China's local-level supplementary medical insurance schemes, called "huiminbao" are refining pricing, benefits and risk management as they seek to balance affordable healthcare protection with long-term financial sustainability amid rising claims costs.
China's insurance industry has outlined three major priorities for high-quality development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) to support economic and social development, deepen reform and opening-up, and strengthen risk prevention, according to a research report released at the Annual Conference of Financial Street Forum 2026 in Beijing.
Helvetia has announced the promotion of Ms Tan Siew Choo to the role of CEO Asia, effective 1 January 2027 and subject to regulatory approval. She will continue to lead the engineering and property solutions Asia team after the transition.
Hanwha Life Insurance has approved plans to issue domestic subordinated bonds worth KRW400bn ($302m) to KRW800bn ($604m) to support its financial soundness. The South Korean life insurer's board approved the proposed issuance on 20 October, according to a regulatory filing with the Financial Supervisory Service's Data Analysis, Retrieval and Transfer System (DART).
Two-thirds (66%) of Hong Kong residents have used AI tools for health-related purposes, while 43% of AI users trust the technology more than mind health professionals, according to the AXA Mind Health Study 2026. Respondents use AI to understand and manage their own wellbeing, support others and communicate mind health concerns. However, growing reliance on the technology raises concerns, with 44% of AI users preferring AI support over face-to-face conversations with friends or peers, 42% almost always following AI recommendations and 40% saying turning to AI has become a reflex. Meanwhile, 26% reported feeling uneasy after receiving AI-generated advice, while the same proportion said AI recommendations had led them to behaviours they later considered harmful.
The Asian commercial health insurance sector must overhaul its wearable tech strategy and risk segmentation models to curb the mounting chronic disease burden, according to Ms Juliet Khew, General Manager of MSIG Serenity Health Partners.
Asia Pacific is facing its sixth year of double-digit medical inflation this year, with inflation "particularly pronounced in employee benefits", according to Marsh Singapore Health and Benefits, Practice Leader, Richard Cooper.
Insurers and risk managers have to fundamentally rethink how workplace exposure is evaluated and move away from traditional historical loss records toward proactive, operational leading indicators to foster a healthier, safer, and more resilient workforce in an era of rapid operational change.
The insurance market generated total premiums of TRY1.1tn ($22.1bn) in the first nine months of this year, according to statistics released by the Turkish Insurance Association (TSB).
Even as it continues efforts to eliminate cervical cancer, Southeast Asia (SEA) is facing a major challenge.