Intellicare: Providing a holistic way of managing the clients’ health

By Adrian Paul B. Conoza, Special Features Writer

Founded in 1995 with only 10 employees working together to attend to the health care needs of its clients, Intellicare has grown to be one of the country’s leading names in the health care industry today. Now, it has around 2,000 work force catering to over one million members who have put their trust in Intellicare.

This increase in number of clients was a result of existing Intellicare clients testifying to the excellent service that the company provides, Intellicare President Jeremy G. Matti shared in an interview with BusinessWorld.

Intellicare, now on its 24th year, has modified its approach in health care as it addresses the current medical needs of its clients.

Mr. Matti explained that before, the firm had a curative approach, solely focusing on bringing members to treatment. At present, the approach has changed into “a holistic way of managing health”, putting emphasis on wellness and prevention.

Intellicare’s services now focus on both treatment and wellness. In terms of treatment, this is being done with cost management in mind while still giving the best service available.

“When we speak of cost management, we do not necessarily mean that we would shortcut the treatment or medical management. It is showing our members what is the best way or option to have their treatment,” Mr. Matti said.

With the apparently rising cost of treatment in well-known hospitals, which Mr. Matti regards as the challenge brought by medical inflation, Intellicare serves as an advisor who makes members aware that there are alternative hospitals that can provide the basic service, but can still address their wants and needs in a cost-effective way.

On the other hand, while treatment remains a part of Intellicare’s services, it is now coupled with attending to the wellness of members. With the emergence of lifestyle diseases among younger generations, “The approach of all stakeholders in the health care space is more focused now in the well-being of the individual,” Mr. Matti explained. One of the notable ways Intellicare does this is through partnering with  wellness companies such as skin care centers, spas, salons, and fitness hubs.

Jeremy G. Matti, Intellicare president

While Intellicare’s approach has grown into a holistic kind, one thing that stays the same is the firm’s values. “With the foundation of our values set in place, when we deal with our customers or all our stakeholders, it is always based on integrity, fairness, hard work, and compassion,” Mr. Matti said.

He emphasized that compassion or care is one of the most important values in place in Intellicare. “Care, in the delivery of the service, is a key factor for the growth of Intellicare because we are dealing with human beings,” Mr. Matti said.

This holistic and values-driven approach to health care guides Intellicare’s delivery of service, which  is “high-touch” and “high-tech.”

As Mr. Matti shared, current developments have occurred in improving their utilization of technology: the upgrading of HMO system to better serve members, the creation of online portals, and the upgrading of their app into “a more robust type of app that can address the needs of our members”.

Mr. Matti also said that Intellicare’s call center is being upgraded. “It will happen sometime August or September, [and it will be] a more powerful call center system without removing the human side of it.”

In further improving its services, Intellicare also partnered with other health-oriented services.

Intellicare tied up with Medgate Philippines to provide a telemedicine service within Intellicare. By one press on a smartphone, the patient can consult with a doctor any time to diagnose his/her condition. Through this, the time consumed in commuting to a clinic and in lining up for checkup is eliminated.

Intellicare partnered with ComPsych, a global leader in employee assistance program, for addressing behavioral issues. Through ComPsych’s program, a member can call a clinician to assist him/her in identifying the cause/s of the apparent behavioral stress.

The Intellicare Group also partnered with Asian health care solution provider Fullerton Healthcare Corporation Ltd. In 2017, Fullerton entered the Philippine market through Intellicare.

For Mr. Matti, this means that the whole ecosystem of the health care landscape becomes vertically integrated under one group, unlike before when Intellicare simply stood at the center as a funder that brings members to medical facilities.

“We will also be part of the provider side through our Aventus clinics. Likewise, we will  have laboratories and imaging centers,  and partner with other reputable organizations to complete the whole ecosystem of the health care space,” Mr. Matti added.

Along with these developments, Mr. Matti said that their people who commit to bring excellent and values-oriented service makes them a worthy choice for the health care needs of clients. “We stand by our core values, and what we commit, we deliver,” he said.