany and Europe. Worldwide, the Group is represented in over 30 countries and concentrates on Europe and Asia. In 2014, ERGO recorded a premium income of 18 billion euros.
ERGO is part of Munich Re, one of the leading reinsurers and risk carriers worldwide.
