The global employer-provided medical benefit cost is expected to rise to 7.4% next year from 7% this year with the average general inflation rate at 2.4%.

       It will be 8.2% (8% in 2021) in the Asia- Pacific region, Europe (5.6%), the Middle East and Africa (11.1%) and north America (6.6%) in 2022. For Malaysia, it is expected to be lower at 12% from 14% this year.

       The Covid-19 pandemic and the economic slowdown had impacted employer-sponsored medical plans, according to the 2022 Global Medical Trend Rates Report released by Aon plc, a global professional services firm.

       Such plans will continue to be highly prevalent with insurance as the most common and growing financing approach. A spike is seen in the usage numbers for 2020/2021 in the Asia-Pacific region and Europe.

       More than half of the 108 countries surveyed reported a high, or much higher utilisation level for mental health and telehealth services, according to the report.

       There is an increasing impact of non-communicable diseases on healthcare costs globally. In Asia-Pacific, cardiovascular disease, cancer/tumour growth, ear, nose, throat or ENT/lung disorder/respiratory, diabetes and musculoskeletal/back are the common health conditions driving healthcare claims.

       The risk factors from unhealthy personal habits in the Asia-Pacific region are high blood pressure, physical inactivity, poor stress management, high cholesterol and ageing that directly contributed to the emergence of non-communicable diseases, according to the report.

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