The Medical Aid Society of Malawi has implemented a USSD-based Mobile Service which works like MO626, EazyMobile, AirtelMoney or Mpamba.

The service has two main components – Service Provider Module and Member Module.

Service Provider Module

This module is intended to be used by health facilities as follows:

1. Validity Check – for checking whether the member is paid up or not;
2. Benefit Utilization Check – for checking how much a member has used on a particular service line year-to-date; and
3. Scheme Limit Check– for checking how much of the overall scheme limit the member has used year-to-date.

To access the service, service provider will have to:

Register their TNM/Airtel mobile numbers with the Society;

Use USSD Code *424# which has been set as a toll-free to access the service;

The service is only working with the new membership numbers which have 11 digits.

Member Module

This module is intended to be used by members as follows:

1. Membership:
   1. Validity Check – as described above
   2. Benefit Utilization Check – as described above
   3. Claims’ Check – shows claims that have been processed by the Society for the current year for a particular member of a family
2. Group Balance – for checking group balances;
3. Scheme Limit - for checking how much of the overall scheme limit the member has used year-to- date;
4. Premiums – Contributions that members pay on VIP/VIO, EXE/EXO and ECO based on age ranges;
5. Notices – For relying information to members i.e. 2017 AGM
6. Contacts – Contacts for MASM Head Office, Lilongwe Office and Mzuzu Office
7. Change PIN – For changing PIN

To access the service, members will have to:

Register their TNM/Airtel mobile numbers with the Society; or Dial *425*7# to register.

Use USSD Code *425# which has been set to bill the members.

TNM is charging K25 per 5 minute session while Airtel is charging K5 per minute.

Currently, the service is up and running on TNM platform only, and Airtel will follow suit hopefully within the next two weeks.

Note that this is version 1.0 of the application. The next upgrade of the system will allow members to upgrade or downgrade membership, etc. A mobile application is in the offing as well.