Australians can add digital health insurance cards to Apple Wallet

Posted:
in iPhone
Australian iPhone users will be able to use their mobile devices as part of their healthcare experience, with HICAPS practitioners in the country now accepting digital health insurance cards held in Apple Wallet.




The change for HICAPS (Health Industry Claims and Payments Service) simplifies the claims process for Australian clients. Members of Medibank, Bupa, nib, and GU Health can now download their digital membership card from their health fund app, and add it to Apple Wallet.

Rather than swiping a plastic card, users will instead be able to tap their iPhone or Apple Watch on any HICAPS terminal to make a claim. Real-time notifications will be provided to the user, provided via their health fund's app.

As is standard for Apple's products and services, security and privacy are maintained with the new system. The health insurance membership card's customer identifier number is encrypted during transmission to the HICAPS terminal, before being decrypted and passed along to the customer's health insurer.

HICAPS terminals are found at over 25,000 healthcare practices and medical centers across Australia, and process over 114,000 claims every day.

According to NAB Executive for Business Everyday Banking Tania Motton, "Claims made using this method help reduce the time spent on manual processing for practitioners due to forgotten plastic cards, while putting money back in customers' bank accounts quicker."

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    Australian's can swipe their health cards?   Wow!   So, that makes the transition to the Apple Wallet fairly straight forward.

    Here in the U.S. I have never had a medical card that could be swiped --- even Medicare who just spend millions to put out new cards a couple years ago put out mere pieces of non-swipable plastic.

    And, even if Apple did load medical ID cards into Apple Wallet here, medical clerks would be befuddled because they all ask for the card and then run it through a copier.   Without a piece of plastic they would turn you away.

    So, like with credit cards, other nations appear to be well ahead of the U.S. in technology.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 7
    steveausteveau Posts: 299member
    Australian's can swipe their health cards?   Wow!   So, that makes the transition to the Apple Wallet fairly straight forward.

    Here in the U.S. I have never had a medical card that could be swiped --- even Medicare who just spend millions to put out new cards a couple years ago put out mere pieces of non-swipable plastic.

    And, even if Apple did load medical ID cards into Apple Wallet here, medical clerks would be befuddled because they all ask for the card and then run it through a copier.   Without a piece of plastic they would turn you away.

    So, like with credit cards, other nations appear to be well ahead of the U.S. in technology.
    The US is also way behind in health insurance generally. In Australia Medicare (the free*, universal health care service) covers everyone for:
    • GP visits;
    • some specialist visits;
    • visits to a public or private hospital emergency department;
    • out of hospital x-rays or other scans;
    • out of hospital blood tests or other pathology tests; and more.

    Most private health insurance, such as those mentioned in this article, provide:

    • Additional hospital cover for things like accommodation and theatre fees;
    • General treatment cover for services like dental and physio;
    • The option to choose your own surgeon or other specialist;
    • The option to have treatment in a private hospital or as a private patient in a public hospital; and more.

    *"Free" means that people who pay income tax pay for it through a 2% Medicare levy, but the cost of private insurance is tax deductible. Rich people who don't have private insurance (for heaven's sake why?) pay an additional levy of 1.0%, 1.25% or 1.5% according to assessable income.

    In a 2013 Bloomberg study on the Most Efficient Healthcare Systems in the World, Australia ranked 7th overall, with a per capita cost about half of that of the US system.


    muthuk_vanalingamkitatitmattinozGeorgeBMacwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 7
    kitatitkitatit Posts: 66member
    HICAPS machines are at almost every doctor/GP clinic dentist, chiropractor, physiotherapist, remedial massage practitioner in Australia. They look like a credit card terminal. 

    Here’s an example of how a visit to say my chiropractor would go. 

    “That will be $52 thanks” ($38USD) 
    “have you got your private healthcare card?”

    ”yep”

    Swipe card through HICAPS machine.

    ”HBF (my private health fund provider) has covered $27”($20 USD)

    Apple Pay via your credit card and it charges you the gap payment of $25 ($18 USD)

    ”Thank you you, have a nice day”

    ”Thanks” 


    Some Australian states have digital wallet versions of your drivers licence too. I’d say not carrying a wallet at all will be truely feasible in 2-3 years.
    GeorgeBMacwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 7
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,152member
    I think this has more to do with our finance system arrangements that the health system in particular. But definitely a side benefit of a well regulated private insurance sector.

