Bolstered by a $10M funding round to serve financially excluded populations in West Africa and other emerging markets, Aella, a revolutionary fintech is set to provide inclusive health insurance to millions of West Africans through its partnership with Hygeia HMO, a leading provider of health insurance in the region.
AellaCare, a health insurance product that offers a comprehensive and accessible micro-health insurance service overcomes obstacles that keep millions from accessing financial services. Such as geographical or regulatory inaccessibility, lack of access to banking institutions, confidence concerns or needs that existing financial products can not solve.
Although several African governments have increased the proportion of their total public expenditure on health, financing remains a major constraint to effective health service delivery. Scarce public resources and limited health infrastructure has made healthcare delivery unavailable to Africa’s bottom of the pyramid. 95% of Nigerian adults do not have insurance and 77.2% of the nation’s population barely know what insurance is about. Traditional financial institutions have also been unable to provide financial services to these individuals because they didn’t meet their minimum profitable threshold.
AellaCare tackles this with super affordable health insurance coverage for as low as N2,000 ($5) per month. With the financial barrier reduced, people can now seek and receive much-needed health services such as; General Consultations, Pharmacy Benefits, Ante-Natal Care & Delivery services, Accidents and Emergencies, Surgeries, Outpatient and Specialist Consultations, HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment, Dental Care, Prescription Glasses, Family Planning Services among others.
AellaCare users can also get insurance plans on credit via the Aella app, guaranteeing personalized financial planning, the flexibility of payments and better-improved healthcare access. For more information on how to get started, visit www.aellaapp.com/insurance.
“We are excited about this partnership with Hygeia HMO as it gives us the unique opportunity to reach millions of Africans that are currently outside the healthcare envelope via a collaboration with a leading health insurance provider. With AellaCare, we are not only reducing the financial barriers that prevent people from protecting their health with decent health insurance; we are also transforming the unbanked and supporting economic growth for all West Africans. This milestone is another validation of our commitment to lifting many out of poverty and transition emerging markets into the digital economy through accessible financial solutions”, said Aella CEO, Akin Jones.
Speaking about the primary objective of this partnership, Obinnia Abajue, Hygeia HMO CEO, said, “At the heart of our mission at Hygeia HMO is the provision of affordable access to quality healthcare. Access to quality and affordable care shouldn't be a luxury and this partnership with Aella allows us to scale the provision of healthcare services to millions of Nigerians and West Africans previously outside the healthcare envelope. With quality healthcare insurance coverage, AellaCare is giving people the convenience of providing preventive and primary care services for them and their loved ones, which reduces the financial risk of ill-health. All lives matter and AellaCare has made it easier to access healthcare through Aella's fast, simple and affordable monthly subscription service.
AellaCare is democratizing standard healthcare, especially in Africa's most populous nation where less than 10% is covered by any kind of health insurance. AellaCare is underpinned by Hygeia HMO’s reputation as one of the largest health maintenance organizations in Nigeria and Aella’s competencies as a blockchain-backed financial technology provider offering flexible and secure online payments and more personalized solutions.
In addition to its broad array of financial products — savings, insurance, payments, and specialized loans, Aella’s newly introduced in-app payment also allows users to buy airtime, buy mobile data, pay electricity or internet bills, among others.
About Aella
Aella is a leading African fintech start-up based in Lagos Nigeria with offices in San Francisco and Manila. The company focuses on simplifying finance in emerging markets by offering access to loans, bill payments and, in the immediate future, affordable insurance plans and other similar services that are simple and safe. Aella aims to make a significant contribution to Africa’s fintech ecosystem by helping to build a sustainable digital economy.
About Hygeia HMO
Hygeia HMO is a leading health insurance company that offers comprehensive health insurance services to individuals and families as well as SMEs and large corporate organizations. The firm has delivered first-class health insurance services in Nigeria since 1986. Hygeia HMO has continued to define and set new standards for health maintenance services in Nigeria and Africa, deploying global best practices. The company is focused on improving healthcare in Nigeria.
