Old Mutual launches WhatsApp-based insurance policy

Old Mutual Limited has announced an innovative WhatsApp-based insurance policy called JustCover, that provides cover for persons who travel by road.

The product is an ‘on-demand’ travel accident policy that provides pay as you go cover for individual road journeys from city to city in across the country by public transport.

The entire application and claims processes can be managed simply and conveniently through the WhatsApp Messenger App.

Speaking at the launch of the new product, CEO of Mutual Ghana, Tavona Biza, assured that the product addresses a vital insurance need.

The aim of this essential and innovative product, he adds, is to provide an immediate benefit when it’s needed most.

“Users are given emergency cash as soon as Old Mutual is notified of an accident to help pay for urgently required medical attention. This is why it is called ‘first responder insurance,” he said.

Statistics from the National Road Safety Authority show that four people die daily on Ghana’s roads due to crashes. In addition, estimates show that Ghana loses over $230 million yearly, due to road accidents with more than 1,600 deaths.

The Insurance Act prescribes that once a car is insured, its occupants by extension are also guaranteed unlimited medical expenses in the event of an accident.

However, after an accident, passengers who are injured need to foot their own bills or rely on relatives to come to their rescue. It is a daunting task getting help from the Insurance Company in the immediate aftermath of an accident.

Passengers sometimes lose their lives or limbs when critical first aid is not delivered because of the unavailability of money to pay for their treatment.

Old Mutual believes that what is needed is an insurance policy that is simple to apply for and claim on – no long forms or waiting times, whether someone is about to travel or needs to claim they should be able to manage their cover without any hustle or delay. This is why Old Mutual is using the WhatsApp platform as it is the most used messenger app in Afric, Biza explained further.

To purchase the Local Travel Insurance through WhatsApp, passengers simply have to save the number 0242426455, send “hi” to the number on WhatsApp, answer a few questions and they are covered.

He said Old Mutual is confident that the passengers on public transport will embrace WhatsApp as a convenient and trusted method for purchasing insurance.

“We believe the use of these technologies is a vital part of the future of insurance and we are excited that Old Mutual Ghana is showing the way.”

“The JustCover platform provides customers with benefits that extend beyond the insurance cover. It seeks to fill a social need, which is: the all too common tragedy of our inability to identify victims in the event of an accident. Once you board a bus and buy the cover and an accident occurs, we possess the capability to generate a manifest of JustCover passengers.

“Once notified of an accident, our community support agents will immediately begin contacting emergency services and loved ones to alert them and check on potential victims to make sure they are fine.”

He said, “This innovative service is unique to Old Mutual and we are proud to be able to offer it as a part of every JustCover insurance policy.”

According to him, the JustCover passengers will also have the chance to rate the driver at the end of each journey.