From 2 months to 25 minutes: leveraging technology and better processes for enrolment
As the service provider for a government-subsidized health microinsurance scheme, AMICUS designed an improved process to make enrolment more efficient. Enrolment camps were organized for clients, where staff verified eligibility, entered client information using point-of-sales devices, took fingerprints and digital photos, and printed the identification cards. The entire technology-enabled process was designed to take less than 25 minutes (compared to the two months it used to take under the previous, more manual process).
Complications arose during implementation, as is common with most innovations. Some clients did not attend the enrolment camps due to their limited knowledge and poor experience with service in the past. Others refused to pay their share of the premium, as they believed that the insurance should be free or funded by health-care providers. Others refused to allow women from the household to be photographed or fingerprinted in public. Clients also mistook the photographing and fingerprinting activities as a camouflaged attempt to take their information to usurp their landholdings.
To overcome these challenges, AMICUS enhanced consumer education to convince clients about the legitimacy of the scheme and their obligation to pay their share of the premium. Door-to-door visits were carried out to educate clients and photograph and fingerprint women within their homes. Identification cards were printed at the base camp (as it was not possible to take the equipment to each home) and then delivered to clients’ homes.
Despite the challenges, enrolment increased by 8 per cent after the introduction of the technology. The cost to enroll a client reduced by 8 per cent, primarily due to the staff time saved to complete forms and the elimination of courier costs.
AMICUS’ experience highlights the challenges that microinsurance practitioners must overcome while adapting processes to be more efficient and client-friendly. Technology-enabled innovations are part of the solution, but the processes they support also need to be improved.
To learn more about AMICUS’ experience and other practitioners implementing technologies for enrolment, join the Facility’s webinar on “Emerging microinsurance technologies for an enhanced enrolment experience” on June 4 from 14:00 – 15:30 WET. Register here!