ANNUAL REPORT 2011 - AXA Assistance

FROM THE EVERYDAY TO
THE EXCEPTIONAL, NEEDS ARE
INCREASING DRAMATICALLY
An ageing population, the withdrawal
of state provision, executive hypermobility,
geopolitical strife and new technologies:
healthcare delivery requires an ever-growing
range of services… some of which have yet
to be invented.
Ludovic Lambolez Director of the Health Business Line
number of key trends in the health sector
were confirmed during 2011. The first was
the ongoing dramatic increase in needs,
the majority of which are driven by
population ageing and the accelerating rate of
chronic disease: both are global phenomena driving
the structural increase in healthcare expenditure.
aINCREASED PRIVATE-SECTOR
INVOLVEMENT
At the same time, we are seeing the gradual
withdrawal from healthcare provision of heavily
indebted nation states, and a resulting shift towards
private-sector providers. “In order to control their
costs and establish a distinctive identity, Health
assistance providers are looking for additional
services to add to their offer. Ranging from telephone
advice to specialist networks for particular illnesses
or medical specialties, chronic illness treatment,
training and even mobile apps, and the list goes on.
The list of needs doesn’t stop there though, and goes
hand-in-hand with the absolute necessity for a return
on the investment required to deliver all these
services. So the new products and services we offer
our customers must be not only distinctive, but must
also be able to demonstrate their
financial performance in the short
term by generating either cost
savings, higher sales or – better still –
both,” explains Ludovic Lambolez,
Director of the Health Business Line.
aHEALTHCARE ON THE MOVE
Mobility is another key trend. Some
people see no alternative but to seek
treatment outside their own country,
whether for reasons of cost or treatment
quality. These new flows of patients are
often also guided by cultural factors,
with the emphasis on the links between
certain countries. For example, seriously
ill Turkish patients often seek treatment
in Germany, where they may have
family to accommodate and support
them. “We’ve analysed this new order,
and we’re fully capable of responding
to it thanks to our national networks, our
joined-up international coverage, our
expertise in cross-border medical
logistics and our ability to act as a link
36_AXA ASSISTANCEq2011 ANNUAL REPORT