Corporate Health Insurance Guide 2021 by Human Resources Online

Corporate Health Insurance Guide 2021

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Corporate Health Insurance Guide

otal rewards are a potent strategy for acquiring, engaging and retaining talent. One of the employee benefits that is fast gaining greater currency is that of corporate medical insurance. With rapid advances in the healthcare process, medical inflation, a need to factor in mental health and wellbeing considerations and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, HR is now confronted with an increasingly sophisticated set of choices to ensure that employees are granted a level of healthcare that matches demand. The Corporate Health Insurance Guide, published by Human Resources Magazine, aims to provide the helping hand that HR needs to navigate the myriad challenges of mastering this important component of employee benefits. This comprehensive guide is a valuable resource for all HR professionals, with insights on current practices and an assessment of current and future trends on workplace medical policies. The market analysis section of the guide features all the key findings from Aon’s most recent medical insurance survey, the 2021 Global Medical Trends Rate Report – drilling down into the driving factors in Hong Kong, mainland China and Singapore. It also draws on insights from Alan Oates, principal & actuary for health solutions at Aon. Not only does he sift through the detail to tease out the deeper implications of the finding for HR professionals, he also exposes areas where avoidable cost overruns may occur – such as in Covid-related fee spikes from physicians and clinics. The Industry Viewpoints section pools the experience of established corporate medical insurance providers with practical advice on enhancing group medical insurance while meeting the dynamic needs of employees at SMEs and start-ups is also explored. In HR Perspectives, advice is shared by senior HR leaders and compensation specialists on healthcare best practice from some of Asia’s most highly respected companies, while the medical insurer listings at the back of the guide is a handy summary of some of the most important service providers available in Hong Kong, with information on which might be the best fit for your organisation.

Robert Blain Editor Human Resources Magazine Hong Kong

Table of contents • Safe work – flexible work............................................ 2 Building a fluid working strategy...................................... 3 Healthy company cultures............................................... 6 • Market analysis.......................................................... 10 Aon’s 2021 Global Medical Trend Rates Report............. 11 • Industry viewpoints................................................... 16 Leveraging technology to boost benefits........................ 17 Medical care on the move: SMEs and start-ups............20 • HR perspectives......................................................... 24 Empowering employees with flexible benefits................25 Mental health matters...................................................26 Factoring diversity & inclusion into employee benefits.... 27 Global mobility and employee wellbeing.........................28 • Medical insurance providers..................................... 31 Aon, Ad Medilink...........................................................32 Bluum, Cigna................................................................33 Bowtie..........................................................................34 Bupa............................................................................35 FWD, MSIG..................................................................36 Pacific Prime, Willis Towers Watson.............................. 37 Sun Life........................................................................38

Safe work – flexible work

Safe work – flexible work Building a fluid working strategy

Safe work – flexible work

year ago, offering flexible working was seen mostly as a company statement to attract and retain employees. The most common types of flexible work arrangements included telecommuting, condensed workweeks and flexible working hours. However, since the pandemic, the situation has evolved rapidly. Hybrid working has become particularly pervasive – accompanied by the rapid uptake of work-from-home technologies – and now represents the way forward for many businesses. Three global companies Verizon, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Mars Wrigley share how they ensure that business runs as smooth as possible while meeting the healthcare needs of their workforce during these turbulent times.

Safety first Verizon first announced on 12 March, 2020 that it would be shifting to remote work. Within a week, 70% of its 132,000 global workforce started working from home. By the following week, nearly 90% of its total workforce was working remotely. “We’re currently engaged in a phased return to our office plan. While the specifics vary by global region and local regulations, we’ve designed a process with protocols in place that put our employees’ safety as our number one priority,” says Betty Wagglen, head of human resources for Verizon Asia Pacific.

When the pandemic first erupted, the telecommunications company set up an HR command centre with its HR business partners across the world to answer calls from employees on a daily basis, ensuring that the company was giving rapid responses to the employees. It also put up a public resource centre where senior leaders delivered video updates to employees every day. “It was clear that it was really important for people to see our leaders and hear from us in times of uncertainty,” Wagglen says. Additionally, Verizon identified areas of the business that needed additional support and made arrangements accordingly. The company introduced a ‘Premium Pay’ for employees who needed to visit customer sites or a company site and supplied them with personal protective equipment (PPE). To safeguard employees’ physical and mental wellbeing, every employee had access to 24-hour counselling service, daily webinars from the CEO, an employee assistance programme, a Covid support team set up by HR, meditation and mindfulness sessions and mental health webinars.

Shifting priorities Since the start of the pandemic, confectionery manufacturer Mars Wrigley has taken proactive measures to limit the spread of the virus and ensure the safety and wellbeing of employees across its global workforce.

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

Safe work – flexible work

All office-based employees are given the flexibility to work from home. If they do decide to go to the office, they can check the office status on an app in which the company manages the capacity of various offices around Asia to ensure safe distancing at work. For employees working in factories, the company makes sure all health and safety regulations are in place, and additional precautions have been taken in some markets that are above the local legal regulations. “Our priority is the mental and emotional wellbeing of our associates (what Mars Wrigley calls its employees) so at the height of the pandemic. This was an easy decision to make,” says Patrick Gantier, general manager at Mars Wrigley Asia. “We are planning to continue the flexible working policy for our office-based associates in the future.” “The lockdown has created the biggest shift in human behaviour since the Industrial Revolution and has challenged many assumptions that we have previously held. We are in the process of creating a roadmap for Mars, but it will be guided by the principle of flexibility and putting the health and wellbeing of our associates first,” echoes Dana Hafeed, VP for people & organisation at Mars Wrigley Global Emerging Markets. To help its team stay motivated and engaged, Gantier cites technology as a huge help. A memorable initiative for him is an intra-region cooking challenge. “We knew that strict lockdown measures across Asia meant that many of us were cooking more than usual. So we used the opportunity to run a mini competition, encouraging associates to submit photos of their homemade culinary masterpieces. This might have been a simple engagement activity, but it tapped into the region’s shared love for great food and generated a lot of buzz and connectivity among different teams,” he says.

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

Cutting edge approach Prior to the pandemic, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) already had a flexible work policy in place where as much to 60% of its global workforce could work with their leaders and teams to take on some work-fromhome arrangements. In response to the global Covid outbreak, with consideration of each local government’s social-distancing guidelines, the company encourages employees to work from home as a default, while adhering to local office and government guidelines to determine if and when employees should come to the office. “At the outset of the pandemic, we rapidly activated our country and global crisis management teams, which ultimately act at the direction of our C-suite. Our ‘Reconstitution and Recovery Plan’ thoroughly details all environmental health and safety protocols, and is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure it reflects the latest known research and dynamics of the Covid-19 pandemic,” says Rohini Sachitanand, the Asia-Pacific HR leader for HPE. “Additionally, our robust Covid plans are informed by the expert guidance and advice of HPE’s in-house publichealth nurse and outside medical consultants who ensure our protocols follow the latest advisories of global health officials,” she adds. The company’s internal workforce survey conducted in 2020 found that 72% of team members did not want to return to a physical worksite full time. In light of this, it introduced a new programme called ‘Edge to Office’ in a bid to maintain and build company culture and employee experience that drives collaboration, innovation and company values beyond the traditional site-centric approach. Under the programme, those who are able to do their work remotely ‘Edge’ will continue to do their work outside

Safe work – flexible work

5 TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL FLEXIBLE WORKING MODEL 1.

Define flexible working. Mars Wrigley’s Patrick Gantier advises organisations to define what flexible working means for you and ensure policies are developed or updated to support this model

Manage and be specific about outcomes and results. Rather than focusing on inputs, Gantier says people should be oriented by performance, not processes.

