AXA: Global health access

MANILA, Philippines – Possibly one of the most scary things is getting ill abroad, when you are out of your home country,” says Roger Kelly, director for distribution and marketing of AXA Healthcare Management, who is based in Singapore. It actually happened to him. Eighteen months ago, he suffered a knee injury while playing football. “My MRI scan showed the ligament had been torn and there was some cartilage damage as well,” he relates. After surgery, he spent a night in the hospital and 10 weeks on physiotherapy.

“Every part of that leg treatment was paid by AXA insurance,” he shares. “The total claim amount was about 22,000 Singapore dollars. If I didn’t have insurance, that would have gone straight to my credit card.” Unlike in his home country the UK, as an expat in Singapore, he had no safety net. Fortunately, he was covered by his AXA Global Health Access insurance.

The good news is, AXA Global Health Access is now available in the Philippines.

Rahul Hora, AXA Philippines president and CEO

“With increasing affluence, where do people spend their money? They go for  better cars, for better brands in terms of clothing. They eat in more expensive restaurants,”  AXA Philippines president and CEO Rahul Hora observes, “We feel that people should also start thinking about providing themselves with the best medical services and facilities that are available today around the globe. Because if ever, God forbid, you will need medical attention like that, it will be sad if you don’t have a product that will give you access to it.”

“AXA’s Global Health Access provides world-class medical coverage, whether here in the Philippines or abroad,” Amor Balagtas, AXA chief marketing and customer experience officer, explains. “You have that peace of mind, whether you are travelling overseas, no matter what happens, you know you are covered. You are not tied up to a certain list of doctors and hospitals. With Global Health Access, you are free to have your treatment with any doctor and hospital of your choice.”

The health plan covers you up to P100 million. “The coverage includes  in-patient treatments as well as out-patient procedures related to your hospitalization including radiotherapy, chemotherapy and kidney dialysis,” says Tony Isidro, AXA segment director for wealth management and marketing. “Also included in the plan is a health screen, so you can go for annual health check-up.”

Global Health Access provides 24/7 round-the-clock support from anywhere in the world through AXA’s team of professional healthcare practitioners. Its high-value clients enjoy the benefits of personalized service. “We have a concierge on standby across major cities around the world to provide you with your preferred level of assistance on services such as flight and travel arrangements, transfers to and from the hospital, or even dining reservations,” Isidro noted.

“What differentiates us from others is our global concierge service as well as the option to do cashless transactions,” Hora remarks.  “You simply need to show your Global Health Access card and the hospital will contact AXA to arrange for the eligible treatment to be settled by AXA directly with the medical provider. This way, you can simply focus on getting well.”

“Typical of an insurance policy, you never really think about it until something happens. But in recent years, there’s been an increased awareness for wellness and health. This is our way of educating consumers to start planning for protection,” Balagtas observes. “We are actually surprised that we are getting younger people, below 40 years old. They are more mobile. They travel. They like the service that we talk about. Of course, if you are younger, it’s also cheaper.”

Thirty-six-year-old award-winning writer Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta has found herself in some of the most unusual places and situations in the pursuit of her passion. She has this to say about Global Health Access: “You feel like you’re taken care of, like someone’s holding your hand.”

“I like the idea that I can go out in the world and feel secure,” says social entrepreneur Jeannie Javelosa, co-founder and director of ECHOStore. Her work brings her to far-away places such as countries in South America as well as closer to home, in the Asia-Pacific region, where she is often invited to speak in international forums.

AXA’s got them covered: Jeannie Javelosa, Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta, Tony Isidro, Rahul Hora, Amor Balagtas, Anna Palabyab-Rufino, Ramon Delgado Rufino

Businessman Ramon Delgado Rufino and his dermatologist wife Anna Palabyab-Rufino are fully aware of the importance of a health plan like AXA’s Global Health Access. They say, “If you care about your loved ones, you want to do what you can to cushion the  impact of life’s realities.”

“Like we say, better be prepared than be sorry,” Hora notes. “I would prioritize investing in a product like AXA Global Health Access. It is far cheaper than going for an expensive car, which is more of a luxury. This is a necessity.”

AXA Philippines is a joint venture between the AXA Group and the Metrobank Group.