Healthcare costs, telehealth adoption expected to accelerate in 2022

According to the 2022 Global Medical Trends Survey report by Willis Towers Watson, the projected employer-sponsored healthcare benefit cost trends are expected to increase in 2022 at a global average of 8.1%. The survey report tracks medical costs from a global network of 209 insurers in 61 countries and serves as explanation to the volatility in healthcare utilization and costs as COVID-19 cases surged in different countries at different times in 2020 and 2021.

The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of telehealth globally with 52% of insurers globally offering telehealth across all plans. The survey reports 37% of insurers indicate the addition of telehealth services as the biggest change organizations made to their medical portfolios in 2021. Across all regions—Latin America, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Europe—insurers are most likely to cover primary physician/general practitioner telehealth services, but other key areas that may be covered include access to prescription drug, specialist consultant services, mental health services and navigation in cases of acute illness.