Build a culture of accountability, personal responsibility and trust. “This ensures clarity in terms of expectations, drives self-motivation and most importantly, builds a trusted, one-team culture,” Gantier says. HPE’s Rohini Sachitanand adds, “For a flexible working model to succeed in the long term, team members will require a continued focus on culture and team member communication.”

Invest in enablers. Gantier urges companies to invest in enablers such as technology so employees are equipped to work from anywhere. Sachitanand cites connectivity as the most essential element for a hybrid work experience. On top of that, he proposes getting workstation tools to optimise employees’ working conditions such as mobile laptop stands, ergonomic chairs, audio-visual upgrades and computing or printing devices.

Provide support. According to Sachitanand, companies should ensure team members across the enterprise have unbridled access to information and programs that support mental and physical wellbeing. To avoid making home-based workers feel excluded from access to HR and IT resources, companies can implement a unified help desk interface or a virtual concierge to limit lengthy delays in handling service requests.

the office most of their time and only need to come into the office when needed by their teams. They will receive a one-time payment to optimise their home setup. Those who have roles that require their presence on site ‘Office’ will have to work at an HPE site. Once the pandemic has run its course, physical sites and offices will turn into collaboration and culture centres where Edge workers can connect, collaborate and socialise with colleagues.

In Hong Kong, to keep the Edge employees engaged, the company allocated budget for team leaders to organise regular face-to-face team-building activities such as hikes or barbeques. It has also increased communications and engagement activities among all employees, virtually or in person depending on the situation. For instance, hosting recognition and festival celebration events, all-hands meetings, monthly happy hour Fridays, and fortnightly teams meetings.

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

Workforce wellbeing

Healthy company cultures Fostering a sense of belonging among employees

ellbeing priorities are becoming front of mind for the HR community, especially when Covid-19 hit the globe. While it is hard enough to come up with ways to optimise the health of employees in the long term, the pandemic is further taking a toll on their mental health. Whether it’s due to the blurring of personal life and work, the remote working arrangement, or pandemic fatigue, it is a cause for concern. In Hong Kong, as revealed by Randstad’s report in October 2020, about two in five respondents (42%) did not feel supported by their employers, either mentally or emotionally. In this feature, we highlight some of the initiatives led by three pioneering companies who began their employee wellness journey way before Covid-19. They also shed light on ways to kick-start wellbeing in the workplace.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise: A leader-led company culture revolution One common misconception about employee wellness is that employers can only influence employee wellbeing through formal wellness programmes, according to Rohini Sachitanand, Asia-Pacific HR leader for Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).

“We believe that creating a company culture that fosters a sense of belonging and inclusion is incredibly important to employee wellness and productivity, and we are very deliberate about creating an unconditionally inclusive work culture where our people can thrive,” Sachitanand says. HPE’s efforts in employee wellbeing can be traced back to one big adjustment in 2018, when Antonio Neri was appointed as the president and CEO. Soon after his appointment, Neri named culture as one of his top priorities and set the tone for leaders that driving impactful wellbeing programmes to support employees would be his leadership direction. In last year’s internal company survey, 91% of HPE employees globally reported that they agree that their health and wellbeing has been the company’s top priority. “At HPE, we believe that work should fit your life, not the other way around. That is why we have created a culture that encourages team members to invest time in their personal lives and prioritise their wellbeing,” Sachitanand says. The company provides free counselling support services for employees and families and introduced a series of wellness perks including offering a minimum of

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

Workforce wellbeing

six months paid parental leave for both new mothers and fathers, providing new parents the choice of working parttime for up to 36 months, debuting ‘Wellness Friday’ where employees are encouraged to leave work early on a Friday each month, and allowing employees within one year of retirement to work part time to smoothen their transition to post-working life. Additionally, in response to the Covid-19, HPE scaled up its existing behavioural health and wellness programme targeted at employees and their families called ‘For Real Life’ in a bid to encourage employees to make time for families, foster a sense of community connection to combat isolation and connect them with resources and trained experts. For instance, to offer free subscription to the meditation app Headspace, organise special webcasts hosted by wellness experts, debut home gardening programmes and expand virtual fitness offerings globally. “Our robust global Covid-19 plans are informed by the expert guidance and advice of HPE’s in-house public health nurse and outside medical consultants who ensure our protocols follow the latest advisories of global health officials,” she adds.

On top of AXA’s existing wellbeing initiatives, the company recently launched a global programme to improve the health and wellbeing of its employees through two pillars. To improve prevention and access to care, every employee benefits from an in-person or digital medical check-up, receives a flu vaccination annually and is invited to information and awareness days. Secondly, to better support employees who encounter difficulties in their professional or personal life, the insurance provider is giving employees access to an employee assistance programme that provides psychological support and guidance. “We are seeing growing appreciation that it is time to push mind health up the leadership agenda. There is a clear need for practical support to safeguard mental wellbeing in the workplace as companies return to work,” Gan says. Additionally, AXA announced launching a Smart Working initiative, effective 2021. This new initiative will reenvision the role of the office as a hub for interaction and engagement, while partial remote working offers flexibility for employees to find the right work-life balance. All AXA branches will move to smart working by the end of 2023.

AXA: Pandemic-oriented healthcare initiatives

Edelman: Listen to employees’ feedback first

At AXA, employee wellbeing is about creating a culture where employees can bring their whole selves to work and employers support them through various initiatives that encompass both physical and mental health needs. “The pandemic has increased the awareness of people’s healthcare needs in the workplace, whether in the office or at home. With staff health and safety being AXA’s first priority, we took quick action early on to ensure our staff had suitable protection in place, including health checks for all staff and upgrading the team’s insurance coverage,” says Peck Yeow Gan, human resources director for AXA Asia.

When asked about the bottom line on employee wellbeing, Adrian Warr, APAC employee experience leader and CEO of Hong Kong and Taiwan at Edelman, says, “The key is to get continuous feedback and act on that feedback. To address employee wellbeing, you need to first understand how your employees are feeling, what they’re struggling with and what they’re happy with. Once you get a better understanding of where the gaps and opportunities lie, develop a human-centric approach to tackle them, focusing on employee experience throughout the process.” Edelman regularly rolls out an employee engagement survey to monitor the pulse of how employees are

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

Workforce wellbeing

feeling at work, and how this might change based on time and events. For example, the communication firm learnt from the most recent results that employees are looking for increased support around mental and physical wellbeing. As a result, Edelman launched new programmes under Livewell – an existing global wellbeing initiative designed prior to Covid-19 – to support struggling employees and encourage employees to live a physically and mentally healthy lifestyle. The latest addition to the initiative includes a partnership with the global wellbeing app, Calm, for resilience building and mental fitness to help employees and their families relax, focus and sleep. Additionally, Calm designed sessions specifically for children to help them find peace.

“Dan Edelman, our founder, always referred to the three legs of a stool when he used to meet with talent. The three legs being work, exercise (or wellbeing and) community. They were, he said, the key to a productive life and if any leg became unbalanced, you would fall,” says Jasmine Bahen, chief talent officer, APAC from Edelman. Bahen emphasises employee wellness is not just about offering yoga or gym memberships or even apps. Instead, it is about creating a workplace that integrates a wellness model into every aspect of business practice, from company policies to everyday work. “Another key point to remember is that it is not ‘one and done’ – it is something that needs ongoing attention and focus,” she advises.

5 STEPS TO WORKPLACE WELLBEING 1.

Ensure support and advocacy from the top. Rohini Sachitanand from HPE says top management must authentically support team member wellbeing and define measurable programmes and initiatives.

Reflect upon your current business environment. Adrian Warr from Edelman advises companies to first examine their “wellbeing fundamentals”. This includes good communication, well-managed culture, realistic workloads, good work-life balance, appropriate rewards and recognition, good management and leadership, career development and training.

Ask for feedback from your workforce. Sachitanand recommends companies to regularly survey their workforce to understand team member sentiment.

