Pru Life UK launches app, says healthy public good for insurance industry

Pru Life UK executives launch health management app Pulse on February 19, 2020. From left: senior manager and head of Digital Channels Jomar O. Mislang,  president and CEO Antonio "Jumbing" de Rosas, and senior vice president and chief customer marketing officer Allan M. Tumbaga. Photo: Pru Life UK

British life insurer Pru Life UK on Wednesday launched an artificial intelligence-powered health management app as it highlights that a healthier general public is good for the insurance sector.

During the launch of Pulse app in Parañaque City, Pru Life UK president and CEO Antonio de Rosas said that the company’s objective in launching the health management app was partly to raise awareness on financial literacy.

De Rosas said the promotion of healthier lifestyle would “postpone” or “prevent” diseases —an eventuality that would prompt policyholders to file for insurance claims.

“It is good for the industry to have a healthy general public,” De Rosas said.

“It is not profitable for insurance companies to go to a country where [people] are not healthy,” he said.

“With Pulse, we are significantly expanding beyond our core business of providing financial protection, as well as working to integrate mobile digital health more deeply into the Philippine healthcare system,” he added.

Digital tools, the Pru Life UK chief said, are paving the way for better, faster, and more accessible healthcare.

“These tools are especially critical for nations with underdeveloped healthcare systems, such as the Philippines, which continue to face challenges relating to consumer access, infrastructure, trained professionals and medical costs,” he said.

The Pulse app features a symptom checker that acts as a digital-first gateway for users when seeking care and a health assessment tool that gives users insight into their long-term disease risks.

“This will help users better understand any worrying symptoms they might be experiencing and direct them to seek advice from healthcare professionals. By empowering users with smart cutting-edge technologies, they can continue to fulfill their wellness goals and help prevent or postpone the onset of diseases, allowing us to play a role in their journey to better overall health,” De Rosas said.

Pulse is a regional offering of Prudential and was first introduced in Malaysia in May 2019.

Apart from Malaysia and the Philippines, Pulse will be available in nine other markets in Asia.

Pulse is currently available for free download by all users of Android devices, and soon for all users of IOS devices. — BM, GMA News