While telehealth can be considered a wellbeing service, as it provides easy access to care and often enables members to receive additional coaching, we asked participants what other wellbeing services they now have available to their members and whether the services were provided through a third party or not. We inquired specifically about the following categories of services:
- Wellbeing/Engagement portal. Employee-facing portal that provides basic health information with interactive features that help employees build healthy behaviors and integrates with other apps that employees already use to track health indicators, such as exercise and weight
- Employee assistance plan. Voluntary, work-based program that offers free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals and follow-up services to employees who have personal and/or work-related problems
- Health content/kits/tips. Basic information (e.g., flyers, videos) on health-related items to manage and prevent illness as well as promote wellness
- Point solutions. Targeted programs to manage chronic illnesses or other conditions (e.g., addiction/substance abuse, diabetes, tobacco cessation, nutrition, maternity)
- Fitness/gym/challenges/competitions. App or other programs to support physical fitness
- Financial education platform. Website or app that provides basic financial education on topics such as budgeting, financial goal setting and balance sheets for individuals
While there is still a long way to go, the results were encouraging, with most insurers globally now offering at least some of these services either directly or through a third-party partner organization.
Ancillary wellbeing and medical services
Available through an owned entity: 13% global 34% Latin America 5% Asia Pacific 18% Europe 1% Middle East and Africa; Available through a third-party vendor/partner: 75% global 58% Latin America 82% Asia Pacific 77% Europe 59% Middle East and Africa; Not available/offered: 12% global 8% Latin America 13% Asia Pacific 5% Europe 40% Middle East and Africa
Available through an owned entity: 15% global 42% Latin America 3% Asia Pacific 23% Europe 1% Middle East and Africa; Available through a third-party vendor or partner: 46% global 29% Latin America 48% Asia Pacific 43% Europe 48% Middle East and Africa; Not available or offered: 39% global 29% Latin America 48% Asia Pacific 33% Europe 51% Middle East and Africa
Available through an owned entity: 27% global 44% Latin America 24% Asia Pacific 31% Europe 4% Middle East and Africa; Available through a third-party vendor or partner: 40% global 28% Latin America 49% Asia Pacific 34% Europe 44% Middle East and Africa; Not available or offered: 33% global 28% Latin America 26% Asia Pacific 36% Europe 52% Middle East and Africa
Available through an owned entity: 22% global 43% Latin America 9% Asia Pacific 32% Europe 1% Middle East and Africa; Available through a third-party vendor or partner: 44% global 6% Latin America 63% Asia Pacific 37% Europe 39% Middle East and Africa; Not available or offered 34% global 51% Latin America 28% Asia Pacific 31% Europe 60% Middle East and Africa.
Available through an owned entity: 47% global 58% Latin America 42% Asia Pacific 56% Europe 19% Middle East and Africa; Available through a third-party vendor or partner: 24% global 7% Latin America 30% Asia Pacific 21% Europe 28% Middle East and Africa; Not available or offered: 28% global 34% Latin America 28% Asia Pacific 23% Europe 53% Middle East and Africa
Available through an owned entity: 19% global 37% Latin America 10% Asia Pacific 26% Europe 5% Middle East and Africa; Available through a third-party vendor or partner: 39% global 31% Latin America 39% Asia Pacific 37% Europe 35% Middle East and Africa; Not available or offered: 42% global 32% Latin America 51% Asia Pacific 37% Europe 60% Middle East and Africa
Available through an owned entity: 8% global 10% Latin America 5% Asia Pacific 11% Europe 4% Middle East and Africa; Available through a third-party vendor or partner: 38% global 23% Latin America 46% Asia Pacific 35% Europe 42% Middle East and Africa; Not available or offered 54% global 67% Latin America 48% Asia Pacific 54% Europe 53% Middle East and Africa
Available through an owned entity: 6% global 11% Latin America 17% Asia Pacific 1% Europe 2% Middle East and Africa; Available through a third-party vendor or partner: 15% global 5% Latin America 14% Asia Pacific 14% Europe 18% Middle East and Africa; Not available or offered: 79% global 84% Latin America 69% Asia Pacific 85% Europe 80% Middle East and Africa
Globally, telehealth and virtual care are available primarily through third-party vendors, although it should be noted that in Latin America, 42% of survey participants report that virtual care is available through an owned entity. Two-fifths of insurers (40%) indicate that engagement portals are provided through third-party vendors, a figure that rises to 44% in the Middle East and Africa, and to 49% in Asia Pacific. At the same time, over half of insurers (52%) in the Middle East and Africa say that engagement portals are not offered at all.
Over two-fifths of survey respondents globally (44%), 63% in Asia Pacific, and over a third in Europe (37%) and the Middle East and Africa (39%) indicate that employee assistance programs are available through third-party vendors. A notable exception is Latin America, where 43% of insurers report that these programs are provided through an owned entity.
Health content kits are available primarily through owned entities, with over two-fifths of respondents globally, except in the Middle East and Africa, indicating this to be the case. When it comes to point solutions, over three in 10 insurers globally and across all regions say that these solutions are provided through third-party vendors. Notably, 42% of respondent globally and over half in Asia Pacific (51%) and the Middle East and Africa (60%) report that point solutions are not offered.
Fitness programs and financial education platforms are less likely to be offered. Over half of insurers globally (54%) report that fitness programs are not available, and almost four-fifths (79%) indicate that this is the case for financial education platforms.
Next section: What’s driving global medical trend
