Groupama has revealed it is poised to relaunch a product while also actively seeking partnerships with hospital networks to add to its private medical insurance (PMI) offering.
The provider is planning an update to its Carte Blanche contract which it said was prompted by demands from customers and intermediaries.
Alistair Sclaire, head of healthcare at Groupama, told COVER that the process was in its final stages.
"Over the years we've had an increasing number of requests to relaunch it so sometime in next six months we will do so," he said.
"We've gathered feedback from brokers and clients to understand what they would like and we're in final stages of bringing it back to market.
"There won't be huge changes but it'll be slightly different as it's in the Sante product format. We have updated some of the benefits which have been in place for a while, but in the fundamental structure it'll be very similar to the original Carte Blanche product," he added.
The group specialist is also looking to form partnerships with hospitals or clinician groups in an attempt to aid cost control.
Sclaire explained that while he was in favour of insurers using networks to help control costs, these needed to be operated correctly.
"We don't run consultant networks, albeit we are considering entering into arrangements with hospital groups that do run consultant networks," he said.
"But we don't really see it as the position of an insurer to run a network in quite that way, and certainly its not possible for a smaller insurer to run a network in that way.
"Groupama is in favour of insurers seeking to control costs and that is in the interests of the customer and frankly in the longevity of the market, but it's how you go about doing it and the impact on everybody else in the market of you doing it that does need to be considered," he added.
The role of PMI providers in operating hospital and consultant networks is currently being examined by the Office of Fair Trading in its review of the private healthcare market.
