New Delhi, July 23 -- Multiple forces are pushing health insurance premiums upward simultaneously. WTW's 2026 Global Medical Trends report estimates health insurance costs will rise 10.3 percent in 2026, after increases of 10 percent in 2025 and 9.5 percent in 2024. Asia-Pacific faces the steepest regional increase at 14 percent. In India, medical inflation has run at 10 to 15 percent annually for several years, with private hospital costs rising sharply for cardiac, oncological, and critical care treatments. The combination of higher treatment prices and greater utilisation is the primary structural driver.

Insurers globally are citing the rising cost and utilisation of specialty drugs as a significant premium pressure driver. GLP-1 dru...