Manulife Asia and Ant Health Partner on Connected Care in Hong Kong

The partnership will look at ways to make it easier for customers to find healthcare services, access treatment and manage payments. It will cover health management, cross-border healthcare, digital health services and insurance technology.

The companies said the partnership could help address challenges faced by patients who seek medical treatment across borders. Such patients often need to contact different providers and manage several steps on their own.

The initial focus will be on Manulife customers in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. The companies may later consider expanding the model to other Asian markets.

The companies will also look at insurance technology related to healthcare. This could include health-related value-added services, insurance product design and support for cross-border claims and payments.

The partnership combines Manulife's insurance business with Ant Health's digital healthcare platform. Manulife serves more than 37 million customers across 25 markets, while Ant Health says more than 800 million users have linked their national medical insurance e-certificates to its platform.

Manulife operates in Canada and Asia under the Manulife brand and uses the John Hancock brand in the US. The group offers insurance, financial advice, health products, investment and retirement services.

Ant Health started by providing online hospital appointment booking and payment services in the Chinese mainland. Its Hong Kong-based entity, AHA Healthcare Technology HK Limited, signed the MoU with Manulife Asia.

"This collaboration reflects a shared belief that access to healthcare should be simpler, more connected and centred around the needs of customers. By combining our respective strengths, we will explore how to create a more seamless healthcare journey for customers," said Steve Finch, President & CEO of Manulife Asia.

"At Manulife, we believe better access to healthcare is fundamental to improving long-term health outcomes and supports our goals to help customers enjoy better health and greater independence throughout their lives," he added.

Ant Health's parent group also framed the agreement around changing consumer expectations in medical services.

"The integration of health insurance and health services has become a major trend in enhancing users' medical service experience and improving their overall health and well-being. Through this collaboration with Manulife Asia, we look forward to exploring more convenient and compassionate cross-boundary health services for customers, advancing our long-term vision of 'making healthcare simpler and lives healthier', and contributing to the development of a 'Healthy Greater Bay Area'," said Zhang Junjie, Vice President of Ant Group and Head of the Health Business.

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