The Insurance Commission (IC) approved the life insurance business application of Maxicare Life Insurance Corp. (MaxiLife), a joint venture firm between the Gokongwei-led investment company and an health maintenance organization (HMO) provider.
In a statement on Thursday, July 28, Insurance Commissioner Dennis B. Funa said that MaxiLife is now licensed to transact life insurance business in the country, with a capitalization of P2 billion, double the P1 billion minimum requirement.
Funa said MaxiLife was not organized through the acquisition of an existing insurer but through the incorporation of a new entity.
MaxiLife is the first domestic insurer established as a “new domestic life insurance company” under Section 194 of the Insurance Code of the Philippines, as amended by Republic Act No. 10607.
“License was granted to MaxiLife after eleven (11) working days from the IC’s receipt of the letter of intent dated 11 July 2022 from its three (3) major incorporators: JE Holdings, Inc., Pin-An Holdings Corp., and Maxicare Health Corp.,” the commission said.
JE Holdings, Inc., a privately-held investment firm of the Gokongwei family headed by Lance Y. Gokongwei as chairman and president, was incorporated in 2002.
JE Holdings has investments in Robinson Retail Holdings, Inc., Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures, and Maxicare Health Corp.
Pin-An Holdings Corp., on the other hand, was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2007 and is the parent-firm of Maxicare, one of the pioneers in the HMO industry established in 1987.
“This new investment in the insurance industry marks a growing confidence in the manner by which the insurance industry has been regulated over the past six years,” Funa said.
MaxiLife aims to offer insurance coverage to the current Maxicare members, who are afforded treatment, prevention, and wellness benefits through their HMO agreements with Maxicare.
MaxiLife will associate with both the network and brand of Maxicare, specifically initially offering extended employee benefits for the latter’s corporate clients; and intends to build upon the same confidence among Maxicare members to deliver the same quality service in savings assurance.
“With capitalization amounting to P2 billion, MaxiLife is more than compliant with the ₱1 billion requirement under Section 194 of the Amended Insurance Code for new domestic life insurers,” said Funa.