(A column highlighting scientific, technological, engineering, and design innovation in Africa.)
Launched in 2012, MobiSure™ is a medical insurance platform through which poor families and individuals in Kenya may purchase coverage using a mobile phone for terms as short as one day. The platform was developed by Kenyan entrepreneur David Kandie, founder and CEO of OpenCastLabs Consulting, an information technology and services firm in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital.
At a time when very few sub-Saharan African countries have universal health coverage, with most countries in the region striving to provide a basic health insurance package, MobiSure partners with hospitals and clinics that register as MobiSure™ service providers to bring coverage to millions. A report by the consultancy McKinsey $ Co. predicts that by 2016 the market for health care in sub-Saharan Africa will be worth $35 billion.
Agents operating throughout Kenya register hospitals as MobiSure™ service providers, and register individuals for membership in MobiSure™. Using mobile phones, registered MobiSure™ health service providers can connect to a database link to check the membership status of individuals seeking health care.
Individuals are approved for insurance once they meet minimum requirements set by MobiSure™. They are then issued an ID number, which allows them to purchase coverage on the go via mobile phone. The ID number also must be presented when seeking medical care at a registered MobiSure™ service provider. Upon verification of the account, the patient is given a claim form to complete and return to the provider.
After the patient is treated, the health service provider files the claim either online by logging in the customer details, or by sending the form to MobiSure™ Customer Care center. MobiSure™ processes the claim and makes payment to the health service provider.
MobiSure™ is a member of VC4Africa, an African entrepreneur and investor matchmaking community.
