Since 2017, IHC has been building its digital backbone, offering some of the country's most comprehensive, innovative, and personalized healthcare programs for individuals, families, and employees.
The company understood that technology will be an important element of its growth strategy. It embarked on a digital transformation journey and modernized its core system to ensure the stable and reliable delivery of healthcare service to its covered members.
Thanks to leadership and foresight, IHC was digital ready when COVID-19 arrived in the country. Its capabilities even became a key enabler of resiliency for the company during the pandemic.
The unbreakable spirit of the IHC team members, whether in the front line or while working remotely from home, made a big impact in faithfully serving its clients.
Even as 77% of its 140 employees were working from home and only 23% comprised the skeletal team, IHC provided uninterrupted service to its members and customers. With great agility, it was able to scale up its digital capabilities by 100%.
In addition to ensuring business continuity in 2020, its robust IT infrastructure also enabled the company to acquire new business and renew existing relationships during the prolonged lockdown.
Digital technology also enabled its members and customers to access IHC’s wide network of customer service channels, which includes telehealth service, call center, and payment portal. Through its Customer Experience Dashboard, it is able to regularly measure and monitor service levels to guarantee that quality service is maintained throughout this difficult period.
During the pandemic, IHC also saw a substantial shift in outpatient consultations and telemedicine among its members and customers. Its robust technology has enabled it to accommodate the higher utilization of these services.
More importantly, technology has brought affordable health coverage where it is direly needed: those needing coverage for the COVID-19 coronavirus.
At the onset of the virus outbreak, IHC made a pivotal decision to voluntarily cover COVID-19 cases on an ex-gratia basis out of a sense of moral obligation and for humanitarian reasons. Customers can conveniently purchase the affordable solutions with ex-gratia COVID-19 coverage online. This is a manifestation of IHC’s commitment to be there for the Filipino, in good or in bad times.
Its early investment in its digital transformation journey continues to pay off. In a pandemic year, IHC’s net income after tax amounted to P180 million, which represents a 310% increase from 2019. It generated revenues of P780 million, 36% higher than the previous year.
Among the biggest contributors to its bottom line were its affordable prepaid solutions and emergency care solutions that covered COVID-19. Its best-selling ER Care All-In Adults 100 plan provides out-patient and in-patient care coverage of up to P100,000 for emergency cases due to accidents, viral and bacterial illnesses, and specific conditions in all Insular-accredited hospitals nationwide, including the top hospitals) for only P2,450. Availing this one-time use health voucher offers a customer experience that is 100% digital, as it can be purchased online and comes with a chatbot helpline.
Beyond the numbers, IHC has a string of awards and recognition to show that a Filipino company can succeed in a highly competitive industry even as it continues to live its purpose as a steward of the nation’s health.
In 2020, IHC won the Inspirational Brand of the Year Award in the Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industry at the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards, based in Singapore and Malaysia. The company also bagged The Asia CEO Awards Circle of Excellence for Executive Leadership Team of the Year in October 2020. Its President and CEO, Noemi Azura, was also featured on the International Finance Corporation’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages that showcased leaders who can effectively cope with overwhelming change and challenges amid the COVID19 pandemic.
As the pressures surrounding COVID-19 remain high, IHC continues to remain vigilant through an ongoing commitment to innovation. Coming together – on the front lines and behind the scenes – the company will increasingly leverage agile and digital solutions to navigate uncharted waters and adapt to the rapidly evolving environment.