Education. “A culture that nurtures wellness, that identifies issues and addresses them, is one that has a proper appreciation of the reality and complexity of mental health,” Warr says.

Establish clear guidelines and objectives. “It is helpful for companies to clearly define the purpose, focus areas and outcomes they want to achieve by investing in team member wellbeing,” Sachitanand says.

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

Market analysis

Medical insurance survey Key findings from Aon’s 2021 Global Medical Trend Rates Report

Market analysis

iven the global health crisis that the Covid-19 pandemic has created since early 2020, it would be natural to assume that corporate medical insurance costs would have escalated at an even greater rate than a so-called normal calendar year. However, such acceleration has not occurred. In fact, there has been a slowing in the rate of medical inflation in most jurisdictions. To look for deeper insights into the trends identified by Aon’s Global Medical Trend Rates Report, Human Resources asked Alan Oates, principal & actuary for health solutions at Aon. “One of the ironies of the Covid-19 pandemic is that this health crisis has not in general resulted in higher claims in corporate sponsored group life, disability and healthcare programmes,” said Oates.

The global average Medical Trend Rate for 2021 is 7.2% (8.0% in 2020)

He pointed out that while organisations in many industries are responding to widespread disruption in demand, supply chains and operational infrastructure, the disruption in most APAC countries has not manifested in increased healthcare claims of the workforce. “Claims in many countries were lower during periods of restricted movement, some of these claims have been deferred and others avoided completely. Lower claims have resulted in surpluses for many insurers, creating short-term opportunity for plan sponsors but also uncertainty, which needs to be carefully managed,” Oates added. However, this restricted movement has increased employee wellbeing risks. Managing these risks is becoming one of the most important goals of long-term cost management interventions.

7.2% ENT/Lung Disorder/Respiratory now a top 5 medical condition driving adverse medical claims experience

Flexible Benefits and Plan Design Changes on the rise as initiatives to control medical plan costs

Wellness Initiatives continue as the main cost mitigation measure, with an increased interest in Coaching

Poor Stress Management now a top 3 risk factor driving future adverse medical costs

5.0%

Medical Trend Rates continue to grow over general inflation, with average Net Medical Trend Rate being 5.0% in 2021 (4.9% in 2020)

Exhibit 2: Global Medical Plan Features

Inpatient Hospitalisation 88%

Dental 63%

Outpatient 84%

Prescription Drugs 75%

Vision

Preventive Medicine

62%

68% % of countries reporting strong or moderate prevalence

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

Market analysis

Scrutinise costs related to physicians and clinics Arising out of the pandemic are risks that HR, in particular compensation & benefits specialists, should be mindful of. Unique market forces have emerged for organisations as a whole that need to be assessed, quantified and managed. According to Oates, “Close attention should be paid to the behaviours of physicians and clinics. The indirect cost effects of Covid-19 have resulted in losses at many private clinics and they will be keen to recover some of their losses. “It is recommended that organisations undertake claims audits for duplicate claims, high levels of personal protective equipment (PPE), high levels of unusual activity with particular physicians or clinics, or high levels of particular diagnoses,” he added. “Compensation and benefits specialists must also review proposed changes to the policy terms and conditions proposed by insurers – particularly exclusions due to Covid-19 and other pandemic risks – to ensure the risk protection offered by the coverage is not being materially changed.”

Regional comparisons: Hong Kong, Singapore and mainland China Drilling down to individual jurisdictions in Asia, it’s interesting to note that Hong Kong is experiencing less pressure from medical inflation than the likes of Singapore and mainland China. According to the Aon report, “In Hong Kong, Covid-19 cases and related treatments are handled by public hospital facilities. However, due to a decrease in elective surgeries and outpatient routines within the private insurance market, plan utlisation has been favourable to the insurers.” This decrease in plan use has resulted in a corresponding downward trend projection medical trend of 5.3% for 2021, up from 8.1% for 2020. It’s a somewhat different expectation in Singapore. “The expectation for Singapore is that inpatient care is likely to spike back up whereas outpatient care will return to approximately 70% of the pre-Covid levels and eventually normalise” and that “insurers are looking at a 7.0%

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

2021 Annual Medical Gross% / Net% 2020 Annual Medical Gross% / Net%

7.0% / 4.4% 7.5% / 5.0%

CHINA HONG KONG

5.3% / 2.8% 8.1% / 5.6%

INDIA SINGAPORE

7.0% / 6.5% 10.0% / 8.6%

9.0% / 5.4% 8.5% / 4.3% AUSTRALIA

7.0% / 6.5% 10.0% / 8.6%

medical trend rate for 2021 to continue plan sustainability,” the report stated. While in mainland China, an interesting trend is that outpatient utlisation has depreciated appreciably while consultations have dramatically increased during the pandemic. However, the medical trend rate (7.0% for 2021) continues to be affected by an increase in prices on medical goods and services. “(This is) driven by an ageing population, and the development of advanced technology applications, alongside the increased familiarity with medical plans and the convenience in claims submissions using technological means.” Overall, the medical trend rate for 2021 for APAC is 8.0% driven up by projections in India (9.0% for 2021), due to costs increases as a result of Covid-19 security measures – such as extensive use of PPE, testing and mitigation controls for inpatient admissions.

Market analysis

Exhibit 6: Indicated Cost Elements in Respective Regions United States

Canada

APAC

Europe

LAC

MEA

Hospitalisation

Prescription Drugs

Hospitalisation

Clinics/Labs

Prescription Drugs

Dental

Clinics/Labs

Prescription Drugs

Hospitalisation

Physician Services

Biologic Immunomodulators

Prescription Drugs

Physician Services

Clinics/Labs

Prescription Drugs

Clinics/Labs

Preventive Care

Physician Services

Preventive Care

Physician Services

No Additional

Vision

Maternity

Dental

Maternity

% of countries responding per indicated region

Exhibit 5: Top Global Cost Elements % of countries responding

90%

82%

Clinics/Labs

Hospitalisation

Prescription Drugs

73%

Physician Services

74%

43% Maternity

Close attention should be paid to the behaviours of physicians and clinics. The indirect cost effects of Covid-19 have resulted in losses at many private clinics and they will be keen to recover some of their losses.

Workforce resilience and reduced medical costs As a measure to keep medical inflation at bay, the report alludes to the concept of workforce resilience – pointing out that better employee wellbeing can help to bring healthcare costs down for employers. “Lower levels of employee wellbeing can link to a decrease in organisational productivity. It starts with the diminishing health of the

individual, which has the effect of reducing the hired labour force and increasing costs,” said Oates. “This in turn increases the stress on the healthy portion of the workforce, limits access to factors of production, increases healthcare utilisation, causes hardship and reduces investment. That stunts revenue growth and leads to missed opportunities.”

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

Market analysis

Exhibit 7: Top Global Medical Conditions Driving Medical Plan Costs % of countries responding

71%

Cardiovascular

64%

Cancer/ Tumour Growth

58% High Blood Pressure/ Hypertension

52%

41%

Diabetes

ENT/Lung Disorder Respiratory

Exhibit 8: Leading Medical Conditions Per Region United States

Canada

APAC

Europe

LAC

MEA

Musculoskeletal/ Back

Cardiovascular

100

Cardiovascular

Cancer/Tumour Growth

High blood pressure/ Hypertension

Cancer/Tumour Growth

Cardiovascular

Cancer/Tumour Growth

Cardiovascular

Diabetes

Cardiovascular

Mental Health

Gastrointestinal

High blood pressure/ Hypertension

Diabetes

ENT/Lung Disorder/ Respiratory

Accident

Diabetes

Musculoskeletal/ Back

High blood pressure/ Hypertension

Gynaecological/ Maternity

ENT/Lung Disorder/ Respiratory

Cancer/Tumour Growth

ENT/Lung Disorder/ Respiratory

Mental Health

ENT/Lung Disorder/ Respiratory

Cardiovascular

% of countries responding per indicated region

Oates added that the stress caused by such trying business conditions can create a vicious cycle – compounding the pressure on individual health, forcing organisations back through this process and lowering productivity even further. “Wellness initiatives are premised on being able to modify the incidence of non-communicable disease, mostly caused by lifestyle.” With hybrid working becoming increasingly popular since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

– and numerous data showing this to have a positive effect on employee wellbeing – medical services can be adapted accordingly, aligning the new way of work with more convient healthcare services. “Consider whether the employee experience of the policy can be enhanced in a remote working environment through the development of online and virtual services. Examples include electronic claims processing, telemedicine, direct billing and employee assistance programmes,” said Oates.

