With the sudden surge of COVID-19 infections after the holiday celebrations, and booking more than 21,000 new cases as of January 7, more and more Filipinos are now looking for ways to better protect their family’s health. 

As the national government reinstated Alert Level 3 in several provinces and municipalities including Metro Manila, pharmacies and hospitals are again overwhelmed by the swarm of requests for medical consultations, and over-the-counter medicines and vitamins. People are panicking again over the prospect of another series of hard lockdowns. 

This scenario is expected given the huge spike in cases, but the panic and worrying could be avoided if one is prepared to face the current health crisis by investing in services and platforms that are readily available and easily accessible. This is where the importance of health insurance packages and telemedicine services come in.

Here are five reasons why we all need to invest in a health insurance package and telemedicine service nowadays:    

There are affordable health insurance packages.

Contrary to what people think about insurances, there are health insurance packages that are inexpensive and can be availed by ordinary Filipinos. For example, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation’s (RCBC) financial inclusion super app DiskarTech offers microinsurance health packages for as low as Php130 with 6-month coverage.

Powered by Malayan Insurance, this sachet-type health insurance packages can also be availed “on-behalf-of” another family member or friend. The Insurance Commission (IC) sees sachet-type insurance products made accessible to all as a means of helping transform the economy and making it pandemic-proof in the future.

Health insurance packages have complete benefits.

Microinsurance health packages offer full benefits at a lower price. For instance, DiskarTech’s 6-month Panprotect Senior Php900 package already includes the following benefits: Accidental Health Benefit (Php100,000), Loss of Life Assistance due to COVID-19 (Php100,000), Loss of Life Assistance due to Dengue/Chikungunya (Php50,000), Medical Reimbursement (Php12,500), and Daily Hospital Income Benefit due to COVID-19 (Php750).   

Telemedicine services are easily accessible.

Aside from microinsurance health packages, telemedicine services are now easily accessible through digital apps like DiskarTech.

In partnership with ICT service provider RuralNet which specializes in delivering products and services to the countryside via rural banks, DiskarTech’s ‘pakisuyo’ telemedicine services aim to make medical consultation reach more Filipinos from underserved and geographically isolated areas especially during the pandemic. 

This specific ‘pakisuyo’ service features a sachet-type telemedicine plan for as low as Php 50 per person for a month, and includes unlimited medical consultation with no additional fees for video, audio, or text-based interaction.

Consultations via telemedicine services are safer.

With consultations done virtually, telemedicine services are a lot safer compared to outpatient consultations in clinics and hospitals. For platforms like DiskarTech, its telemedicine feature allows Filipinos to get in-touch with a doctor 24/7, making the service available anytime, anywhere.

It’s easier to secure prescriptions and medical certificates via telemedicine services. 

Aside from the actual medical consultation, DiskarTech’s telemedicine feature also allows follow up services like electronic prescriptions, laboratory requests, and medical certificates. The ‘pakisuyo’ feature also allows the primary subscriber to the plan to avail of the service “on behalf of” another friend or family member.

“DiskarTech has always been for inclusive digital finance, bridging the gap in the so-called digital divide. This also means no one should get left behind when it comes to financial transactions concerning one’s health, especially during a health crisis,” said Lito Villanueva, RCBC’s Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer.

The microinsurance health packages and telemedicine services offered by digital platforms like RCBC’s DiskarTech are efficient and effective ways for us to become better equipped in facing a pandemic such as COVID-19. Preparation is key for us to truly safeguard our own and our family’s health.

For more information about DiskarTech’s health insurance and telemedicine services, you may visit their website at www.diskartech.ph. You may also download the app via Google Playstore and the Apple App Store.