Bupa moves customer service offshore in latest blow to 4 million members

Private health giant Bupa will move part of its customer service centre offshore in another blow to the fund’s 4 million members, who will soon lose access to Australia’s second-largest private hospital network.

Bupa staff were informed this week that the company would outsource its digital customer service platform to a team in the Philippines from the middle of next year, affecting 140 staff.

Bupa is outsourcing part of its customer service arm to the Philippines. Credit: Monique Westermann

In an email to affected staff, the company said it has seen a “significant shift in customer preferences” towards digital messaging, and the existing Australia-based team could not keep up with rising demand.

“This move allows us to extend our service hours to better meet these needs, as well as quickly flex the workforce to respond to customer volumes,” it said. “Bupa customers will continue to experience the same excellent customer service that they are accustomed to from the Australian-based team.”

Phone calls will continue to be answered by staff based in Australia. Sales and cover review will also continue to be managed onshore.

Company sources said the announcement angered staff.

One employee, who spoke under the condition of anonymity to protect their employment, said leadership did not plan to share the news with their members “as it’s not policy to inform them of changes to business operations”.

“I think policyholders would be interested to hear that their sensitive medical data, as well as other sensitive documents such as copies of passports, will be handled overseas,” the employee said.

A Bupa spokesman said existing services would not be changed until April next year, and affected employees had been offered other roles within the company.

“Decisions like these are not made lightly and are driven by a desire to improve our customer communications,” the spokesman said.

Some Bupa members were already questioning whether to continue their policies after Healthscope, Australia’s second-largest private hospital provider, announced it was terminating its contract with Bupa and more than 20 other smaller funds.

The decision means Bupa members will not be covered for treatment beginning after February 20 at Healthscope’s 38 hospitals, including Norwest and Northern Beaches private hospitals in Sydney and La Trobe and Knox private hospitals in Melbourne.

Maddie Chapman, a Bupa member from Sydney, said she had been considering moving funds since learning her local hospital would no longer have an agreement with her insurer from February. She said the decision to move online customer service overseas was another blow.

“I don’t know how they planned to communicate it to their members, but it feels like a big shift,” Chapman said. “I definitely will look at other options and move, not only for me, but my husband and son as well.”

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