Market analysis

Exhibit 9: Top Global Risk Factor % of countries responding

81%

54%

47%

Physical Inactivity

High Blood Pressure

Poor Stress Management

41%

40%

Bad Nutrition

High Cholesterol

Exhibit 10: Indicated Risk Factors in Respective Region United States

Canada

APAC

Europe

LAC

MEA

Physical Inactivity

Occupational Risks

High Blood Pressure

Obesity

Poor Stress Management

Physical Inactivity

Poor Stress Management

Bad Nutrition

Physical Inactivity

Bad Nutrition

Excessive Alcohol or Drug use

Ageing

Physical Inactivity

High Blood Glucose

Ageing

Insufficient sleep

Bad Nutrition

Smoking

Obesity

High cholesterol

Lack of Health Screening

Ageing

High Blood Glucose

Obesity

High cholesterol

Lack of Health Screening

% of countries responding per indicated region

In terms of physical health conditions, the report found that non-communicable diseases represent eight out of ten of the largest contributors to disability adjusted life years – that is, days that would otherwise have been spent contributing productively to the labour force. However, this can be managed by focusing on metabolic risk factors which in turn can directly reduce claims incurred. The top metabolic risk factors across the APAC region identified by Aon’s report were high blood pressure, physical inactivity, the ageing process, bad nutrition and high glucose levels. High blood pressure was also the biggest risk factor in Europe, LAC and MEA.

Final word The big question remains as to how soon inpatient claims will revert back to ‘normal’ levels after the pandemic is finally contained and what affect this will have on healthcare benefits costs. “It’s possible but we have yet to observe whether inpatient claims will simply return to pre-pandemic levels or if there will be an excess period to catch up for deferral of treatment,” said Oates. “It may be that the expected increase will occur over a longer deferral period or that it simply will not come. We are monitoring claims patterns continuously so we can get an early sense of this risk emerging.”

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

Industry viewpoints

Industry viewpoints 16

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

Industry viewpoints

Leveraging technology to boost medical benefits C&B specialists can use online platforms to save much time and effort in handling employees’ enquiries related to group medical insurance and keeping regular record of claim cases through a digitalised process.

mpowering employees to access their own health choices not only leads to better healthcare outcomes, it also saves HR on time-consuming admin with regard to that component of compensation & benefits. Individuals need greater control over their own healthcare and overall wellbeing. Employees need to be afforded the chance to take responsibility for the management of their own health. And all parties involved in the process, from the staff, to HR to the medical insurance providers need to have a say so to create the best healthcare experience possible.

And with advances in medical technology and the digitalisation of the entire medical insurance process, there are now ample opportunities to facilitate this. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the move to the virtual delivery – and analysis – of medical care. Advances in telemedicine have led to improvements in monitoring of blood pressure, blood sugar readings and cardiac rhythms remotely. Smartphone apps make it easier than ever to connect employees to medical expertise if and when they require it.

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

Industry viewpoints

Wilsome Chow, VP of employee benefits for FWD Hong Kong & Macau

Hospitalisation claims will also drop as people tend to be unwilling to stay in hospitals for long under pandemic conditions. Wearable health devices are another fast-growing area, for example a wearable heart attack predictor. Later in this section, we will talk to Blüüm CEO, Ying Wu, whose company is pioneering this technology. Such health forecasting tools are a game changer. Predictive models are now being deployed that can use artificial intelligence to analyse data and take the virtual pulse of the company’s workforce – for example predicting when an employee might become diabetic. For the latest in corporate healthcare trends and the power of technology, Human Resources talks exclusively with Wilsome Chow, VP of employee benefits for FWD Hong Kong & Macau. Human Resources: What are some of the big improvements that digitalisation has brought to medical insurance packages – for both employees and C&B specialists? Wilsome Chow: Digitalisation is the prevailing trend in the industry. Up-and-coming technology will disrupt how people feel and use insurance as part of their daily living. For medical insurers, leveraging new technologies to elevate the customer experience is crucial. Employees should have the option to simply make use of their provider’s online insurance platform to perform multiple

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

functions, such as to view their benefit schedule, submit online claims and search for panel doctors. Digitalisation has definitely enhanced the group medical insurance experience in general with greater convenience and advanced services. For example, recently we have collaborated with the telemedicine platform DrGo to extend the telemedicine service to employees via their mobile devices. For C&B specialists, they can use such platforms to save much time and effort in handling employees’ enquiries related to group medical insurance and keeping regular record of claim cases with the digitalised process. Broadly, what are the main impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on corporate medical insurance and how is this likely to play out over the next two years? With increased health consciousness among the public and the trend of working from home due to Covid-19, we believe claim cases from corporate employees will reduce in general for the next two years, until daily life gets back on track.

Industry viewpoints

Claims related to flu, common cold and other air-transmissible diseases will likely drop with the mask wearing practice leading to lower infection rates. Hospitalisation claims will also drop as people tend to be unwilling to stay in hospitals for long under pandemic conditions. Medical insurance is traditionally regarded as complex and cumbersome. Any advice on how HR can streamline the process? Embracing a digital approach is the key. Encouraging employees to make use the digital platform provided by insurance company will help HR to streamline the insurance process – by greatly reduce employees’ reliance on HR to submit claims and check claim status as they file their own claims conveniently with digital support. Of course, HR has to communicate with the insurance company beforehand for the administration and billing procedures over the digital platform in order to align the practices and ensure the delivery of a smooth insurance experience to the employer and employees. With the extensive public education offered by the Food and Health Bureau through the launch of the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) in the market, people have become more knowledgeable with medical insurance. This in turn makes the benefits and terms under group medical insurance more understandable to them as well. With escalating medical insurance costs, how can HR still get value for money and deliver value for the employer while not reducing employee wellbeing? Maintaining employees’ wellbeing is one of the important responsibilities of HR and it is also closely related to company’s medical insurance costs. HR should proactively initiate health and wellness programmes for employees

on an ongoing basis to raise health awareness. HR should also conduct a regular claims review to ensure the company’s medical insurance costs are under control. Any tips specifically for Hong Kong-based compensation & benefits specialists? C&B specialists should understand the internal requirements and ensure the selected insurance company can accommodate those requirements before placing the insurance with the insurance company. Understanding costing is an important factor but not necessarily the only consideration. From your experience, what is the important element or health product that is most often missing from a company’s medical insurance package? In Hong Kong, we are lacking the diagnosis-related groups (DRG), which is a standardised prospective payment to the hospital. It has the advantage of making employees’ medical expenses more predictable. DRG payment will pay for all medical expenses for the hospitalisation from the day of admission to the day of discharge. More generally, C&B specialists usually find it hard to determine the appropriate level of benefit coverage for the employees. Their consideration mainly focuses on the benefit amount, insurance coverage and costs. In fact, flexibility is an important factor that is often missing in a company’s group medical insurance package. Take our Flexi Benefit Plan as an example, companies can customise their plan with different levels of hospital and outpatient benefits for different categories of employees. In addition, employee can opt for supplementary major medical benefits, outpatient and dental coverage in addition to basic coverage. This will give them extra comfort as their protection can be enhanced by flexible top-ups.

