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M-Tiba mobile healthcare wallet expands network

tiba

CarePay COO Kees Van Lede explains to Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore (left) and PharmAccess Foundation Country Director Millicent Olulo (centre) how communities can send, save and receive funds to access healthcare services at accredited healthcare facilities. PHOTO | COURTESY

Innovative mobile based e-wallet that allows users to save, receive donations and settle hospital bill may revolutionise the health insurance industry as it expands across the country.

The mobile health wallet M-TIBA, developed by CarePay, PharmAccess and Safaricom is being rolled out beyond Nairobi to expand access for the 45,000 people now registered and 60 healthcare providers who have already signed up.

The product was initially targeting donors, offering full transparency on the use of their funds and ensuring the money reached the target beneficiaries in a direct, efficient and effective way.

“M-TIBA is a simple and powerful tool for healthcare savings, payments and bonus schemes. This combined offering has been really popular with Nairobians. And each week we are adding more clinics in more areas, so more Kenyans can take control of their healthcare,” CEO, CarePay Ltd, Michiel Slootweg said.

To encourage healthcare savings, the Pfizer Foundation is funding the first M-TIBA bonus scheme which will see the first 100,000 users – who register and deposit Sh100 or more per month – receiving a monthly bonus amount of Sh50 for up to 12 months.

UAP Insurance is also offering them 12 months personal accident cover for the principal member and one spouse, up to the value of Sh8,000.

Funds on M-TIBA can only be used at one of the selected healthcare providers, who form part of the M-TIBA network.

PharmAccess works with these clinics and hospitals to improve standards and business management. And they sign up to internationally recognised “SafeCare” standards, which aim to ensure better quality and patient safety.

“To truly improve healthcare inclusion, we obviously need to help customers save and pay for healthcare. At the same time we must work to improve standards and services in those clinics and hospitals that display the M-TIBA sign,” Millicent Olulo, Country Director PharmAccess Foundation said. Funding healthcare through mobile is gaining traction as insurance firms look for new models to sell their products.

Sanlam Kenya, formerly Pan Africa Life Insurance, has said it plans to offer insurance products through mobile phones in an effort to boost uptake.

Carrying insurance product on mobile has however not been too successful as Britam’s attempt to cover the lower end of the market using mobile technology proved costly forcing the insurer to pull the plug on individual sales of its popular Linda Jamii product.