On Track Innovations Ltd, a global leader in contactless
microprocessor-based smart card solutions for homeland security, payments,
petroleum payments and other applications, today announced that Smart
Applications International Ltd. (SMART), a Kenyan company committed to
delivering technology driven secure healthcare solutions, has placed an
order for 100,000 cards, which are to be issued by multiple medical scheme
managers. SMART has commissioned close to 200 SMART device points of
service at hospitals, pharmacies and general practitioner sites across
Kenya, enabling patient authentication, verification of benefits and claims
processing in a seamless process. Contactless smart cards have already been
issued by a number of medical scheme managers as part of the program.
With OTI’s MediSmart, SMART is providing a complete healthcare
solution, including cards, readers and related software that are seamlessly
integrated with hospital management systems, where up to 75% of patients in
Kenya, receive their primary healthcare services. OTI receives a monthly
license fee per issued card, over and above the hardware revenues.
The OTI MediSmart solution offers secure and fast front-end patient
authentication and benefit verification at the service provider level,
allows for electronic clinical data capture and electronic claim and/or
report generation, within benefit rules in respect of services provided and
benefit utilization by members and their dependents, and simultaneously
switches such relevant data to the corporate and insurer levels whilst also
recording it on each patient’s own MediSmart card (or mobile data
repository). With MediSmart, statements and invoices are generated faster,
administration time and cost is reduced and since claims are authenticated
electronically it further guarantees payment and reduce payment cycles at
provider levels.
MediSmart, developed by a team of healthcare industry experts at OTI,
provides complete medical history, biometric identification and co-payment
options. In initial trials, MediSmart reduced client medical expenses by up
to 25% to 40%. Moreover, MediSmart enables the introduction and effective
management of joint state and private sector funding and service delivery
models.
The OTI MediSmart offers the following benefits:
–Authentic member identification – biometrically
–No Over expenditure – member uses only benefit balance in their
cards
–Faster member scheme rules verification
–Remote communication with card for benefits renewal or update
–Remote member cancellation
–An improvement in clinical decision making by facilitating the
communication of client-option/plan specific guidelines, protocols,
rules and warnings amongst all role players in the health care
sector;
–Reduction of human error, medical risk, service errors or Rx, and
–Easy and rapid access to essential patient medical information
in case
of emergencies.
In addition, the solution helps eliminate:
–Payments for fraudulent services not rendered
–Over expenditure in line with benefit balances
–Over servicing such as procedures that are carried out when they are
not necessary
–Over prescribing, such as seen in excessive pharmacy prescriptions
–Ethical drug substitution and over pricing with generics bought
in bulk
–Non-compliance with Price guidelines.
During a recent visit to Kenya, Oded Bashan, Chairman, President and
CEO of OTI said, “The MediSmart solution is relevant to all markets where
the need exists to positively identify a patient and verify their benefit
entitlement. Electronic Patient Health Records are becoming necessary
globally. The MediSmart solution is well suited to meet this and any other
healthcare management requirements.”
After visiting the major hospitals in Nairobi, Oded Bashan said, “I am
encouraged by the excellent work undertaken by SMART, in conjunction with
our subsidiary OTI Africa, to adapt the MediSmart solution to meet the
needs of the Kenyan market. The support of the management for these
prominent hospitals has demonstrated to me that the solution caters for the
needs of all role-players in this market.
“We are delighted to have partnered with OTI, a company that I strongly
feel will help Kenya and many other developing countries find solutions to
address the high cost of medical management. The solution will assist
service providers to deliver the best possible service efficiently and cost
effectively by streamlining a number of administrative processes,” says
Chris Kirubi, a Director of SMART.
Chris Kirubi continues: “This solution will enable the Kenyan
government to realize their ambition of providing medical services to every
Kenyan. In our view the potential market for this solution is 15 million
users.”
“MediSmart has provided a sure way of eliminating medical scheme abuse.
A unique feature of the solution, enabled by OTI’s technology platform,
supports the management of shared family benefits eliminating a major
financial risk to medical schemes. MediSmart will ensure quality health
care delivery,” says Pauline Muriuki the Managing Director of SMART.
About OTI
Established in 1990, OTI (Nasdaq: OTIV) designs, develops and markets
secure contactless microprocessor-based smart card technology to address
the needs of a wide variety of markets. Applications developed by OTI
include product solutions for petroleum payment systems, homeland security
solutions, electronic passports and IDs, payments, mass transit ticketing,
parking, loyalty programs and secure campuses. OTI has a global network of
regional offices to market and support its products. The company was
awarded the Frost & Sullivan 2005 and 2006 Company of the Year Award in the
field of smart cards. For more information on OTI, visit
http://www.otiglobal.com.
About Smart Applications International Limited (SMART)
SMART is a privately owned limited liability company incorporated in
Kenya. The majority ownership is by Kenyan investors. We have licensed the
MediSmart solution from our partners and technology developers; OTI Africa
based in Cape Town, South Africa and we are very privileged to be the
pioneers and drivers of this new world-class technology in Kenya and the
regional market at large. The company’s strategic intent is to make a Smart
Card the card of choice in the entire Healthcare industry.
