AIA survey uncovers low health and retirement insurance coverage

Just 15% of respondents in an American International Assurance (AIA) survey of major mainland cities have health insurance against major diseases, the Securities Times reported. 60% of respondents hoped to rely on pension funds or bank deposits for healthcare during retirement, but the same percentage also said they were not optimistic that these sources would be sufficient. 71% rated disease as their number one concern while 50% were worried they would struggle financially if a family member was seriously sick. 72% of respondents with health insurance said they bought insurance in case of disease, and 85% said they were concerned about major diseases, which were classified as those that would cost in excess of US$21,923 (RMB150,000) in medical bills. The survey also found 20% of urban dwellers had bought life insurance, 33% of whom said they did so for retirement. 49% of policy holders were optimistic about their retirement, well above the 36% who were not covered by commercial insurance. AIA China president Chen Rongsheng said the findings indicated enormous potential in the market for major disease- and retirement-related insurance. Xu Nanping, a professor with East China Normal University, called on insurers to offer customized products to raise public awareness of the commercial insurance business.