IN DETAIL: HEALTH INSURANCE
Healthy Body, Healthy Mind These days, health insurance isn’t simply about protecting yourself when you fall ill. Increasingly, insurers are taking preventative measures and encouraging customers to live happier and healthier lives. – By Sarah Graham
O
ver the last decade, Hong Kong has consistently ranked highly as having one of the best healthcare systems in the world. In 2018, the city topped Bloomberg’s Global Healthcare Efficiency Index. With its combination of public and private healthcare, there is something for everyone. For expatriates, the lure of Hong Kong as a destination to live and work is often cemented by the attractive health insurance packages offered by multinationals operating here that give them full access to private healthcare to treat any ailments they or their family members may have. But health insurance is changing. Providers are no longer simply concerned with offering reactive cover in the event of illness and injury. Many are now turning their focus to wellness programmes that encourage a healthier lifestyle – and lower premiums.
18
We spoke to two of Hong Kong’s best-known health insurers – AIA and Bupa – to examine how they’re leading the way in promoting healthy and active lifestyles. “With our health provision arm Quality HealthCare, Bupa has a unique position as a healthcare specialist in the Hong Kong market. We’re evolving from insuring our customers’ health and moving strongly in the direction of prevention, encouraging longer, healthier and happier lives,” says Angus Slater, Managing Director, Hong Kong, Bupa. Balancing mental and physical health is critical to this approach, he says, because the two go hand-inhand: “There’s such a clear link between mental and physical health because often these things show up as physical symptoms. Bupa is working in partnership with our customers to better manage their overall health in a holistic way.”
