The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is aging faster than anywhere else in the world with an expected increase of 200 million elderly people (aged 65 and above) by 2030. The aging population is driving an increase in noncommunicable diseases (NCD)—such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease—and ultimately leading to a substantial increase in insurance premiums that could threaten the affordability and sustainability of the insurance model.

Increasing NCD Prevalence and its Impact

Asian societies are aging at an unprecedented pace and scale, and by 2030, they will record a 71 percent increase in the number of elderly people, compared to 31 percent in Europe and 55 percent in North America. In Singapore, for example, the elderly population is expected to rise from 11 percent to 20 percent over the next 15 years, while it took 49 years for the same to happen in France.

The prevalence of noncommunicable diseases increases significantly with age. For example, analysis of South Korea’s National Health Insurance database found that adults above 65 years of age were over 10 times more likely to have coronary heart disorder than those aged between 25 and 44 years. Similarly, in Australia, the elderly represent 15 percent of the total population but consume 36 percent of all medication prescribed in general practitioner clinics.

Taken together, the rapid aging of societies is expected to significantly drive up NCD prevalence, with the number of NCD cases across APAC estimated to increase by an average of 40 percent between now and 2030.

The significant increase in NCDs across APAC will put great pressure on societies, both in terms of existing health care infrastructure capacity and the growing economic burden of paying for treatment.

Full Content: Brink Asia

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