Improving health knowledge for insurance consultants

(Dan Tri) - In the context of people increasingly paying attention to health care and financial protection against health risks, they have higher expectations for the role of insurance consultants.

From real needs to new expectations

Many customers said that when participating in insurance, they not only look for consultants with insurance knowledge, but also expect consultants to understand public health to support customers more effectively.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Tam (construction manager in Hanoi ) has been participating in insurance for 5 years. He said he often asks consultants for information about hospital admission procedures, disease symptoms, etc. "I feel secure because the consultants understand public health. Once I had to have surgery for a herniated disc, so I needed to ask about the necessary procedures and choose a reputable hospital. Thanks to the consultants understanding the hospital procedures and insurance payments, I was more convenient in hospital admission and felt secure during the surgery," Mr. Tam shared.

As someone with a medical history, Ms. Tran Thi Hong (office worker, HCMC), said: “Six months ago, I had lipid disorders and some digestive problems, so I thought it would be difficult to participate in insurance. But the consultant explained to me in detail the exclusions. Even though I was sick, I was still able to participate in suitable products. The consultant was knowledgeable and enthusiastic, so I felt quite secure.”

Customers expect insurance consultants to understand public health to advise and support more effectively (Photo: Thu Hang).

Mr. Pham Van Tam (HCMC), an insurance consultant with more than 20 years of experience, said: “80% of my clients ask about health issues before participating in insurance. For example, what documents are needed to get quick insurance payment, what are the common critical illnesses, how are nasopharyngeal cancer and thyroid cancer different…”.

According to Mr. Tam, this change comes from consumers being more aware of illness and concerned about the cost of treatment. “Many insurance customers want to be supported with health information to maintain better physical and mental health. Therefore, the more knowledge consultants have about public health, the better they can support and accompany customers,” Mr. Tam added.

New direction for Vietnamese insurance

According to data from the Vietnam Insurance Association, in the first 6 months of 2025, the number of new contracts reached nearly 900,000 contracts, an increase of 22.3% over the same period last year. Total insurance benefit payments are estimated at nearly VND 29,000 billion, an increase of 6.5% over the same period last year. This shows the essential role of insurance in protecting the health and finances of participants.

In addition, living a healthy and quality life is becoming increasingly important. According to the Manulife Asia Care 2025 survey, living a long life is no longer the top desire of people today. On the contrary, they prioritize living a healthy and financially independent life. Therefore, consultants must not only be good at financial insurance knowledge, but also have a basic understanding of public health.

Grasping that trend, Manulife Vietnam has deployed essential knowledge training on community health for its consultants through cooperation with the Vietnam Young Physicians Association and the Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health - Hanoi Medical University. This is a strategic step to develop a new generation of professional consultants, knowledgeable about finance and community health, to meet the increasing demand for healthy living, while supporting customers to find the most optimal protection solutions.

Manulife consultants are trained in public health knowledge at Hanoi Medical University (Photo: Hue Ngoc).

Specifically, the program focuses on providing knowledge about common infectious and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cancer. In addition to theory, counselors are also instructed on how to read and understand test results, and consult on health issues related to insurance benefits for practical application.

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Minh Giang - Director of the Institute of Preventive Medicine, Hanoi Medical University - said: "The goal of this cooperation is to improve essential knowledge about public health for consultants to support insurance participants to become smart customers."

This training model benefits many parties. Customers are better supported by consultants with a background in public health. For businesses, this is a long-term investment strategy in people, creating a difference in customer experience. On a broader perspective, this model is a signal that the insurance industry is making a positive change: focusing on customer health.

Ms. Tina Nguyen - General Director of Manulife Vietnam - said: "This is our pioneering step to realize our commitment to improve service quality, and at the same time, build a new generation of consultants who are both financial experts and healthy living ambassadors to accompany customers throughout their journey of comprehensive health and financial protection. Manulife's program also helps promote the development of the Vietnamese insurance industry in a transparent, professional and sustainable direction."

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/nang-cao-kien-thuc-ve-suc-khoe-cho-tu-van-vien-bao-hiem-20250910171732931.htm