Aenta International has called for a ‘complete overhaul’ of the health insurance model demanded by ageing populations. The health insurer’s new whitepaper, entitled The ticking time bomb: ageing population, analysed Aetna’s 700,000 globally mobile customers, finding the top nine conditions for its over 50s members: hypertension; low back pain; high cholesterol; ischemic heart disease; type 2 diabetes; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; osteoarthritis; asthma; and glaucoma.
These conditions cost more to treat, says Aetna, and medical costs rise exponentially with age, with medical spend on the over 70s standing at three times that of members aged 50-59. With an increasingly ageing global population – 1.5 billion people are expected to be over 65 by the year 2020 – Aetna says that governments, medical providers and insurers face a ‘mounting economic burden’.
The whitepaper suggests targeted education and wellness support for those in their 30s, attempting to slow down or prevent the onset of disease. Aetna says it is calling for a complete overhaul of the traditional health insurance model, ‘shifting focus from episodic, reactive claims-based care to a continuous proactive health and wellness model’. It says it is making the transition from being a health insurer to a health and wellness partner, ‘where proactive education combined with individual mobilisation will be key to preventing the onset of chronic conditions’.
Dr Mitesh Patel, medical director at Aetna International said: “Ageing is an inevitable process that no one can escape. As we continue to live longer, the economic strains on healthcare systems will only increase – as the years people remain healthy and free from serious disease fails to keep up with longer life expectancy. Healthcare systems must adapt or risk becoming obsolete in face of ageing populations.”
Date: Oct 19, 2017