KUALA LUMPUR, 22 SEPTEMBER 2021 - Tune Protect Group Berhad (“Tune Protect” or “the Company”) sees significant growth opportunities in personal health insurance in Asia including Malaysia. The Asia-Pacific healthcare insurance market is expected to reach US$500 billion by 2024, which includes huge markets such as China, India and developing markets in which the Company has established its presence, including Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
According to Asian Healthcare and Hospital Management, the private health insurance market in Asia is projected to expand with nearly 3 million Asians actively seeking health insurance by the end of 2020. As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to affect economies around the world and reduce the personal savings of individuals, the Company expects to see an acceleration of demand for personal health insurance. To compete in this burgeoning market, Tune Protect is shaking up the industry with reimagined value propositions, low prices, digitisation and strategic partnerships.
“We see the health insurance market as a key growth pillar for the Company. The penetration of personal health insurance amongst Malaysians and the rest of Asia is still low. However, awareness is at an all-time high now and there is increased demand for digital health insurance. Healthcare costs and demand will continue to rise, driven by the increase in communicable and non-communicable diseases, and a growing aging population,” said Ben Assanasen (“Ben”), Tune Protect Group Health Lead.
He added that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought about challenges to global economies, the already fragile public health system, and personal finances. People are more aware now that health insurance can help mitigate their vulnerability should anything untoward happen to them or their family.
To compete, the Group is mainly focused on millennials and Gen Z as they are both generations who appreciate solutions that are budget friendly, easy to navigate and are accessible digitally end-to-end, right from sign-up to claims.
By the end of 2021, Tune Protect will introduce a no-frills value proposition to address the vulnerable B40 group with the aim to help lessen the healthcare protection gap and ensure this group has access to suitable healthcare.
Offering Low Prices
Tune Protect health propositions are premised upon the basis of affordability where its price suits the current tightened wallets. The products are bite-sized in nature with simple add on options allowing customers to choose what they really need and what they are comfortable in paying.
To the millennials and Gen Z’s who are financially conscious, cost remains the biggest barrier. Thus, by breaking down the coverage and allowing them to decide what goes into the plan will allow them to save for other wants and needs such as home and travel once it is allowed.
Earlier this year, Tune Protect Malaysia introduced PRO-Health Medical where it offers affordable plans suited to one’s needs, with premiums starting from as low as RM50 monthly and annual limits as high as RM150,000.
Other health products introduced by the Company include myFlexi CI which is a flexible and customisable critical illness plan, Tune iPass and iPass Covid-19 which cover the medical expenses due to Covid-19 infection and VSafe Covid that provides coverage due to the side effects of the vaccine for the Thai market. myFlexi CI is due to be launched in Malaysia by the end of the year.
Leveraging Digital
With the aim to make insurance simple and accessible for everyone, Tune Protect has invested resources to bring about a digital experience that is best in class in terms of products, access, services, and business efficiency.
The tech enabled simplification journey is targeted at the millennials and Gen Z generations who prefer to shop and communicate online. The end-to-end customer journey encompasses the buying experience, policy management, service and claims experience is all done via the mobile app.
“The entire experience is a straight through process with minimal underwriting requirements. Tune Protect wants its customers to be able to choose and understand what they are buying and what is being covered, all at their fingertips,” said Ben.
Strategic Partnerships
Tune Protect is steadily accelerating its partnerships reach and further expand its presence across the ASEAN region with affinity and digital partners as well as insurance partners. Up till July 2021, Tune Protect has secured more than 35 partnerships across ASEAN, particularly in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, which included six Healthcare partners.
Through these partnerships, Tune Protect is able to provide complementary solutions to customers with its partners’ expertise and open up greater access for customers to obtain the Company’s products and propositions. The complementary propositions offered by the Company include the health and wellness programmes by Naluri, telemedicine services by Health2GO and medical second opinion (myEliteDoctor) by Preferred Global Health (PGH).
Tune Protect also works together closely with Yayasan Chow Kit (“YCK”) for its children’s health fund, Madhya’s Gift where they provide healthcare access to children from less privileged families who are in need of medical treatment. For every purchase of PRO-Health Medical plan, the Company pledges to contribute RM6 to this health fund.
The Naluri and YCK initiatives are part of Tune Protect’s sustainability commitment where PRO-Health Medical was the first product of the Company to be embedded with health and wellness propositions, in addition to charity. This sustainability commitment will continue in future online product launches.
“Tune Protect may have started out with a low base in terms of business-to-consumer (B2C) health insurance, however we are focused to build scale through our current and future products in the pipeline, competitive products and prices, and strategic partnerships to reach out to newer audiences while offering enhanced value for our customers,” Ben concluded.
For more information about Tune Protect, please visit https://www.tuneprotect.com/
