Preventive Care Is the Best Cure: Why Allianz’s Chronic Disease Campaign Should Matter to Employers and Expats Alike
This month, Allianz Partners launched a new global campaign, Paths to Prevention, aimed at tackling one of the biggest, and most preventable, cost drivers in global healthcare: chronic disease.
The campaign emphasizes the need to pivot from reactive, treatment-heavy healthcare toward a proactive model that encourages healthier behavior and earlier intervention. It’s a compelling initiative for insurers and employers alike – especially those providing international health insurance plans to expat employees or retirees.
At One World Cover, we think this is a conversation that urgently needs to happen, and more importantly, one that needs to lead to real change in how we approach health insurance benefits, utilization, and communications.
The Heavy Cost of Chronic Conditions
According to Allianz’s data, chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer account for 70% of all deaths globally and are a leading contributor to rising healthcare costs.
But most chronic diseases are preventable.
Early diagnosis, regular check-ups, better lifestyle habits, and increased health literacy can dramatically reduce the incidence – and cost – of these conditions. For global employers already grappling with double-digit medical inflation (12.1% in Asia and 12.8% in the Middle East, per the 2025 One World Cover Medical Trend Report), this is a message worth taking seriously.
From Plan Design to Behavior Change
Insurance savings shouldn’t just come from cost shifting. The real upside is when health plans are structured in a way that encourages healthier decisions:
- Incentives for routine diabetic or cholesterol monitoring
- Telehealth and digital care options for easier access to preventive care
- Reduced co-pays/no deductible for participating in wellness initiatives or regular check-ups
These practical steps echo Allianz’s goal to “shift the focus from treating illness to fostering lifelong wellbeing” – and they deliver long-term impact when properly implemented.
The Expat Risk Factor
Chronic diseases don’t just impact insurers – they can disrupt careers, derail retirement plans, and strain global mobility programs.
That’s especially true for expatriates, who often face:
- Limited understanding of local health systems
- Delayed diagnoses due to language or access barriers
- Over-reliance on emergency care instead of preventive care
Even among retirees, chronic disease can have significant financial consequences. A late-stage cancer diagnosis or unmanaged diabetes can lead to sudden spikes in claims—and a decline in quality of life that’s hard to reverse.
This is why insurance providers and employers must do more to nudge preventive behavior, not just treat illness when it arises.
READ MORE >> Why Annual Health Check-Ups Should Be a Must-Have for Your Expat Team
OWC’s Commitment: Turning Awareness Into Action
As a broker and wellness partner, One World Cover works with employers to make preventive care part of everyday health insurance use:
- Designing health insurance plans that support prevention through check-up coverage, screenings, and early detection
- Providing staff-facing toolkits and local access guides so employees understand and use their benefits
- Helping HR leaders use digital reminders and engagement tools to promote regular preventive care
These small actions add up. One preventive mammogram or heart screening can be the difference between a routine intervention and a six-figure hospital bill. Between long-term employee engagement and costly burnout or relocation.
READ MORE >> How International Companies Can Brew a Culture of Well-Being
A Call To Action
We applaud Allianz Partners for launching this campaign – and for acknowledging that insurerance providers must lead when it comes to systemic change.
But this is also a moment for business leaders and global mobile employees to reflect on their own role in encouraging healthier decisions.
If you’d like to explore how to make prevention a priority in your plan design, employee communications, or insurance strategy, we’d love to talk.
Because the best cure is always prevention – and the best time to start is now.
To learn more please get in touch: [email protected] or click here to contact us.
