Employer-provided medical benefit costs in Asia Pacific are forecasted to rise 8.2 percent in 2022, outpacing general inflation by 5.8 percent, according to the 2022 Global Medical Trend Rates Report recently released by Aon plc, a leading global professional services firm.
The utilisation of medical plans has recovered from a low in April 2020 and is expected to exceed pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels during 2022 as pandemic-related movement restrictions are further eased.
This, combined with rising inflationary pressures and an expectation that more of the cost of COVID-19 healthcare will transition to the private sector, is increasing cost expectations.
“The pandemic caused overall lower utilisation levels in 2020, which provided plan sponsors with some respite. However, the dual effect of higher expected utilisation and inflationary pressures presents new cost challenges that need to be managed.
“The normalisation in utilisation patterns, emerging risks such as mental and musculoskeletal health and the potential for a greater COVID-19 cost burden to fall on the private sector will require employers to carefully analyse their medical plans as cost pressures increase over the next two renewal cycles,” Tim Dwyer, Head of Health Solutions, Asia Pacific, Aon says.
According to the report, over the last year, there has been a significant increase in musculoskeletal conditions likely brought about by increased work-from-home arrangements. Furthermore, medication-related expenses have experienced some of the largest inflationary increases. However, outpatient upper respiratory tract infection claims were significantly lower than in previous years, but these are expected to recover during 2022 as social distancing and movement restrictions are lifted.
“The good news is that there are plan design and behavioural interventions available to mitigate the cost increases. The route will be uncertain and will vary by country, so it is important that companies use data and insights to make better-informed decisions to secure commercial protections at their renewals to deal with the volatility,” Dwyer adds.
Globally, costs for employer-sponsored medical plans in 2022 are forecasted to increase 7.4 percent, though projected medical trend rates vary significantly by region. Costs are expected to increase the most in the Middle East & Africa, with average medical trend rates forecasted at 11.1 percent. In contrast, Europe is projected to see the lowest average medical premium rate increase, at 5.6 percent.
Aon’s report confirms the increasing impact of non-communicable diseases on health care costs globally.
In Asia Pacific, Cardiovascular disease, Cancer/Tumor Growth, ENT/Lung Disorder/Respiratory, Diabetes and Musculoskeletal/Back were the most prevalent health conditions driving health care claims.
Leading Health Risk Factors in Asia Pacific and the WorldAsia PacificGlobal1)High Blood PressureHigh Blood Pressure2) Physical InactivityPhysical Inactivity3)Poor Stress ManagementPoor Stress Management4)High CholesterolBad Nutrition5)AgeingHigh Cholesterol
“Insurers have responded to emerging needs created by the pandemic by delivering virtual consultations, prescription delivery and support for employee physical and mental wellbeing. While these services are likely to introduce short-term cost pressures, they should – over time – have a controlling effect on medical trend rates,” says Alan Oates, Principal and Actuary, Asia Pacific, Health Solutions at Aon.
“As we emerge from the pandemic, employee wellbeing is now, more than ever, critical to controlling costs and boosting organisational productivity, to build a more resilient workforce. Careful analysis of medical claims and population risk factors can target interventions that modify behaviours to reduce the incidence of non-communicable disease. Employers, both large and small, can take immediate action in this area.”
