According to the Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB) 2019 Medical Trends Around the World report, medical costs in Asia continue to outpace general inflation by four times with an average rise in medical costs of 10.4%in Asia in 2018, compared to the global average of 9.7%. A similar increase is expected for 2019 and an even higher level for 2020. As the cost of health benefit programmes continues to rise globally, employers can contain cost through smarter plan design and employee access to quality-focused healthcare.