Partners in health – GEB and Bupa

Why do you feel this partnership was strategic for GEB?
It’s all about quality and reach. The partnership allows us to offer our global clients and prospects the services of one of the world’s leading providers of health insurance and wellness solutions. It makes a significant contribution to strengthening our network and ecosystem of partnerships. Most importantly, it guarantees our customers the kind of tailored, targeted attention they have come to expect from GEB as a lifetime partner.

What kind of services and benefits will be provided through this partnership?
It gives employees access to in-house healthcare experts around the clock, no matter where in the world they are working. They will be able to get second medical opinions, rely on an expert team of multilingual advisers, take advantage of enhanced mental health benefits and more. And all these plans can be incorporated into existing international employee benefit arrangements.

How many countries does the partnership cover?
More than 190 different countries. One of the great advantages of this strategic partnership is the global reach we can now achieve. Bupa Global’s staff speak more than 60 languages and have offices spread out around the globe.

What are the real-world benefits for GEB?
It builds on our existing partnership with Bupa in the UK, reinforcing our commitment to providing customer-focused solutions. In analysing the benefits, I think it’s important to bear in mind that health and wellbeing markets continue to expand and as they do, the way companies interpret wellbeing for their employees is becoming broader and more far-reaching too. This partnership helps us to respond effectively to this expanding need, as we focus on bringing internationally-mobile employees solutions that satisfy their needs. We can’t make this happen without the support of the right partners, and Bupa is the right partner for the job – that’s the real benefit for GEB.

What are the benefits for Bupa?
Health and wellbeing is becoming a top priority for people all over the world. Senior leaders are more focused on physical and mental health; both their own and that of the people they’re responsible for. This strategic partnership helps Bupa meet that need, aligning perfectly with their current strategy of accelerating growth in international private medical insurance. Ultimately the core advantage for Bupa is the same as it is for GEB: giving a higher number of customers access to premium healthcare, providing services and benefits they need, when and where they need them.

In what ways does this partnership set you apart from your competition?
I think it’s about a unified offering. Right now there are major differences in the way different markets respond to health and wellbeing needs. Offerings change from market to market. They change depending on expat business. They change depending on local businesses and local conditions. This means that our competitors supply different solutions and services in different parts of the world. Thanks to this strategic partnership, we’ll be able to unify top-notch solutions and services across markets, across borders and across continents. We’re offering our clients and their employees a truly global service, and that sets us apart from the competition.