Zelis Offers Digital Health ID Cards for Google Wallet

Healthcare technology firm Zelis has debuted a digital identification offering via Google Wallet.

The company announced Wednesday (Sept. 20) that its payer clients can now offer members a way to save customizable digital health insurance ID cards to Google Wallet.

According to a news release, this new type of pass lets healthcare consumers easily identify private passes and requires users to use fingerprint, PIN or other methods to add, view, and use their health insurance ID card in Google Wallet.

“This feature brings security, convenience and efficiency to the antiquated process of printing and mailing physical ID cards,” the release said.

“In addition to streamlining the process of health ID cards for payers, it will be easier for consumers to access and share their health information when and where they need — and connect more seamlessly to personalized digital navigation tools that help them find and access the right care.”

The launch comes as ongoing identity fraud is leading companies to up their defenses, in large part due to consumer pressure for more secure transactions.

PYMNTS intelligence has found that security is highly important for 83% of consumers, while 53% say consistent experiences across different platforms have a very or extremely big impact on their trust in financial institutions. 

“These sentiments are shared by regulators, who are increasingly issuing guidelines for uses of authentication technology,” PYMNTS wrote earlier this year. “Some industry representatives worry, however, that government regulations that focus too heavily on security could handcuff their ability to deliver convenience.”

The research also shows that the three main motivators for consumers to adopt advanced identification technologies are all centered around convenience.

Whether a technology was more convenient or quicker to access topped the list, acting as an important driver of interest for a respective 40% and 39% of consumers, according to “Combating Online Fraud With Digital Identification,” a PYMNTS and Prove collaboration.

PYMNTS spoke with Zelis Payments President Yusuf Qasim last year following the release of the study “Healthcare In The Digital Age: Consumers See Unified Platforms As Key To Better Health,” which showed that 79% of consumers want to pay medical bills and access health information via a single digital platform.

“We believe the healthcare financial journey from care to payment is broken,” said Qasim. “I’ve been through that journey where sometimes I have a bill, but I know it’s not a bill, and when do I pay it? I don’t know where to go.”