Star Health and Allied Insurance Utilises Digital Platforms to Improve Customer Engagement

The health insurance industry in India has traditionally been led by agents. However, Chennai-based Star Health and Allied Insurance is seeing a shift towards digital platforms. This has led to a need for automation in the industry, resulting in significant investments in digital touchpoints like mobile apps, web applications, and CRM solutions such as Chat Bot and WhatsApp. Customers now have access to these channels to interact with the company. However, there have been some challenges in communicating policies to customers, and it is more likely to be miscommunication than fraud.

To address this issue, the company is leveraging technology to keep customers informed across all channels, whether it is through WhatsApp messages, verification calls, or other forms of communication. By using these various channels, Star Health ensures that any communication gaps that may have happened during offline interactions are effectively bridged online.

Mukesh Sharma, Chief Digital Transformation Officer at Star Health and Allied Insurance, highlights one significant challenge they face in the data they have on hand. They have a hundred datasets, but only about 50% of it is digitized and in a usable format. The remaining 50% is not in a format that can be easily consumed and used by their systems. The lack of standardization of data formats, particularly in rural areas, is also a major issue. The company receives thousands of claims from various hospital networks on a daily basis, which are often in poor quality and not well-scanned. This makes it difficult for their systems to effectively digitize and process the information.

To address this challenge, the company needs to improve the accuracy of data digitization, which can be achieved through the use of advancements in AI. With extensive experience from his time at organizations such as Bharti Airtel, MakeMyTrip, and Yatra, Sharma is committed to driving Star Health’s digital transformation journey forward. Star Health and Allied Insurance is taking a proactive approach in addressing the challenges of digitization and leveraging innovative technologies to provide better experiences to their customers.

​Stay tuned for an exclusive video interview with Mukesh Sharma to learn more about their digital journey and plans for the future.