Press Releases

FWD Hong Kong (“FWD”) and CUHK Medical Centre (“CUHKMC”) have entered into a long-term partnership to provide FWD customers with efficient, high-quality medical services through CUHKMC's professional medical team and advanced medical equipment. The market’s first¹ digital pre-authorisation platform will be launched in the first phase of this partnership, which streamlines the application and assessment process and offers customers a paperless, fast, simple and cashless medical claims experience.

New digital pre-authorisation service for a revolutionary medical experience

FWD’s pre-authorisation assessment process is a game-changer that allows customers to receive professional medical treatment with peace of mind at CUHKMC. Empowered by Smarter Health, a Singapore-based healthtech company, the new, cutting-edge platform fully digitalises the cashless claims pre-authorisation process and offers a paperless digital medical experience.

Patients undergoing day surgery or hospitalisation are often frustrated with the "pay-and-claim" process and medical expenses that may exceed their budget, which adds to the overwhelming nature of their physical conditions. Pre-authorising medical expenses can be a complicated and time-consuming process, as it requires medical network specialists to submit a physical form to the insurer for assessment. The entire process can take weeks, and the application may not be approved.

Streamlined process to grant approval in as fast as one working day²

Once eligible insured persons under FWD’s designated medical plan or voluntary health insurance scheme (VHIS)³ receive medical consultation at CUHKMC, a cashless claims pre-authorisation request will be directly submitted to FWD through the platform. The policyholder, the insured and the doctor will submit their eSignatures for validation via mobile devices in the form of QR codes or emails. The application and review process can be accelerated through the enhanced technology and streamlined procedure, allowing FWD to complete the assessment process as fast as one working day². Both FWD insurance agent and CUHKMC will immediately be notified of the pre-authorisation result through email upon the completion of the assessment process.

After assessment and approval, the Letter of Guarantee and pre-approved eligible guarantee amount will be sent via email to the hospital, doctor and FWD’s insurance agent respectively to facilitate cashless hospital admission. The digital platform eliminates the burden of physical paper forms; significantly reduces time spent on the application and approval processes, and enables the insured to manage their medical expenses before receiving treatment. FWD will digitally pay CUHKMC the pre-approved eligible medical expenses without involving the insured, who can then focus on their medical treatment and enjoy a cashless hospital experience without any related payments³.

Ken LAU, FWD’s Managing Director for Greater China and Hong Kong CEO, said, “We are honoured to collaborate with CUHK Medical Centre to offer professional medical treatment and nursing care services to our customers. With the support of FWD Group’s health and technology colleagues, FWD and CUHK Medical Centre have co-created Hong Kong's first¹ digital pre-authorisation platform, which offers fully digitalised pre-authorisation and payment-free medical claims services. The streamlined application process aims to provide convenience and relieve patients’ financial burdens and anxieties while ensuring timely and proper treatment with peace of mind. Looking ahead, we hope to extend our collaboration to serve more customers as we focus on changing the way people feel about insurance.”

Dr. FUNG Hong, Chief Executive Officer of CUHK Medical Centre, said: “CUHKMC is pleased to collaborate with FWD Hong Kong, which facilitates quality and convenient medical services for patients through the brand-new digital platform. At CUHKMC, we have been dedicated to offering healthcare services at predictable and transparent package fees. With FWD’s digital pre-authorisation platform, transparency of medical expenses for patients is further enhanced. Meanwhile, digitalising processes can also save healthcare personnel’s time in handling paperwork, but be more focused on patients' treatment and care, which aligns with our paperless principle.”

Enabling data exchange to enhance collaboration among medical institutions and insurers

With direct access to customers' case status, diagnostic procedures, medical cost breakdowns and related documents on the digital pre-authorisation platform, FWD and CUHKMC can track and manage pre-authorisation requests at any time, which accelerates the assessment process and facilitates faster digital claims payments. The platform enables customers to access more secure medical services whilst fostering communication and collaboration between medical institutions and insurers, leading to a mutually beneficial outcome.

¹ As of 1 April 2023. This statement is made by FWD based on market information and understanding at the time.

² The time required to complete assessment varies from one to four working days, subject to case complexity and product coverage.

³ Only applicable to customers of FWD’s medical plan or voluntary health insurance scheme (VHIS) holding PREMIER THE ONEcierge medical card and designated medical procedures (i.e. "day surgery") for the time being, and subject to the relevant policy provisions. The actual claimable amount will be based on the final claim decision that is subject to insured person’s eligibility and case based exclusion(s), claim documents /information to be received, benefit limits, general exclusions and other terms and conditions as stated in the policy provisions. Customer is required to pay the deductible balance (if any) of their insurance policy.