Health insurance has better watch out, complementary arrive armed in the field of health. From 1 January 2016, recalls Daniel Rosenweg in The Parisian of May 7, “all employers in the private sector must offer their employees at least one complementary health contract”.
Mutuals and insurances do not intend to play the potiches. In this battle to seduce businesses and win over members, these new operators are already offering more services. Coaching or reimbursement for smoking cessation, information platforms, prevention support, the list is growing every day.
But the most striking initiative, presented today by the daily, comes from the French insurer AXA: a free teleconsultation service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week offered to its 2.2 million members.
“A team of 29 salaried emergency physicians trained in telemedicine, all based in Issy-les-Moulineaux at Axa Assistance, take turns night and day to answer calls from members,” sums up the journalist. The service offered extends from diagnosis to additional examinations, including prescriptions transmitted electronically to the attending physician and to the pharmacy. No psychological consultations, issuance of sick leave or renewal of prescription, specified in Parisian the designer of the project, Dr Philippe Presle.
An offer prepared for three years, he confirms, and which was able to see the light of day thanks to the decree on telemedicine published in 2010. Today, the insurer has obtained the green lights from the National Commission for Information Technology and Freedoms (CNIL), and the Regional Health Agency (ARS).
To benefit from this service, the member will have to pay €0.50 per year. The offer seems attractive, especially for people far from traditional care structures. It remains to be seen whether this bonus does not hide penalties but which will be revealed later!