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

Healthcare options for SMEs and start-ups

Medical care on the move

edical insurance is traditionally catered to large organisations by established players. While at the other end of the spectrum is personal medical insurance. This has recently been boosted by the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) for individuals, launched by the Hong Kong Government in April 2019. Sandwiched between these are SMEs and startups. This article looks at medical insurance options for these more nimble and smaller companies – at least at the outset. This presents a unique challenge for medical insurers, and providing viable health options for these workers requires a different approach. For a look at how the once niche, or even nonexistent, medical insurance market for SMEs and start-ups is now being serviced, Ying Wu, CEO of Blüüm, shares his insights. Blüüm offers technology-driven general health services and mental health services to employees in these entities, so they can manage their health better through its technology platform. “There are a lot of red ocean (highly competitive) players targeting MNCs, and they are in a very established market,” says Wu. “But for SMEs there is a very strong need for flexibility, a strong need for health management. They want to focus on the wellbeing of their employees because they are under high pressure – especially for a lot of these start-ups,” he adds.

“These are the sectors we focus on. We realise that in order to manage their conditions, and ultimately manage the insurance plan, one of the best ways is to offer a scenario-based insurance offering. This means we are focusing on what is happening to the employees.”

Tailored approach for nimble companies One of Blüüm’s highest-profile clients is Lalamove. The ondemand delivery start-up has become one of Hong Kong’s most successful, with over 20,000 employees. The vast majority of workers are delivery drivers. “During the Covid pandemic there is a strong need for deliveries, so deliveries are actually surging in the Hong Kong market. This actually exposes these Lalamove delivery drivers to a much higher level of risk, because they are the ones in contact with the people,” says Wu. “It’s essential customise an insurance solution for these drivers. And protect their health, especially the risks that arise out of their exposure to Covid. For example, if they have to be hospitalised in an ICU (due to infection) we have great coverage for them.” Wu adds that a tailored approach to cover these drivers as they are not part of the traditional office approach. Drivers are out there in the field so a better way is required to connect with them. This is achieved via social media, making the drivers more motivated to use the company’s health services.

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

Healthcare options for SMEs and start-ups

We want to customise an insurance solution for these Lalamove drivers. And protect their health, especially the risks that arise out of their exposure to Covid.

Medical insurance trends Technology is clearly the biggest trend in health insurance. Both large corporations and smaller companies are increasingly using technology to help manage the conditions of their employees and also to be able to prevent rather than just protect. “I would like to emphasise the difference between these two concepts,” says Wu. “Protection means that the condition has already happened so this is managed with a large amount of medical expense – through the traditional approach of insurance and claim. “But now, more and more employers are using preventative health services. And using the technology to manage employee claims is not only going to help employees have better overall health over time but also to manage the costs of the company. “Because it’s only when you can manage the costs sustainably, that there can be a balance between employee health and the overall cost paid for employee benefits.”

Personalisation of benefits Employee benefits are also trending towards greater personalisation and the healthcare component of this is no exception. Smart use of data makes it possible to switch from a rigid model of medical services to one that is customisable and fluid. “Before, we have seen modulised insurance products based on the risk profile of particular populations. This is because there is not enough data collected. But when we actually have a data platform we are able to collect people’s personalised data to enable them to use a self-service system and use the digital claim services. This gives us a better understanding of their health profile and their behaviour patterns,” explains Wu. “In turn, this gives us a better understanding of employees’ risks on a personal level and enables us to more precisely underwrite these insurance products with the insurers that we work with. This not only offers a better service to employees but also helps us manage costs more effectively.”

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

Then there’s the specific role of HR. Compensation specialists are becoming more aware of the importance of proactively managing medical insurance as part of the employee benefits, leading to a more comprehensive rather than scattered approach. So HR needs medical insurance solutions that enable it to manage the overall cost and manage the high-level claims proactively communicate with their employees to create a more personalised service.

Simplifying the process for HR Health insurance is a complicated business that can be daunting for HR and employees alike. Given that it’s traditionally been an admin nightmare – involving an unwieldy claims procedure and mountains of paperwork to wade through. Mercifully, this is changing. It’s worth shopping around for a medical insurer with a good HR management portal. This provides a better connection between HR and employees. “A lot of the time when the company buys health insurance for their employees, employees are not necessarily aware of all the service offerings that the company’s providing. And often HR needs training sessions to make them aware of the offerings and how they can pass them on to the employees,” says Wu. It is essential to have a system a mobile app and a web page that allows these employees to access a range of services on one platform, such as e-claims, mental and general health services, medical trial services and hospital recommendations – all of these services should be in one place. As things become increasingly digitalised, it becomes easier to get this employee data back to HR to enable them to get a high-level understanding of what they are buying. And get a better understanding of how these services and insurance plans are helping their employees. “This has the advantage of enabling HR to see the data on an ongoing basis, rather than once a year, which has been the traditional method,” explains Wu. “This helps to serve the needs of HR as to how these employee benefits are being used and it also gives a stronger connection between the company and the employees.”

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Employee benefits Getting the biggest bang for your buck

s the world and local economies continue to be affected by Covid-19 and unemployment rate remains at a 16-year high at 7% (Nov 20-Jan 21), according to the Census and Statistics Department, many companies that are still standing are starting to look into cost-cutting solutions to reduce expenses. In situations like these, one of the budgets that often get cut is employee benefits. However, reducing employee benefits can lead to far-reaching effects on employee morale, motivation and productivity, not to mention the added challenges on recruiting and retaining talent. Before making the cut, why not first rethink how to spend the employee benefits budget more wisely? According to Glassdoor Economic Research (How 50+ Benefits Correlate with Employee Satisfaction, 2016), the number one benefit that matters most to employees is health insurance. Most companies recognise this and offer fixed health insurance plans to their employees or a tiered plan based on employee seniority. But one size rarely fits all, as not everyone in the company needs the same amount of coverage.

Diversify to maximise While not all employees need the same level of health benefits, they still need a minimum level of protection. A good question to ask is “What are the ‘must-haves’ for your employees?” This list would make up the protection base or “Baseline” in the employee health insurance plan that will be offered to all across the company. With the basic needs well covered, there is now room for employees to choose their preferred health benefit using the remaining budget. This is the “flexible” part of the employee benefit. Together, “baseline” and “flexible” portions make up the employee health benefits package. In the personal health insurance market, Bowtie is offering a range of products at competitive premium rates, owing to no savings element of its products, absence of insurance intermediaries and innovative technology which greatly reduce operational costs. For instance, the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) Standard is approved by the government and is offering basic protection. The Standard plan premiums are highly competitive. For example, the monthly premium for VHIS Standard Plan for a 20-year-old male non-smoker from Bowtie is only $94 – the lowest among all providers1. Recently, Bowtie also launched its group insurance plans, which costs as low as $10 a month and offers discounted unlimited outpatient visits and dental benefits. There are three levels of coverage options with annual health check-up4 and up to $50,000 inpatient and day-

case procedure benefits per policy year2. Thanks to modern tech and streamlined operations, Bowtie’s premiums can be kept to a minimum while benefits are maximised to protect your company and employees without breaking the bank. The flexible portion of the employee health benefits is more complicated and wide-ranging. From provision of annual body checks to preventative care such as vaccinations to office-held medical knowledge sharing by a Chinese doctor or acupuncturist, the sky is the limit when it comes to the flexible benefit options. One growing trend in employee health benefits is vision care. The American Optometric Association raised concerns over the increased vision issues due to working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic More time at home may open patients’ eyes to vision issues, 2020. Bowtie partnered up with Optical 88 and launched BowtieVision last year to offer affordable, comprehensive preventative and medical coverage for eye care. The standard plan includes comprehensive eye examination and the upgraded plan includes added benefits such as reimbursements for glasses and contact lenses. For more information on Bowtie insurance and wellness products, give us a call at 3008 8123 or leave us your question by clicking here. Remarks:

For aged 0 to 75, Bowtie VHIS Standard premium rates are the lowest among all providers (except for females aged 22-24, 35-36 and males aged 24), based on information from the Food and Health Bureau website, as of December 2, 2020 2 Applicable to the designated coverage level of Bowtie Group Insurance Plan only 1

*The above information is for reference only and should not be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to provide or sell or invite to purchase any Bowtie products.

