Global Mobility Trend Analysis to Develop Expatriate Healthcare Insurance Plans

An American worldwide healthcare solutions provider was looking to carry out a global mobility trend analysis for developing healthcare insurance plans for expatriates. Through the analysis, it hoped to gain a clear perspective of the ongoing global mobility trends, health benefit packages offered to expatriates by US-based MNCs, and identify the factors influencing the decision-making process in selecting the plans.

Netscribes conducted a detailed research-based analysis to understand how global corporations define their expatriate benefit plans and assess the implications of future trends. The insights helped the client build its future product and develop an effective marketing strategy.

Challenge

There are several factors to be considered while developing healthcare solutions for expatriates. Mobility or expatriate healthcare plans have to meet the right set of requirements, which vary according to country, organization, industry, and employee demographics. In addition, they should be flexible and offer customizations based on customer needs.

Our client – an American worldwide healthcare solutions provider – was faced with this challenge when developing global mobility healthcare plans for expatriates working with businesses in the US. In order to meet their needs, it wanted to gain a holistic perspective of the ongoing global mobility trends, health benefit packages offered to expatriates by USbased MNCs, and identify the factors influencing the decision-making process in selecting the plans.

Solution

The client decided to undertake a detailed research-based analysis to understand how global corporations define their expatriate benefit plans and assess the implications of future trends. It engaged with Netscribes, who conducted a study across two major groups – talent and mobility managers of US-based MNCs and international consultants that provide customized benefit plans (including health benefits).

Netscribes gathered insights based on several factors, which included:

• Mobile talent pool volume trends, tenure trends and shift in assignee profile, which included the age, nationality, gender, and marital status.
• Policies around hiring local talent and mobility trends of certain assignment types (shortterm, international and extended business travel)
• Analysis of employee-benefits coverage commensurate with the type of work assignment and seniority level.
• Nature of decision making i.e. decentralized or centralized

Some mobility trends observed across US-based firms were:

• A majority of assignments that require MNCs to send their workforce abroad are long-term.
• Both HR Managers and key opinion leaders expect global mobility to rise due to the rising expansion of multinational companies based in the US.
• A majority of the expatriates going on various assignments are covered under international plans.
• Developmental assignments, International Business Travellers (IBT) and Extended Business Travellers (EBT) are expected to stay fairly steady in the future, while a geographical shift will be seen towards emerging markets.
• Most MNCs may have one person responsible for managing both mobility and employee benefit plans.
• Long-term and short-term assignments comprise around 60% of the total assignment volume among US-based multinationals.
• Global mobile population is set to become more diversified and less US-based, as MNCs will depend on Third Country Nationals (TCNs) and locals to fill skill gaps.