Scan & Pay: Simplifying Real-Time Insurance Usage in Healthcare

Insurance is meant to offer financial support when people need healthcare. Yet, for many outpatient services like diagnostics, consultations, and pharmacy purchases, insured patients often choose to pay out of pocket instead of dealing with claim forms and delayed approvals. A system that demands so much friction defeats the purpose of insurance.

Scan & Pay addresses this problem by linking insurance benefits directly to real-time healthcare transactions. It offers a straightforward way for patients to access their coverage without paperwork, long calls, or uncertainty.

How Scan & Pay Works

Scan & Pay is a white-labeled Progressive Web App (PWA) designed to work within the insurance ecosystem. When a patient arrives at a hospital, pharmacy, or diagnostic center, they scan a QR code placed at the reception. The process routes them to a service interface where they can select doctors, tests, or medicines, and initiate payment through an insurance wallet.

The insurance wallet handles co-pay, no-pay, and insurance benefit structures (IBS) on the spot. If the patient is at a non-network provider, a separate UPI QR guides them to manually enter the provider's details. A backend support team validates the provider within 15 minutes, keeping the experience consistent across locations.

Real-World Use Cases

Diagnostics: Patients scan, book walk-in tests like radiology and non-fasting pathology, and complete payment through their insurance wallet. Fasting tests and preventive check-ups are flagged to guide patients correctly.

Pharmacy: After scanning, patients upload a digitized prescription, select medicines, and complete the purchase without paying upfront. The pharmacy receives real-time payment processing based on validation.

Consultations: Patients can view available doctors, select a specialist, and proceed with insured payment. Confirmations are completed within four hours, ensuring that patients move quickly from registration to consultation.

IPD Pre-Authorization: The same QR workflow extends to inpatient admissions, speeding up the approval process for planned hospitalizations.

Technology and Infrastructure

The system integrates dynamic QR codes with insurance applications. The PWA ensures lightweight, fast performance without needing full app downloads. Real-time validations are supported by a backend team that connects with patients to verify non-network providers, achieving a 15-minute average turnaround. Transactions are encrypted end-to-end, maintaining data security for financial and health records.

Why It Matters

Healthcare becomes more accessible when insurance works quietly in the background rather than creating extra work for patients. Instant access to outpatient benefits can increase insurance utilization rates, reduce patient stress, and shift behavior toward using insurance for smaller healthcare expenses—an area traditionally underused.

For insurers, this translates to better engagement, healthier customer profiles, and a stronger value proposition. Hospitals and pharmacies benefit from faster payment cycles and reduced administrative load.

At Checkmed, the focus remains on developing real-time solutions that make insurance a part of everyday care, not just a safety net for emergencies.

Scan & Pay offers a way forward for InsurTech by bringing insurance and healthcare closer together at the moment of care. Real-time integration, minimal friction, and universal applicability make it a practical step toward the next phase of insured healthcare services.

Author: Sumant Kumar, CEO and Founder, Checkmed

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of IIA and IIA does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same