Monde Nissin educates millennials on the importance of having HMO coverage

Millennials do a lot of things differently from older generations. And health care is no exception.

Unlike their parents who are becoming more and more health conscious, many of these carefree, young souls do not worry about their health. They think they’re too young to have health issues, particularly, long-term degenerative diseases.

But Maria Elena Perona, compensation and benefits manager of Monde Nissin, says, “Illness knows no age. In fact, we’re seeing 20 to 35 year olds who are already having heart problems. They are hypertensive and obese.”

Monde Nissin, a leading manufacturer of biscuits and noodles, is headquartered in Santa Rosa, Laguna. The company also has plants in Cebu and Davao cities. It has around 4,000 employees nationwide.

Believing that employees are the backbone of its business, Monde Nissin provides generous medical benefits to its workers to ensure that they’re in the pink of health all the time.

“Our employees can choose if they want their health benefits administered directly by the company or through an HMO (health maintenance organization),” says Perona. “However, we encourage them to go the HMO route for convenience as MediCard has a vast network of accredited hospitals and physicians nationwide.”

“Whatever happens to them, if they get sick or hospitalized, Monde Nissin and its HMO provider will cover 100 percent of their hospitalization expenses. For outpatients, we cover even the medicines,” Perona says.

Health is wealth

“We hold fun runs, organize talks by medical and wellness resource persons, most of whom are provided by MediCard,” she says.

In terms of nutrition, Monde Nissin promotes healthy eating through its “Meatless Monday” campaign.

“We hired a nutritionist to provide one-on-one consultation with employees who are bordering on overweight - they are now growing in number,” Perona says. “We also supervise the menus of the canteens here in our head office. We even check the ingredients. The less oil, the better,” Perona says.

After all, a healthy workforce means increased productivity.

“If they’re in the pink of health, there’s no reason for them to be absent,” explained Perona.

In sickness and in health

For 17 years now, Monde Nissin has trusted only one HMO — MediCard, a leading HMO provider in the country.

“Our partnership started in 1997. After three years, we weighed our options and decided to switch to another HMO provider. But after only a year, we switched back to MediCard because we weren’t satisfied with the other company’s services,” recalls Perona.

Since then, Monde Nissin and MediCard has had a very harmonious relationship.

“When we discuss concerns or when we negotiate, we always think of what will be beneficial to all parties,” says Perona. “MediCard’s dedicated coordinator acts like an HR (human resource) partner. Our employees can directly contact him or her whenever they have medical concerns.”

Fast online approval for lab tests

When undergoing laboratory tests requested by doctors to help in the accurate diagnosis of health problems, HMO users usually need to secure a letter of approval (LOA), which basically confirms that such tests are, indeed, part of a member’s HMO coverage. The LOA authorizes the diagnostic clinic to proceed with the requested tests. These tests usually include blood tests, urinalysis, chest X-ray, among others.

 Ordinarily, securing the LOA means going through a process that can be slow and inconvenient.

 MediCard takes the hassle out of getting the LOA with its MediCard Online LOA, an application that allows the client to easily request for a LOA for diagnostic tests from the comfort of his own home, office or by using a mobile phone.

Perona, herself, is a loyal MediCard member. Her kids’ pediatrician is the MediCard coordinator of one of the reputable hospitals in the country.

“The service is fast and efficient. The coordinator answers my queries even through Facebook Messenger. Even on Sundays, we can call MediCard for our health needs,” says Perona. “The millennials love this add-on service, too, since their life revolves around their mobile phones.”

With the convenience that MediCard offers, it’s easy for millennials to avail of healthcare services and put more focus on their health.