Source: TrendWatching
This month Max Bupa Health Insurance (MBHI) will install the first health insurance ATMs in India. Placed in banks, the ATMs conduct non-invasive medical measures to test parameters including BMI, bone mass, weight, height, and blood oxygen level. Based on these parameters, the ATMs calculate a health score for users in real-time and provide personalized policy options. Max Bupa launched 20 ATMs initially and will expand to 100 machines in three to six months.
The vending machine trend continues! In 2017 alone we’ve seen everything from cars to oysters to fresh vegan food distributed via increasingly sophisticated vending machines. And why not? Brands should stop blindly pursuing an omnichannel strategy of trying to be everywhere, and instead think about how to use new channels to reach the right customers, at the right time and in the right place.
Health insurance is a purchase that has traditionally involved a lot more consideration than one typically gives at an ATM. But the choice of channel makes sense: banks focus on their customers’ financial wellbeing, why not their physical wellbeing too? And, while the machines’ non-invasive health tests undoubtedly won’t provide fully comprehensive medicals, they will raise customer expectations around accessibility and convenience when it comes to healthcare. But remember: customer expectations won’t stop there. After all, if you can buy health insurance at the ATM, what else could you do?
