MLC Life uplifts, expands Vivo portal

MLC Life Insurance has unveiled a range of enhancements to its Vivo Virtual Care Portal, including access for policyholders to medical advisory and telehealth services provider mlcoa.

Slated for launch next month, the updated Vivo Virtual Care portal will give MLC Life Insurance policyholders access to an expanded range of medical and mental healthcare support services, as well as a promised uplift in the platform’s digital user experience.

Vivo, pitched by MLC Life as a “holistic health, wellness, and recovery program”, offers policyholders one-stop-shop access to third-party healthcare support providers, including specialist mental health, fitness, dietetics and general medical care, specialist cancer care, and return-to-work planning services.

The Vivo service is provided complimentary to MLC Life Insurance policyholders, or for members whose employer or super fund has a partnership with Vivo.

The life insurer recently brought ownership and management of the Vivo portal in-house, enabling, it said, “greater opportunity to enhance the customer experience and expand the service offering using various specialist providers”.

The platform was previously managed by a third-party provider, which, according to MLC Life, “[limited its] ability to expand and tailor the support offered to customers”.

“We’re always looking for ways to equip our customers with the latest world-leading, innovative health and wellness services to make Vivo Virtual Care a powerful prevention and early intervention tool,” said MLC Life Insurance chief claims officer Andrew Beevors.

He added: “[That’s] why we’re improving the digital capability and moving to the provider arrangements that will enable us to do just that.”

The new partnership with Australian-based medical advice provider mlcoa, owned by MedHealth Group, has been warmly welcomed by MLC Life. mlcoa offers access to a global network of around 29,000 medical experts who provide independent medical examinations, health insights and telehealth consultations, among other primary healthcare services.

According to MedHealth Group chief executive Tim Morphy, the service boasts more than 2 million medical opinion and case management services annually across over 50 specialities.

As part of its Vivo partnership network, MLC Life said it conducted an extensive tender process for arrangements to deliver the existing Fitness Consult, Nutrition Consult, Expert Medical Opinion and Mental Health Navigator.

As well it said, Vivo will add a new service support for customers and loved ones managing end-of-life care.