Aetna, Sanlam partner on health plan
Aetna International has announced that it has partnered with Sanlam Pan Africa to launch the Global Health plan — a health insurance offering that addresses the healthcare needs of both local and expatriate nationals, on an international basis, across all market segments in 19 countries in Africa. Fully compliant with regulations in all local markets, the plan offers a broad range of benefits, an extensive direct billing medical network, flexible payment options and an enhanced member experience with local in-country service.
“In recent years we have seen employers across Africa pivot from traditional offshore international medical insurance providers to local ones. However, few local providers have the capacity to offer international cover, which in Africa, where certain forms of treatment are not always available locally, is essential,” commented Antony Brown MBE, head of Africa, Aetna International. “Furthermore, as a result of the global pandemic and greater availability of skilled resources in country, we are seeing companies on the continent make more local hires. What this means is potentially less demand for the traditional, high-cost fully international plans and an uptick in demand for plans that are more focused on regional cover, with comprehensive yet affordable benefits. This is exactly where we position Global Health; fit for today’s market and yet future-proofed for the changes ahead.”
The Global Health proposition provides four plan levels — Value, Essential, Plus and Premium — with coverage ranging from USD100,000 to USD5,000,000. Depending on the tiers, the plans offer all levels of employees a host of health and well-being benefits, including cancer care, inpatient psychiatric treatment or psychotherapy, HIV or AIDS treatment, terminal care, medical evacuation, dental, optical and emergency treatment outside the area of cover.
With pre-authorised inpatient care across all of Africa and outpatient direct billing across the 19 Africa markets (including Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Gabon, Guinea Conakry, Côte d’Ivoire , Mali, Madagascar, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia), Global Health offers members access to 8,000 directly contracted providers in Africa and over 1.3 million healthcare professionals globally, as well as a 24/7 multilingual call centre for emergency and evacuation immediate assistance. For plan sponsors, premiums can be invoiced centrally in USD, or in the local currency of each respective country, with all mandatory tax requirements included.
“Not only is there a vast difference in the health insurance requirements of companies from one country in Africa to another, but the diversity of the countries in terms of language, currencies, cultures, and service expectation adds additional layers of complexity. By bringing together the Africa-specific experience of Sanlam Pan Africa with the global health insurance expertise of Aetna International, I have no doubt that Global Health will deliver Africa’s most comprehensive and locally compliant health care solution with broad international access,” added Ilham Lahlou, head of Healthcare at Sanlam Pan Africa.
