Insurers stepping up in wake of pandemic

Credit: HelloRF

Insurers have responded well to the demand for health and risk protection with policies that guarantee the safety of vaccinations, and provide nucleic acid tests and online consultation services amid new locally transmitted cases of COVID-19.

PICC Property and Casualty, a subsidiary of the People’s Insurance Company (Group) of China, developed and upgraded its vaccination accident insurance policies, providing comprehensive protection for infectious diseases and vaccination accidents for individuals and families.

Vaccine insurance can be voluntarily purchased by individuals and is sometimes provided by the government, businesses and other organizations. The insurance period is generally one year, and insurance liability can include accidental death, disability and medical expenses caused by abnormal reactions, related diseases and vaccination accidents.

To better cope with nucleic acid test demand surges before the Spring Festival travel rush, PingAn Healthcare Diagnostics Center launched testing services in nine cities, including Guangzhou, Hefei and Wuhan. Laboratories supporting the service are all government-designated institutions.

People can purchase the service on the PingAn Good Doctor app, and the entire process — from making appointments to obtaining reports — can be done online.

ZhongAn Online P&C Insurance, the first digital-only insurer in China, recently launched 13 virus-related health services. An emergency response team contacts policyholders within 30 minutes of receiving claims and provides one-on-one services. The company also opened a green channel for claims settlements, and disburses payments for confirmed cases within three hours.