New Delhi, March 2 (NationPress) Approximately 50 percent of health insurers in India offer customization support for clients with over 1,000 employees, which is markedly lower than the 92 percent seen in China, as indicated by a report published on Monday.

While India's health insurance sector is experiencing swift digital transformation and an increase in coverage, it still grapples with issues of awareness, standardization, and affordability.

The Aon report noted that despite these challenges, the domestic health insurance market is undergoing significant changes, including the broadening of health and well-being services offered by insurers. However, there are considerable gaps in achieving measurable outcomes and ensuring employee satisfaction.

“India’s health insurance landscape is at a crucial juncture, with escalating expectations from both employers and employees,” stated Susan Fanning, Head of APAC Wellbeing Solutions at Aon.

“These findings underscore the necessity for insurers to innovate, customize, and forge stronger partnerships to ensure measurable results while keeping costs manageable,” she added.

Furthermore, the adoption of telehealth services has steadily increased, with 83 percent of surveyed insurers now providing services such as general practitioner appointments, chronic disease management, e-prescriptions, and medication delivery.

However, the financial impact on outpatient healthcare claims remains limited. Only about one-third of insurers reported substantial cost savings, with reductions between 1.1 percent and 1.5 percent, according to Aon. While overall utilization is moderate, 40 percent of insurers achieved engagement rates above 30 percent, and 60 percent reported usage increases of 6 to 10 percent from 2022 to 2024.

The report also emphasized that a stronger integration with other well-being programs and enhanced client education could unlock greater value from telehealth investments.

In addition, the availability of employee assistance programs (EAP) has grown, with 67 percent of insurers providing services through phone, online platforms, and mobile apps in multiple languages, including English and Hindi, and sometimes in regional languages.

Despite this expansion, utilization rates vary significantly, ranging from 1 percent to 50 percent. The report further noted that growth in EAP usage from 2022 to 2024 varied between 6 percent and 40 percent.

The findings highlighted that while support for mental health is broadening, further localization and integration with larger health programs are essential to foster sustained engagement and deliver measurable outcomes.