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

HR perspectives

Advice for HR professionals

HR perspectives

Empowering employees with flexible benefits Talking corporate health benefits with Jay Hou, head of global mobility and benefits at Jardine Matheson

Is there a new initiative you’d like to share about Jardine Matheson’s medical insurance benefits for employees? All colleagues now have the option, once per year, to flex their medical insurance coverage, add/remove dependent coverage, purchase annual leave, and use a pre-loaded flexible spending account towards other wellbeing expenses. In addition to flexible benefits, 12 months ago, we also enhanced our medical insurance in Hong Kong and Malaysia to include treatment for mental health issues. This was initially launched within our corporate head office and we have begun to see some of our group businesses also make the same enhancements. From your experience, what is the important element that is most often missing from a company’s medical insurance package? Two things I’d like to call out. The first is about flexibility and personalisation. We are a bit biased as we have already gone down the route of implementing flexible benefits. But we can certainly reflect back on this decision and say that it was the right one. Employee feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Giving our employees the choice to adjust their benefits, so that they can maximise the value of what they receive,

is invaluable. It also means that we are getting a better return on our investment into the benefits, as we are investing in offering benefits choices rather than in more insurance which may be under utilised or unnecessary. The second point is about co-creation with employees and employee feedback. In a world of consumerism and digital advancements, the employee experience is constantly evolving. Our employees are also much more savvy in understanding their total reward and what is most meaningful to them. In designing any benefits or insurance programme, co-creation and getting candid and regular employee feedback is essential so that we understand the needs of our colleagues, and provide meaningful benefits to them and their families. How can organisations handle escalating medical insurance costs? Medical inflation continues to be an expected trend in Asia and despite the pandemic resulting in lower medical claims it doesn’t look like medical inflation will slow down significantly. Companies should take a step back at look at the structure of their medical insurance – what are their main objectives? Is it offering choice in clinics? Is it great hospitalisation coverage, so employees are well covered in this time of need? These questions, and more, need to be asked, and employees consulted. The company can then redesign insurance programmes and offerings to ensure that the money is spent where it matters. It’s also interesting to consider measures outside insurance – if adding a new benefit to the insurance programme is costly, can it be self-funded instead? Would providing a flexible spending account to employees be more meaningful than spending large amounts to enhance medical benefits that might be under utilised?

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

HR perspectives

Mental health matters Factoring mental health into employee benefits with Winnie Tsien, head of HR for Hong Kong, Macao & Taiwan for JLL employees as they are the ones who could tell us what plans or items are providing the greater benefits to them and which aren’t. We should conduct the review exercise regularly – adding budget for items if it creates true value while removing or ceasing some items which are not popular or well utilised.

Given that mental health in the workplace in Asia is starting to get more focus, do you consider it necessary that mental health initiatives are incorporated into company medical insurance plans? Yes definitely necessary. We should provide these benefits to our employees to encourage them to seek professional advice and medical consultation where needed. Both hospitalisation and outpatient psychiatrics’ treatment or psychological counselling with a flat annual limit on top of the current clinical overall limit/number of visits should be included in the benefits plan. How can the mental health component of an employee’s medical health plan be included within the company’s budget constraints, especially as mental health issues can be difficult to diagnose and treat? This requires collective and holistic efforts by looking at the actual claiming data and working with insurer or broker together to review the whole medical insurance plan. It’s necessary to seek comments and feedback from the

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

A recent article in Forbes discussed advances in the digital aspects of healthcare can empower individuals to take charge of their own health. Can this empowerment apply to employees to take care of their own mental health through their company’s medical insurance plan? In theory it’s helpful. The utilisation, effectiveness and impact depend on the implementation and change management. Data privacy could be people’s concern. There are also a number of applications which are mature and available for people to leverage in the markets. For such pioneers, it might be difficult to change their habits. If we are not having more people using the application, the experience and data would be quite thin and weak. It’s important to identify and articulate our positioning well in advance. JLL has a tie-in with City Mental Health Alliance Hong Kong. Do you think it’s feasible to include CMHA resources as part of medical health plan to help employees increase their own mental health awareness, as well as busting taboos about workplace mental health? We did include CMHA resources and training opportunities in our communication about wellbeing and mental health related topics. Our objective this year is to raise the awareness of mental health through training and create the forum/platform for people to talk about anything related to mental health. We believe that the more we talk about the topics in the personal context and stories the easier it is for us to reduce the stigma.

HR perspectives

Factoring diversity & inclusion into employee benefits With Ross Hui, VP and head of compensation and benefits for APAC at Moody’s Corporation. Is there a new initiative you’d like to share about Moody’s medical insurance benefits for employees? Yes, we have included domestic partners of the same sex in our medical schemes, as diversity and inclusion is one of the core values at Moody’s. In addition, we have also implemented voluntary top-up schemes for different counties at employee own costs to strive for a balance between different demands at individuals level as well as the financial commitments from the employer’s perspective. From your experience, what important element is most often missing from a company’s medical insurance package? It is impossible to come up with a medical benefit which can accommodate and entertain all the needs of every single individual. The most important part is flexibility and whether the company is able to provide adequate options for the employees to select their own coverage following their own needs no matter on co-pay or voluntary basis. What’s an effective strategy to minimise the impact of rising medical costs and still deliver value for both the employer and employee? There’s no arguing that rising of medical insurance costs creates financial pressure to all companies. In order to address said challenge, we try to put more emphasis on precautionary leveraging analytics to reveal the intelligence (behind) common diagnoses – such intel can be used to formulate targeted precautionary measures via different wellness initiatives. How big an impact has the pandemic and WFH had on Moody’s medical insurance benefits offered to employees? As mentioned earlier, mental wellness becomes a core focus during the Covid-19 pandemic as people have found

it exhausting to deal with the new normal. We have tried to facilitate the wellness support by providing wellness webinars proactively as well as promoting the Employee Assistance Programme to our employees as our first line of mental wellness support. We also observe there is a temporary improvement in our loss experience perhaps there is a push factor contributed by the Covid-19 pandemic for delaying or deferring those non-urgent medical procedures. How useful a tool is a good medical insurance package in attracting – and keeping – talent? Some may argue that medical benefits are a major factor from a talent attraction and retention standpoint. We, however, share a very different point of view that medical benefit plays a vital role to help our employees maintaining both their physical and mental wellness resulted in better engagement and productivity. We also believe that medical coverage used to be one of the core benefits from a total rewards perspective. A good medical insurance package can make the company stand out from its competitors in terms of talent attraction.

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

Global mobility and employee wellbeing

Managing assignee health concerns during and beyond the Covid-19 pandemic What can organisations do to protect employees and ensure business continuity?

By Lee Quane Regional director – Asia ECA International

mployee health concerns and healthcare costs are often critical elements associated with the feasibility and success of the transfer and assignment of staff throughout a company’s international operations. The existence of threats to employee wellbeing in the host location together with variations in the quality of medical facilities between those in the employee’s home location and those in the location to which he/she will be assigned as well as the level of coverage of any medical insurance policy provided by the company are often areas that an employee will look at before deciding whether or not to undertake a relocation at the company’s request. Reducing any variation in insurance coverage between the home and host location is also a priority for the company and healthcare costs are also of concern; insurance costs can often be the fourth highest unique assignment-related cost after salary, accommodation and children’s education costs when a person is relocated from one location to another.

