01-Mar-17 Japan's national health insurance logged a deficit of JPY284 bn yen (USD2.5 bn) in 2015 as an injection of public funds failed to compensate for rising costs stemming from an aging subscriber pool and pricey new treatments. The main culprit was a rise in benefit payments, which grew 2.1%. High-priced hepatitis C drugs Sovaldi and Harvoni also played a role. [image: Nikkei Asian Reveiw]

15-Feb-17 Medical insurers are seeing a surge in demand for private insurance that offers cross-border health cover. This market is growing by 15-25% per year, and could be worth as much as USD144 bn globally. The challenge for the insurance industry is identifying who might need a policy that covers international travel for medical treatment, and why. [image: AXA PPP International]

08-Feb-17 A coalition of 67 organisations made up of travel companies and medical centres in Taiwan have come together to offer their services to travellers seeking medical treatment overseas. These packages tend to be expensive and aimed at high-end tourists from China. By targeting Chinese patients specifically, Taiwan’s efforts could be more directed than many others and thus potentially more successful. [image: IHMT]

07-Feb-17 Singapore-based health technology startup CXA Group, which offers an employee benefits and wellness marketplace platform, has raised USD25 mn in Series B funding in a round led by B Capital Group and EDBI. The SaaS platform uses health screening, lifestyle risks, and data from claims and wearable sensors to predict future premium costs. [image: CXA Group]

20-Jan-17 Allianz announced it has partnered with telehealth startup Doctors on Demand to provide video consultation services as a value added provision for its policyholders in Australia. Policyholders will have access to complimentary video consultation and can request prescription services through the value added offering. [image: Insurance Business / iStock]