Health Fund Ahead Of The Pack Online
Illawarra Mercury
Thursday May 23, 2002
An Illawarra-based health fund has provided another example of how Wollongong leads Australia as a City of Innovation.
The Government Employees Health Fund has been recognised for being at the forefront of web innovation in Australia.
Group general manager Bryce Fraser said the recognition began 21/2 years ago when it became the first health fund in Australia to offer its members the ability to conduct transactions online.
The new site, gehf.com.au, has now been named the leading health insurance site in Australia by independent valuator Global Reviews.
It has also received three consecutive Hitwise awards in the health insurance category.
During the past two years the site has been enhanced with features that include: the ability for members to order contact lenses online from its Sydney eye-care centres; members section offering a quick quote calculator and online application form; a healthy lifestyle section; improved point and click navigation; and online services that help members interact with the fund they want.
Mr Fraser said the motivation behind developing the site was to help give the Wollongong-based Government Employees Health Fund a competitive advantage in the national marketplace.
He said the market was so competitive it was hard to compete on product, so it used the services of local companies to help it compete on technology.
``We are still the only health fund company where you can actually do business with us on the web," he said.
© 2002 Illawarra Mercury
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