AIA, WeDoctor, and MediTrust Launch China's First Single-Disease Insurance for Breast Cancer, Pioneering an Integrated Medical-Prescription-Insurance Ecosystem

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that on June 18, AIA, a century-old brand, joined forces with WeDoctor Group, a globally leading medical technology platform, and Medxin Health, a subsidiary of Shanghai Pharmaceuticals, to hold a press conference in Beijing. Together, they launched “Guardian Beauty Medical Insurance,” China’s first single-disease insurance product specifically for breast cancer. By integrating their respective industry-leading resources, the three parties have connected the core links of medical care, pharmaceuticals, and insurance within the treatment journey, providing customers with a comprehensive, closed-loop service covering prevention, medical consultation, medication, and rehabilitation for breast cancer.

Reported data indicate that breast cancer is becoming the “number one killer” threatening the health of Chinese women. The age of onset for breast cancer in China is 10 years earlier than in Western countries, and its incidence rate is increasing by 2%–2.5% annually—twice the global average growth rate, ranking first worldwide. Alongside the high incidence are scarce medical resources and exorbitant treatment costs. In addition to strained healthcare resources, the cost of surgery or radiotherapy/chemotherapy for breast cancer reaches RMB 300,000, with subsequent annual medication expenses exceeding RMB 500,000.

The high costs of treatment and medication, the arduous journey to access medical care, and the helplessness in early-stage prevention and late-stage rehabilitation constitute the realistic dilemmas faced by most breast cancer patients. “Guardian Beauty Medical Insurance” addresses multiple pain points throughout the patient’s entire medical journey, aiming to tangibly alleviate the pressures of “difficult access to medical care and expensive medications” borne by the vast majority of breast cancer patients in China. This innovative collaboration among AIA, WeDoctor, and MedxHealth marks a first in China’s commercial health insurance market, pioneering the integration of single-disease insurance with healthcare and pharmaceutical services.

Leveraging the abundant, high-quality medical resources and technological capabilities accumulated by WeDoctor through nine years of deep engagement in the healthcare sector, we provide purchasers with comprehensive breast cancer risk monitoring and expert assessments. In the event of a diagnosis, users gain access to integrated online and offline professional healthcare services, including outpatient consultations with specialists at Tier-3 hospitals, second opinions, hospitalization arrangements, and psychological counseling during rehabilitation.

By leveraging MedXin Health’s extensive drug supply network, breast cancer patients can receive 100% reimbursement for five targeted therapies, with coverage up to RMB 2 million over a maximum period of three years. It is reported that for in-hospital medication, prescription review and dispensing can be completed within one business day, with post-treatment reimbursement claims supported. For medications obtained at designated out-of-hospital pharmacies, patients may choose direct payment at the pharmacy for self-pickup or opt for free home delivery as scheduled.

At the press conference, Mr. Jiang Liming, Chief Customer Officer of AIA China, stated, “The launch of ‘Guardian Beauty Medical Insurance’ marks a milestone innovation in the insurance industry. By joining forces with strong partners WeDoctor and Medxpert Health, we have jointly created an integrated healthcare solution that closes the loop among medical care, pharmaceuticals, and insurance, further strengthening AIA’s confidence in continuing to explore and innovate in the field of single-disease insurance.”

For a long time, the primary payers in China’s healthcare service system have been basic medical insurance and out-of-pocket payments. As public demand for health management rises, the commercial health insurance market holds vast potential. During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, premium income from commercial health insurance in China surged from RMB 69.172 billion to RMB 404.250 billion, representing a 4.8-fold increase, while its share of total life insurance premiums rose from 6.37% to 18.2%. The commercial health insurance market is projected to reach RMB 2 trillion by 2020, with a compound annual growth rate exceeding 40%.

Unlike traditional commercial medical insurance, commercial health insurance aims to return to the essential nature of health protection. By linking controllable medical services with transparent user health and medical data, it helps individuals better manage their health, thereby addressing the helplessness in managing medical risks under traditional service models. Meanwhile, it can effectively reduce disease incidence and enhance profitability through health education, preventive care, and other measures.

Zhang Jun, Senior Vice President of WeDoctor, stated that scarce, high-quality medical and health resources have become standard features of mid-to-high-end health insurance products, which constitutes WeDoctor’s competitive advantage. It is reported that as of March 2019, WeDoctor had connected more than 2,700 key hospitals and 280,000 doctors across 30 provinces and municipalities in China, establishing a healthcare resource supply system that integrates online and offline services as well as general and specialized care. The platform had over 190 million registered users with real-name verification and had provided cumulative services to more than 810 million patient visits.

Zhang Jun, Senior Vice President of WeDoctor, Delivers Keynote Address

During the roundtable forum at the press conference, Jiang Limin; Yang Jianchun, Vice President of WeDoctor; Zhang Xiaodong, CEO of Medbanks Health; and Wang Tao, Editorial Board Member of the Chinese Edition of Annals of Oncology’s Breast Cancer Special Issue, jointly discussed treatment trends in breast cancer, as well as strategies for better channel integration, resource consolidation, and enhanced services for patients.

Experts believe that this tripartite collaboration represents a breakthrough attempt at comprehensive health management, covering the entire disease lifecycle—including prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. By addressing users’ needs across diverse scenarios, it enhances medical service efficiency and expands the scope and level of health protection, thereby truly realizing the “three-medical-linkage” model. Yang Jianchun noted that during this process, WeDoctor’s platform significantly improved its standardization and digitization of healthcare services, as well as its online-offline synergy capabilities.

Yang Jianchun, Vice President of WeDoctor, shared insights during the roundtable session.

The efficient collaboration among AIA, WeDoctor, and Magnesium Health is key to fostering a closed-loop health insurance service ecosystem. It is understood that AIA Insurance and WeDoctor will further explore multi-dimensional and in-depth cooperation in areas such as medical services, health management, rehabilitation, and healthcare big data. This includes jointly focusing on the medical-seeking behaviors of a vast user base, leveraging medical big data, and starting with breast cancer to gradually establish comprehensive care systems for a broader range of single-disease conditions.