    On the matter of different health systems, Australia really does have a good mix of public and private.

    An all public system, eg the UK NHS, manages demand through queues (waiting lists). That sucks.
    an all private system (eg the US) manages demand via price. That sucks too.

    A mixed system means that if the waiting list is too long for ones’ taste, you can just pay for it (or use your private insurer). This also means the pressure on waiting lists in the public system is shorter than it would otherwise be for those that can’t afford the private option.

    But let’s face it, price is a very good way for driving innovation. The worlds health services overall have benefited from that incentive, largely driven out of the US. The public systems take advantage of technologies developed in private systems that may not have happened at all without that price signal.

    the other thing about the US I find weird is the linkage of health insurance with the employer.  That should not be the case, the relationship should be with the customer consumer.  decoupling that little relationship should be the priority. Employers could still pay for the insurance as part of the package. But taking out the insurance should be up to the individual they do directly with the insurer.
    edited July 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 7
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,152member
    Just set myself up with Medibank Private. The app sets you up in Apple wallet, can manage the rest of the family too. Quite easy.
    A great feature as I almost never carry the card with me, or someone else has it after using it.
    edited July 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 7
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    kitatit said:
    HICAPS machines are at almost every doctor/GP clinic dentist, chiropractor, physiotherapist, remedial massage practitioner in Australia. They look like a credit card terminal. 

    Here’s an example of how a visit to say my chiropractor would go. 

    “That will be $52 thanks” ($38USD) 
    “have you got your private healthcare card?”

    ”yep”

    Swipe card through HICAPS machine.

    ”HBF (my private health fund provider) has covered $27”($20 USD)

    Apple Pay via your credit card and it charges you the gap payment of $25 ($18 USD)

    ”Thank you you, have a nice day”

    ”Thanks” 


    Some Australian states have digital wallet versions of your drivers licence too. I’d say not carrying a wallet at all will be truely feasible in 2-3 years.
    From one of my actual bills:
    Here in the U.S. you go to your doctor.  He bills insurance $4,110.   The insurance knocks it down to $208 and pays $167 of it and passes it on to your supplement insurance which pays another $21.  Then 2 months later you get a charge for the remaining $21.

    At one point I objected to one of the bills I received.  But the insurer told me:  "You have to pay it.  It's already been decided (by us)."

    Essentially, once the patient enters the healthcare system, he has no idea what he will be charged.  A bill shows up in their mailbox months later and, he has no say over it.  I just got a bill from the healthcare system my doctor works for and it charged my insurance $500 for a visit to "Shadyside Hospital".  I have not been to Shadyside Hospital for over 25 years -- but I'll still have to pay it!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 7
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    entropys said:
    I think this has more to do with our finance system arrangements that the health system in particular. But definitely a side benefit of a well regulated private insurance sector.

    On the matter of different health systems, Australia really does have a good mix of public and private.

    An all public system, eg the UK NHS, manages demand through queues (waiting lists). That sucks.
    an all private system (eg the US) manages demand via price. That sucks too.

    A mixed system means that if the waiting list is too long for ones’ taste, you can just pay for it (or use your private insurer). This also means the pressure on waiting lists in the public system is shorter than it would otherwise be for those that can’t afford the private option.

    But let’s face it, price is a very good way for driving innovation. The worlds health services overall have benefited from that incentive, largely driven out of the US. The public systems take advantage of technologies developed in private systems that may not have happened at all without that price signal.

    the other thing about the US I find weird is the linkage of health insurance with the employer.  That should not be the case, the relationship should be with the customer consumer.  decoupling that little relationship should be the priority. Employers could still pay for the insurance as part of the package. But taking out the insurance should be up to the individual they do directly with the insurer.
    I agree -- especially with the latter (employer provided health insurance)
    It is the main driver for what has been the dust up (still going on!) for the past 12 years over the ACA.
    Employers only employ the healthy.   When you're too sick or too old, they dump you and it's up to you to find health insurance.  Prior to the ACA insurers would either refuse to cover a person with a pre-existing condition or charge so much nobody but the very rich could afford the coverage.

    In addition, many people are let go from their jobs in their 50's because they cost too much to insure.

    And, employer paid health insurance acts as a very high tax on U.S. corporations.  A tax companies in other countries don't have to pay.

    It's a terrible, broken system.   But any politician who suggests changing it is immediately attacked with accusations that "He wants to take away your healthcare!".

    steveauwatto_cobra
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