Bupa Study: HK Millennials Outpace Previous Generation on Health Concerns, but Struggle to Prioritise Wellbeing

As the “Healthcare 3.0” evolution dawns in Hong Kong, ushering in a new era for smart health technology, Bupa remains in constant pursuit to understand customer needs to help it deliver the most advanced and relevant wellbeing solutions to people in Hong Kong.

Most recently, a new study commissioned by Bupa reveals that over 6 in 10 Hong Kong millennials consider themselves health conscious, but fewer than half (48%) are satisfied with their overall health and wellbeing. Surveying over 500 Hong Kong millennials aged 25-40, the research found that millennials today place a high degree of importance on their health and wellbeing, but struggle to prioritise it.

The survey revealed that Hong Kong millennials are not satisfied with this state of affairs: 70% want to learn more about how to maintain health, especially on topics related to healthy diet, healthy lifestyle tips and exercise. The top three health goals of millennials are more sleep, more exercise and a healthier diet. Unfortunately, over half (53%) say they do not have enough time to maintain a healthy lifestyle and 45% do physical exercise less than once per week. Nearly half (48%) believe stress keeps them from being healthier, and office-linked ailments like shoulder and neck pain, excessive eye strain and headaches are commonly reported.

Research findings are backed up by 2022 medical spending from Bupa, where 67% of millennials used medical services last year, which recorded 10% higher than average. At the same time, instead of seeking severe illness services, millennials focus on holistic healthcare to improve physical fitness and mental health. Millennials have the highest medical spending amongst all age groups for traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture treatment. In addition, 38% of the total cases of mental health problems came from millennials, highlighting the impact of stress, anxiety and other mental health struggles amongst Hong Kong millennials.

Answering Millennials’ Calls for Support
With Hong Kong millennials seeking holistic wellbeing solutions which are easy to access and prioritise, Bupa is realigning its service model to a proactive, always-on network of engagement that offers a seamless care experience via digital and physical touchpoints. Bupa’s ConnectedCare model leverages customer healthcare data to serve proactive, personalised health communications and alerts; delivers a strengthened programme of preventative health interventions around mental health, fitness, sleep and diet; and creates frictionless care pathways to address acute and chronic conditions as quickly and conveniently as possible.

Andrew Merrilees, Managing Director, Bupa in Hong Kong, said, “Bupa is more than an insurance provider—we are a partner to customers in their healthcare journey. It’s therefore imperative that we understand and respond to the changing needs of multiple generations. ConnectedCare is a new way for us to put people and data at the heart of everything we do. Good health is not just about avoiding sickness, and ConnectedCare will help us to help our members, including millennials, to overcome the obstacles to wellbeing as they seek holistic healthcare solutions that are simple to access, engaging to use, and deliver tangible health and wellness impacts.”

Putting vision into action, Bupa recently launched Health Concierge by BupaCare—a personalised care consultation service to help customers navigate complex medical systems. Health Concierge by BupaCare connects patients with a Bupa nurse to offer personalised guidance so that patients can reduce administrative anxieties and focus on their health. Bupa has also partnered with Matilda International Hospital to enhance the mom-to-be care journey with holistic wellness offerings such as 24-hour maternity advisory support, professional e-Guidebook to mom-to-be and free antenatal online classes. The partnership is further strengthened by the first-of-its-kind collaboration with Uber Taxi where new moms can enjoy a hassle-free and safe e-hailing taxi experience with in-app rider support by a well-trained team when departing from Matilda International Hospital. These services are available to all Bupa members, including those not subscribed to maternity coverage. A special offer for antenatal check-ups, health education courses and postnatal midwife home visits and a delivery package are also being rolled out.

Linda Burgoyne, CEO, Matilda International Hospital, said, “Matilda is known worldwide for our exceptional standard of patient care, our personalised approach and our commitment to leading edge technology. Our expertise in obstetrics is widely respected and we offer a complete range of maternity services including antenatal care, classes, and hospital care for delivery. We’re proud to partner with Bupa which we can provide a comfortable, privileged experience to customers.”

Estyn Chung, General Manager of Uber Hong Kong said, "The ride home from the hospital is an unforgettable moment for every new parent. Uber Taxi is delighted to be the trusted partner on this important journey, and supporting the riders with safety features and a quality service. As a convenient everyday commute option for Hongkongers, Uber Taxi is a reliable partner for medical appointments and many other everyday occasions. We will continue to harness technology to come up with new products and services that help our riders enjoy every moment."

Merrilees added, “We are ambitious in our commitment to engage with new collaborators and make Bupa the digitally integrated health and care partner in Hong Kong. To this end, we are accelerating our digital-first port-of-call for health needs, establishing multi-disciplinary clinics to address preventative care and chronic conditions, and creating differentiated experiences across our local network of owned and partnered providers. With ConnectedCare, we can uniquely empower our customers with the information, inspiration and multi-faceted care they need to live longer, happier and healthier lives; as we seek to make a better world.”

Building off the “Healthcare 3.0” momentum of 2022, which saw Bupa introduce the city’s first interactive exhibition highlighting health tech and personal wellbeing, Bupa is preparing for another year of smart health tech achievements in service of Bupa customers.

Please click here or scan the QR code to view the highlights of the “Hong Kong Millennials Health Study”. For more high-res images: https://bit.ly/3w26GTT  

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About Hong Kong Millennials Health Study: Bupa commissioned a 3-stage research study to Acorn to understand more about millennials’ lifestyle, behaviour, healthcare attitude and healthcare needs. A sample of 500 millennials aged 25-40 in Hong Kong were surveyed in July-August 2022. A further research stage of face-to-face interviews was conducted in August 2022.

About Bupa Business Insight on Health-related Spending in 2022: Based on the unit of each medical spending, the data analyzes the overview of various medical expenses of Bupa members in 2022. The proportion of millennials is 32% of the overall age groups.

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