20-Jan-17 Poor spending on healthcare is a major concern in India, where most cannot afford private healthcare. India ranks abysmally low on public healthcare expenditure. The objective laid out in the National Health Policy to increase expenditure 1.04 per cent of GDP to 2.5 per cent by 2020, with 70 per cent for primary care, has been a welcome step. [image: Business Standard]

11-Dec-16 As more patients in Malaysia opt for public hospitals, patient volume in private hospitals has dropped 20-30%. With medical inflation expected to be 15% in 2017, private hospitals must find ways of coping with falling revenue. Charges will go up when private hospitals can no longer contain their costs within reasonable limits. [image: The Star]

07-Dec-16 Despite weak infrastructure and poor funding, Nigeria has adequate human resources to reverse brain drain and make the country a medical tourism hub, concluded the Fourth Annual Meeting of the Nigerian-American Medical Foundation International on 6-Dec-16. With falling oil prices and dwindling budgets, it is hoped that making Nigeria the hub of medical tourism would help diversify the economy. [image: The Guardian]

24-Nov-16 In Indonesia, the Coordination of Benefits (COB) provision is changing the country’s healthcare landscape. While the COB is not new, its ability to now be combined with the JKN national health insurance and private insurers should benefit the industry. From the perspective of insurance users, this can pave the way for higher productivity by using private medical providers. [image: Wikipedia / Shawn M. Spitler / U.S. Marine Corps]

15-Nov-16 MetLife Hong Kong has announced the launch of its new MetLife Borderless Best-in-Health Benefit, which provides seamless overseas access to world-class medical advice and treatment. The plan connects customers to overseas medical experts for a case review and second opinion, and pays for overseas medical treatment costs, as well as travel and accommodation. [image: MetLife Hong Kong]