AXA launches healthcare payment card

The virtual card, which can be added by members to their Apple or Google wallet, will be rolled out in phases.

The card is intended to simplify the claims process for AXA’s corporate clients and their employees. It enables members to pay for eligible outpatient treatments, such as over-the-counter prescriptions, “without using their own funds, and without having to submit a claim”.

The card can be used to pay any healthcare provider with a contactless VISA payment method, rather than just those within AXA - Global Healthcare’s international network.

The AXA healthcare card is being issued by Nium, a UK-based fintech registered and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

AXA described the card as the “first step … to providing their members with a digital wallet where they can easily store and access what they need to use their international health insurance policy”.

The card follows research by AXA which found that its Global Healthcare members submitted a substantial amount of low-value, self-pay claims every year. Members also said that, despite doing this, they disliked making these claims against their policy, primarily due to the level of time and administration involved.

AXA - Global Healthcare previously launched an AI-based virtual assistant in February 2023.