Major Australian Healthcare Insurance Companies Now Support Apple Wallet
A number of the largest healthcare insurance companies in Australia now allow their customers to add their insurance cards to their digital Apple Wallet on their iPhone and Apple Watch, giving healthcare patients ease of access of by using their iPhone and Apple Watch instead of their plastic insurance card.
Bupa, Medibank, nib, and GU Health have announced support through electronic payment and claims system HICAPS, and in a press release, say that thanks to digital cards and Apple Wallets, overall customer experience will now be made easier with shortened wait times and quicker cash processing times. Tania Motto, the National Australian Bank executive for Business Everyday Banking, called the new feature an "exciting enhancement."
The move allows customers to make a health insurance claim by simply holding their iPhone or Apple Watch near any HICAPS terminal in Australia – creating a true digital wallet experience. Customers can also pay for gap payments simply and securely using Apple Pay.
NAB Executive for Business Everyday Banking, Tania Motton said: "We're excited to offer health practitioners the ability to accept digital health insurance membership cards through iPhone and Apple Watch at all HICAPS terminals across Australia.
"Digital technology is rapidly changing the way merchants receive payments – with more customers choosing contactless over cash. This is an exciting enhancement that will further support those who prefer a more digital experience.
"Claims made using this method help reduce the time spent on manual processing for practitioners due to forgotten plastic cards, while putting money back in customers' bank accounts quicker," said Ms Motton.
Apple Wallet integration will work across Australia at HICAPS terminals, and specific instructions can be found on the HICAPS website.
(Thanks, Richard!)
Popular Stories
After announcing new Mac and HomePod models last week, Apple adjusted its trade-in values for select devices in the United States.
iPhone trade-in values decreased by up to $80, and most Android smartphones also went down. Mac trade-in values remained unchanged or increased by up to $40 depending on the model, while some Apple Watch models increased in value and others decreased. Trade-in...
Apple's next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are expected to be announced in September as usual. Already, rumors suggest the devices will have at least seven exclusive features not available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.
An overview of the seven features rumored to be exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro models:A17 chip: iPhone 15 Pro models will be equipped with an A17...
While the new Mac mini with the M2 chip has a lower $599 starting price, the base model with 256GB of storage has slower SSD read and write speeds compared to the previous-generation model with the M1 chip and 256GB of storage.
A teardown of the new Mac mini shared by YouTube channel Brandon Geekabit reveals that the 256GB model is equipped with only a single 256GB storage chip, while the...
Apple today released tvOS 16.3, the third major point update to the tvOS 16 operating system that originally came out in September. Available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD, tvOS 16.3 comes six weeks after tvOS 16.2, an update that added Apple Music Sing.
The tvOS 16.3 update can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System > Software...
Apple today released watchOS 9.3, the third major update to the watchOS 9 operating system that first launched in September. watchOS 9.3 comes over a month after watchOS 9.2, an update that added new Workout functionality and Crash Detection optimizations.
watchOS 9.3 can be downloaded for free through the Apple Watch app on the iPhone by opening it up and going to General > Software Update. ...
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 16.3 will be released to the public next week. The software update will be available for the iPhone 8 and newer and includes a handful of new features, changes, and bug fixes.
Below, we've recapped bigger features in iOS 16.3, including support for physical security keys as a two-factor authentication option for Apple ID accounts, worldwide ...
The new M2-series MacBook Pro and Mac mini models launched today, marking the debut of the first M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. We have the M2 Pro Mac mini on hand, and thought we'd take a look at the machine and do a series of benchmarks to see how it fits into Apple's lineup.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Base model Mac mini machines come with either an M2 or M2 Pro...
Apple today released macOS Ventura 13.2, the second major update to the macOS Ventura operating system initially released in October. macOS Ventura 13.2 comes more than a month after macOS Ventura 13.1, an update that added the Freeform app and other changes.
The macOS Ventura 13.2 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System...
Top Rated Comments
But they’re trialling it now. Also you can just tap on and off with your bank card so you can already use you phone/watch if you want to.
Cash - no need
Medicare - Medicare app
Other memberships - all either in the Apple wallet (Woolies, Qantas) or simple barcode scanner (Flybuys)
Myki - I am driving already!
So yea, typical VIC Gov, taking its sweet time.
After my appointment , they swipe the card, put in the service provided code and the health fund pays them instantly and I only have to pay the gap (if there is one).
This just means that instead of carrying my card, I can use my phone instead which is great since I don't carry a wallet and I have to remember to take my private health insurance card each time I go to an appointment for something covered under private health insurance.