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

Travel restrictions The Covid-19 pandemic has added to these issues. ECA International’s recent Managing Mobility survey, which was undertaken in late 2020, showed that health concerns are now the fifth most commonly cited reason provided when an employee turned down their employer’s request to undertake an international assignment. This was the first time that this factor had entered the top five list of reasons given for rejecting a relocation. Covid-19 has seemingly made people more circumspect about relocating for work, with employees less willing to relocate to locations with a high prevalence of the virus or to locations with poor quality medical facilities which may inhibit their recovery if they are unfortunately enough to catch it. Furthermore, immigration restrictions, quarantine requirements and other barriers to travel such as restrictions in flight connections, reduced frequency of flights as well as the requirement for testing prior to and

Global mobility and employee wellbeing

after travel have also made people unwilling to accept an assignment if they need to leave potentially vulnerable family members at home if they can’t easily return in the event of an emergency.

Managing mobility At the same time employers are grappling with greater levels of administration and costs associated with medical benefits for their assignees. Firstly, employers will need medical insurance policies to be more comprehensive to cover costs associated with Covid-19, including both the costs associated with treatment as well as peripheral costs. Not least costs incurred by an employee in the course of quarantine requirements (such as hotel accommodation) in the event that the employee is requested to travel by the company and needs to observe quarantine as well as costs associated with mandatory Covid-19 testing which may be needed for travel. These requirements are likely to lead to an increase in costs to organisations at a time when many are going through financial uncertainty. However, employee mobility is still considered essential by organisations. In the above-mentioned Managing Mobility survey, 80% of respondents expected their organisations to be operating in the same number of countries or a greater number of countries in the next three years in spite of the current situation. Furthermore, the transfer of people across borders is considered to be an essential component of the success of an organisation’s international operations. Therefore, what can companies do to encourage mobility, protect employees and minimise the cost impact of operating in the current environment?

Employee preparedness In terms of encouraging mobility, one key solution is employee preparedness. Given the prevalence of information about Covid-19, often conflicting and sometimes incorrect, employees are more likely to be willing to travel if they receive advice and guidance from a recognised specialist. Organisations already offer pre-departure briefings to employees for tax affairs, security (where appropriate) and general assignment-related roles and responsibilities in order to encourage the employee to move and smooth the relocation process. Pioneering companies are adding briefings with medical experts to provide impartial advice to the employee regarding risks associated with health, particularly Covid-19 in the host location, and what measures the employee should take to minimise such risks to them and their family. Similarly, failed assignments, where the assignment ends earlier than planned, can be costly to a company: If a company expects to send someone on assignment for three years but the employee has to return home after 18 months because the host location presents a risk to their health, the company then has to repatriate the employee and send someone else to take his/her place, thereby duplicating costs associated with the relocation and repatriation of talent. Pre-departure medical assessments are often used to alert employers and employees of any health risks which may make an assignment unfeasible. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic fewer than half of companies did these unless requested to for immigration purposes. It’s expected the number of companies doing this to increase as it will enable them to identify people who suffer from underlying

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

Global mobility and employee wellbeing

conditions which make them high risk and enable the company to decide who should be sent where, thereby reducing the likelihood, and costs, associated with assignment.

Digital health checks In addition companies are also making greater use of technology to make sure that travel is frictionless and costs are therefore minimised. This includes app-based pre-departure assessments to ensure that the employee has completed all of the relevant documentation to enable them to travel accounting for the requirements of the home and host locations as well as to provide news, advice and notifications to employees on assignment to help keep them aware of risks and what they can do to avoid them while offering interfaces for employees to communicate with experts in the event that they have concerns. Examples of such applications increasingly being used by organisations include those in use organisations such as Healix, Global Tracker and International SOS. Health concerns are increasingly front of mind for all stakeholders involved in employee mobility: The employee, HR teams and the business units who are responsible for

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

the costs associated with the employee’s assignment. The Covid-19 pandemic has raised barriers to mobility for each of these stakeholders. However, as the above shows, use of technology and more targeted assistance for employees, such as briefings and pre-departure assessments are increasingly being used as they can encourage the employee to accept an assignment, ensure that they are prepared for the move and reduce the likelihood of costly assignment failure while through embracing technology organisations can streamline administrative processes and their corresponding costs.

Global mobility and employee wellbeing

Medical insurance provider listings

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

AD MEDILINK Company details Service hotline: +852 2606 2668 Address: Unit 2202, Seaview Commercial Building, 21-24 Connaught Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Website: www.admedilink.hk Email: hello@admedilink.hk About AD MediLink: AD MediLink is Hong Kong’s health insurance and benefits expert. Our team has a unique knowledge of local and international plans for your employees. We help you find the right option at the right price from 20+ leading providers, with the best advice. Contact us today. Products / Services: Our unique expertise is in local and international group medical plans, top-up plans as well as critical illness and protection plans. We are known for our highly personalised and responsive service all year-round, and offer top-notch employee wellbeing programmes, at no extra cost, to group clients.

AON Company details Service hotline: +852 2861 6666 Address: 34/F One Island East Taikoo Place 18 Westlands Road Quarry Bay Hong Kong Website: https://www.aon.com/apac Email: apac.marketing@aon.com About Aon: Aon plc (NYSE: AON) is a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions. Our 50,000 colleagues in 120 countries empower results for clients by using proprietary data and analytics to deliver insights that reduce volatility and improve performance. Products / Services: Health Solutions: Healthcare costs are skyrocketing and workers around the world have vastly different needs and expectations of their employer benefits. We provide consulting, global benefits and exchange solutions that help clients mitigate rising healthcare costs and improve employee health and wellbeing.

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

BLÜÜM Company details Service hotline: +852 5379 8911 Address: 22/F, On Building, 162 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong Website: https://bluum.hk/ Email: info@bluum.hk About blüüm: blüüm offers curated medical insurance plans and health services for each and every lifestyle, allowing users to enjoy life to the fullest. Established in 2020, blüüm works closely with its strategic insurtech partner, The CareVoice, and top-tier insurance companies to provide usercentric and diversified health insurance solutions. With the creative use of technology and inventive approach to health management, blüüm provides a seamless healthcare experience to every user. Products / Services: blüüm partners with Generali Hong Kong, one of the leading employee benefits players, to offer cost-effective group medical plans and comprehensive health services tailored for SMEs, with access to an extensive network of 2500+ medical providers. Customers can enjoy a seamless end-to-end healthcare experience through our app.

CIGNA Company details Service hotline: +852 2560 1990 Address: International Trade Tower, 16/F, 348 Kwun Tong Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Website: www.Cigna.com.hk Email: enquiryhk@cigna.com About Cigna: Cigna is a global health service leader whose mission is to help people improve their health, well-being and peace of mind. Since 1933, Cigna Hong Kong has been offering insurance solutions at the right place and the right time, providing advice to customers throughout the different stages of their life journeys. Products / Services: Cigna delivers comprehensive health and wellness solutions to employers, employees and individual customers. Leveraging an extensive global healthcare network, Cigna provides group medical benefits that are suitable for international companies with a worldwide workforce, but also offers tailored and packaged group medical insurance plans to local small and medium-sized enterprises that fit specific needs of the company and its employees. For individual customers, Cigna offers a full suite of health insurance products that caters to consumers’ diverse needs.

