Accuro health insurance partners with decision science insurtech Montoux to improve customer wellness

Not-for-profit Kiwi health insurer Accuro is working with Montoux, the Decision Science platform for life and health insurers, on a pilot programme to identify early interventions that could help its members avoid major invasive surgeries.

“This initiative with Montoux is another key part of our focus on active insurance: helping our members live healthier lives,” says Gavin Rutherford, GM Customer and Commercial of Accuro. “We’re using fully anonymous data and artificial intelligence to spot patterns that lead to potentially serious issues and invasive surgeries, and then working with health experts to identify early actions or treatments that will prevent or delay more major medical interventions.”

“It’s a focus on prevention rather than waiting to cure, allowing members to carry on with their lives and reduce the risk, distress and disruption of surgery. The project may also lead Accuro to develop new benefits and products,” adds Rutherford. “We’re confident this pilot will help us deliver even better health outcomes for our members.”

The Montoux Decision Science platform provides detailed data insights, using sophisticated modelling techniques to provide unique and informed analysis into a wide range of possible wellness scenarios.

Geoff Keast, CEO of Montoux, says the following about the project; “We’re delighted with the opportunity to support our friends at Accuro to deliver positive, proactive wellness outcomes to their policyholders. Wellness management programs deliver clear benefits to policyholders and insurers, and we see increasing appetite from health insurers around the world to take a more proactive, evidence-based approach in the way they engage their policyholders to deliver positive wellness outcomes.”

The new initiative adds to Accuro’s growing list of active benefits which include digital mental health consultations, access to specialist opinions from the top medical experts in the world, melanoma screening, bowel screening and an online personalised health and wellbeing programme.

“We are a not-for-profit co-operative who has always invested in innovation focussed on our members,” says Rutherford. “Accuro was the first health insurer in New Zealand to offer online quotes and applications. In that same vein, the 2017 launch of our online underwriting platform made us the first health insurer in the world to offer instant online cover. And recently we have invested in the development of a new modern policy administration system which will help us deliver a better customer experience for our members.”

ENDS

Accuro started out as a health insurance provider to health professionals and now specialises in health insurance for all New Zealanders. The not-for-profit co-operative, based in Wellington, has no shareholder dividends to pay and focusses on delivering the best outcomes for members, including several award-winning initiatives, New Zealand and world firsts.

Montoux is the decision science platform for life and health insurers. By combining actuarial and data science expertise with automation and machine learning techniques, Montoux provides life and health insurers with a game-changing platform to make data-driven decisions, improving business performance across in-force and new business portfolios. Montoux’s customers include several of the world’s leading insurance providers across North America, Europe, Asia and Australasia.  Ultimately, Montoux allows life and health insurers to operate a leaner, smarter, faster and data-driven business.