HCF makes QR codes a thing for health insurance
I remember when QR codes first hit the internet in the 2000s. Life was full of promise and possibilities.
Alas, it took a global pandemic to see any real uptake. Even then, the only real use case seems to be lazy restaurants who won't give us paper menus. Probably the same restaurants that insisted on serving hamburgers on Kmart chopping boards in 2019. We still want plates.
But finally, the not-for-profit kings and queens from the west coast are riding in on a figurative steed worthy of a Daryl Braithwaite banger. HCF, Australia's biggest member-owned health fund, has made QR claim codes a reality, finally.
Why you should be as excited as I am about QR codes
Yes, I am oddly excited about QR codes! Here's why you should be too.
Insurance is not always known as the most tech-forward business, but that's not quite fair. Insurance funds have often been on the cutting edge when it comes to using tech-like machine learning to predict likely outcomes and set reasonable premiums on the back end.
But it's certainly true that the me's and you's of the world maybe don't get to engage with the insurance industry in the most future-forward way. That's why I love companies like HCF working alongside HICAPS (the machine you scan your card with at the dentist) to make the process of making a health claim a bit more straightforward.
QR doesn't see colour - blue or green
Now, I know what you're thinking. Digital membership cards are already a thing. And you're right - ahm has had a digital membership card in its app for a little while which you've been able to claim with.
But QR codes are a special kind of tech - they're platform agnostic. It doesn't matter what phone you have, whether you're rocking an iPhone, Pixel or Nintendo Switch - once you generate your unique QR code, you can use it to claim.
Actually, you could technically print it out. Or get it as a tattoo. That'd be pretty extra though - a pretty extra way to claim your extras. Boom boom.
QR you ready for the future?
Okay time for some serious talk. It's the start of June as I'm writing this and that's a really important time to review your health insurance needs in Australia. Depending on your situation, there are some potentially major tax impacts to not having health insurance, some of which have a cut-off date of June 30.
So, go ahead and compare some health insurance policies and see if there's one that suits you. I've whacked some of the latest sign-up deals below - might as well get a deal if you're gonna sign up with a new company.
Note: Just in case you didn't get the blue or green thing - it's actually a hilarious reference to the weird iPhone v android thing that popped off in the US last year. Trust me, it's very clever.