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

BOWTIE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED Company details Service hotline: (852) 3008 8123 Address: 1/F, Queen’s Centre, 58 – 64 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Website: https://www.bowtie.com.hk/ Email: partner@bowtie.com.hk About Bowtie: Bowtie Life Insurance Company Limited is an authorised life insurance company and Hong Kong’s very first virtual insurer approved by the Insurance Authority of Hong Kong. Backed by Sun Life Financial and leading international investors, Bowtie offers commission-free insurance plans to customers directly, through modern technology and fully end-to-end digital platform. The Bowtie team comprises insurance industry veterans, and medical doctors, and senior advisors and former Financial Secretary, John Tsang. Bowtie believes that insurance is fundamentally good. We are here to bring the good back, through modern technology. For more information on Bowtie, please visit our website www.bowtie.com.hk. Products / Services: Bowtie challenges the traditional insurance model and brings equal access to health protection which is simple and affordable to everyone through modern technology. Bowtie believes insurance is fundamentally good, we provide protection-focused products to everyone, making insurance transparent and truly customer-centric. Zero commission is only the first step. By eliminating paper and simplifying the insurance, Bowtie provides a range of health insurance and wellness program to both individuals and corporate clients, e.g. Bowtie Group Insurance, BowtieVision, VHIS and BowtieGo membership. Marketing Page

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BUPA (ASIA) LIMITED Company details Service hotline: (852) 2517 5338 Address: 18/F Berkshire House 25 Westlands Road Quarry Bay, Hong Kong Website: www.bupa.com.hk Email: grpsales@bupa.com.hk About Bupa (Asia) Limited: Bupa began in the UK in 1947. We fund healthcare around the world and run clinics, hospitals, dental centres, care homes and more. With no shareholders, we reinvest our profits to provide more and better healthcare for customers. In Hong Kong, we are known as the health insurance specialist. We have gained the trust of over 400,000 individuals and 3,200 companies including major corporations in public utility and telecom industries. We have provided quality health insurance for Hong Kong’s civil servants for more than 20 years. Bupa also provides primary care services through Quality HealthCare Medical Services (QHMS), one of Hong Kong’s largest private clinic networks. Products / Services: As the only specialist health insurer in Hong Kong, Bupa provides corporate health insurance to companies of various sizes across all sectors with the purpose to help you build a healthier and happier workforce. Our solutions range from packaged schemes for smaller companies to tailor-made plans for larger corporations, as well as voluntary top-up plans to provide employees and their family with extra and continuous cover. Beyond providing medical insurance funding, we also offer fully integrated workplace health solutions through our Bupa4Life wellness app and a wide range of wellness services to improve your employees’ physical and mental wellbeing. Bupa group health solutions:

Bupa4Life wellness app:

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

FWD INSURANCE Company details Service hotline: +852 3123 3123 Address: 28/F, FWD Financial Centre, 308 Des Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong Website: https://www.fwd.com.hk/ Email: cs.hk@fwd.com About FWD Insurance: FWD is focused on creating fresh customer experiences and making the insurance journey simpler, faster and smoother, with innovative propositions and easy-to-understand products, supported by digital technology. Through this customer-led approach, FWD aims to become a leading pan-Asian insurer that changes the way people feel about insurance. Products / Services: FWD Hong Kong offers life and medical insurance, general insurance, employee benefits, and financial planning.

MSIG INSURANCE (HONG KONG) Company details Service hotline: +852 3122 6922 Address: 9/F 1111 King’s Road, Taikoo Shing, Hong Kong Website: www.msig.com.hk

About MSIG Insurance (Hong Kong): MSIG is a member of the MS&AD Insurance Group, Asia’s leading general insurance brand with presence in 46 countries and regions. The group is ranked 5th among non-life insurance groups in the world. It is the number one Japanese insurer with A+ stable credit rating. Products / Services: MSIG provides an extensive range of general insurance products covering property, marine cargo, personal accident, motor, liability, home contents, healthcare, personal effects, directors’ and officers’ liability, professional indemnity and other classes of casualty business, meeting both the commercial and personal needs of customers.

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

PACIFIC PRIME Company details Service hotline: +852 3589 0531 Address: Units 7-11,35th Floor, 1 Hung To Road, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong Website: https://www.pacificprime.com/corporate/ Email: corporate@pacificprime.com About Pacific Prime: Established in 1999, Pacific Prime is an award-winning global insurance and employee benefits broker, servicing individuals and corporates from 12 locations across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Our acquisition of CXA Group’s brokerage arms makes us the third largest employee benefits broker in Asia Pacific, and complements our insurtech offerings. Products / Services: Pacific Prime offers a wide range of corporate insurance solutions to mitigate business risks, and employee benefits solutions like wellness programs and group health insurance. The brokerage works with organisations of all sizes and industries – helping them design and implement tailored solutions, as well as streamline the plan administration process.

WILLIS TOWERS WATSON Company details Service hotline: +852 2827 8833 Address: 17th Floor, Lee Garden Three, 1 Sunning Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Website: www.willistowerswatson.com Email: Marketing.HK@willistowerswatson.com About Willis Towers Watson: Willis Towers Watson is a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company that helps clients around the world turn risk into a path for growth. We deliver solutions that manage risk, optimise benefits, cultivate talent, and expand the power of capital to protect and strengthen institutions and individuals. Products / Services: Our health and benefits services support clients in modernising their strategy to develop, execute and monitor decisions concerning benefits program – by managing rising costs of benefits, engaging multigenerational workforce, embracing Wellbeing and getting holistic views of benefits programmes. Our broking solutions emphasize managing programme costs while maximising the effectiveness and value to employees.

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

SUN LIFE HONG KONG LIMITED (INCORPORATED IN BERMUDA WITH LIMITED LIABILITY) Company details Service hotline: (852) 3183 2099 Address: 16/F, Cheung Kei Center Tower A, No. 18 Hung Luen Road, Hunghom, Kowloon, Hong Kong Website: www.sunlife.com.hk Email: hk.groupadmin@sunlife.com About us: We have been rooted in Hong Kong for 129 years, building up profound experience in wealth planning and protection. Our unwavering commitment is to help our clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. To do this, we offer professional financial analysis and insight-based solutions, ranging from savings and life protection, to health and accident protection, and investment-linked assurance schemes, to universal life, pension and group benefits. We never stop innovating on an ever-wider range of client service channels. Now, our clients can manage their finances whenever and however they want, through our advisors, client service centre, online service centre and mobile app. Products / Services: Being the third largest MPF service provider in Hong Kong*, we are committed to enhancing the well-being of Hong Kong’s workforce by offering excellent wealth and health solutions. Sun Life Hong Kong is well equipped and committed to providing outstanding employee benefits services to our clients. We offer comprehensive group insurance products to meet both employer and employees’ needs, including affordable package group life and health insurance plans for SMEs and tailor-made plans for corporations. To assist insured employees managing their group health benefits and claims, we launched My Sun Life HK – Group Health app in 2019. *Based on assets under management. Source: Mercer MPF Market Shares Report (as at December 31, 2020). MPF refers to Mandatory Provident Fund. Sun Life Hong Kong Group Health Benefits Webpage

Corporate Health Insurance Guide

HumanResources editor Robert Blain senior journalist Samantha Chan medical listings Tracy Chan graphic design Julia Li sales Michael Tse Sally Hui marketing Cyrus Ching Iris Tse regional business development director Karen Yung for advertising enquiries Michael Tse michaelt@humanresourcesonline.net The Corporate Health Insurance Guide is published by Lighthouse Independent Media Ltd. Subscription rates for Human Resources Magazine are available on request, contact the Circulation Manager by telephone: +852 2861 1882 / +65 6423 0329 or by email to: subscriptions@humanresourcesonline.net COPYRIGHTS AND REPRINTS. All material printed in Human Resources is protected under the copyright act. All rights reserved. No material may be reproduced in part or in whole without the prior written consent of the publisher and the copyright holder. Permission may be requested through the Hong Kong office. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in Human Resources are not necessarily the views of the publisher. Hong Kong: Lighthouse Independent Media Ltd Unit B-D, 16/F, Yardley Commercial Building, 3 Connaught Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2861 1882 Fax: +852 2861 1336 Singapore: Lighthouse Independent Media Pte Ltd 100C Pasir Panjang Road, #05-01, See Hoy Chan Hub, 118519 Tel: +65 6423 0329 Fax: +65 6423 0117

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