Great Eastern partners Doctor Anywhere on new insurance plan for gig economy workers in Singapore

GREAT Eastern (GE) has collaborated with telemedicine startup Doctor Anywhere to launch an insurance plan for self-employed, freelance and gig economy workers in Singapore in light of the Covid-19 outbreak, it said on Monday.

The annual renewable plan, named GREAT Comprehensive Care, is the first in the market to offer hospitalisation income, personal accident coverage, and outpatient care in a single policy, GE said.

"While most businesses and activities will resume in the second phase of Singapore's reopening, it will likely still be an uphill task for many gig economy workers to regain their pre-pandemic income," the insurer added.

"Without the support of employee benefits or corporate insurance coverage, the situation is even more challenging if these individuals are hospitalised due to an injury or illness and their daily income is curtailed."

There are two plan types - basic and deluxe - with premiums starting from 73 Singapore cents a day, or approximately S$22 a month.

The plan's outpatient healthcare coverage provides for up to 12 Doctor Anywhere video consultations, and can be shared among family members. Any unused video consultations can be converted to points on UPGREAT, GE's rewards platform.

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No underwriting is required, and application can be made on the GE website. The plan is also available on Doctor Anywhere's health and wellness platform.

Ryan Cheong, GE managing director, digital for business, said that income and health protection has become more important for the self-employed, gig economy workers, and employees of small and medium enterprises who may not have sufficient corporate insurance coverage or employee benefits.

"We aim to provide more affordable and accessible protection for these groups to give them greater peace of mind in the event of the unforeseen," he said.

Lim Wai Mun, founder and chief executive officer of Doctor Anywhere, said: "The pandemic situation has highlighted the need for flexibility in outpatient medical services. We are pleased to partner Great Eastern to offer reliable and affordable access to online healthcare services anytime, anywhere, through this innovative product."

Earlier this month, GE expanded its partnership with Doctor Anywhere to provide discounted consultation fees for policyholders of the insurance company's Integrated Shield plan.

Shares of Great Eastern were trading flat at S$19.90 as at 10.21am on Monday after the announcement.