SIP Medical Family Office Releases SIP Health Cost Index 2025
International Private Medical Insurance Global
SIP Medical Family Office has released the SIP Health Insurance and iPMI Cost Index 2025
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, December 3, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- SIP Medical Family Office, the Swiss preventive medicine and health management advisory firm, today released the SIP Health Cost Index 2025. This is the only comprehensive, systematic assessment of the real cost of private healthcare across 50 of the most relevant countries for expat executives and affluent families.
Unlike conventional measures that focus on public expenditure or theoretical affordability, the SIP Health Cost Index (SIP HCI) reflects private, high quality, and cross-border healthcare cost on the basis of actual premiums paid for International Private Medical Insurance (IPMI). As a result, the SIP HCI offers one of the most accurate comparative analyses for international individuals, families, and companies related to effective healthcare costs in the most relevant countries.
The full digital report and index is available on www.sip.ch/HCI and provides additional information.
The True Cost of Private Healthcare
“Private healthcare costs are rising worldwide, but the pace and pattern differ dramatically. Two-tier healthcare systems where the highest-quality care is often accessible only to those who can afford it and are well insured, is increasing” notes Kevin Buerchler, CEO of SIP Medical Family Office. He continues:
“Only in a handful of healthcare excellence hubs we see the kind of quality and accessibility needed for global families, which makes navigating quality and cost of care more important than ever.”
Unlike other international healthcare cost comparisons, the SIP HCI measures the true cost of private healthcare by analyzing International Private Medical Insurance (IPMI) premiums across strategically selected countries. The SIP HCI is based on 50 selected countries based on their relevance to expats, multi-residents, and affluent individuals. It takes as a basis three demographically diversified personas and seven high-quality IPMI insurers, and a specific selection of benefits across comparable health insurance plans offered by these insurers.
Using country-specific actuarial pricing, the SIP HCI averages premiums across insurers and personas to reflect each country’s effective private healthcare cost level. The result is a new and robust, data-driven ranking of the true cost of private healthcare for globally mobile individuals and organizations.
Key Findings from the SIP Health Cost Index 2025
In the ranking of the most expensive private healthcare markets in the world, the USA leads with an average annual IPMI-based cost of USD 17’969 per year, followed by Hong Kong at USD 16’175 and Singapore at USD 14’231. These reflect the highest global levels of private healthcare costs. While the top three countries on the index are less surprising the following findings are remarkable:
Emerging Asia shows unexpectedly high private-care costs: China, Thailand, and Taiwan all rank within the top 12, driven by strong demand for premium hospital and healthcare services among expatriates and affluent locals as well as outbound medical travel patterns. A pronounced public–private and outpatient–inpatient cost gap characterizes these markets. While routine doctor visits in China or Thailand are inexpensive, inpatient stays in international private hospitals can reach the highest cost ranges globally.
Europe displays a wide cost spread: The region’s highest-cost markets include the United Kingdom (5th), Greece (11th), and Spain (14th). The UK and Greece are notably affected by Insurance Premium Tax (IPT), elevating their overall cost and ranking. Switzerland is positioned 15th and is buffered by its mandatory comprehensive insurance system, which moderates international IPMI exposure despite its global reputation as high cost and high quality healthcare destination.
Middle East anchored by a clear healthcare excellence hub: The United Arab Emirates, ranking 10th, stands out as the region’s most expensive country in terms of healthcare. This reflects the UAE’s strategic investment, medical tourism ambitions, and rapid expansion of high-end healthcare infrastructure and excellence provided in medical services in the country.
Africa and Latin America remain comparatively affordable — with notable exceptions: Countries such as Morocco, Romania, Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa occupy the lowest-cost tier of the SIP HCI, with Morocco at the bottom at USD 6’251 per year. In contrast, Brazil, ranked 7th, emerges as Latin America’s most expensive country, reflecting sophisticated private hospital networks, strong demand for premium care, and rising medical cost inflation.
A Global Benchmark for Individuals, Corporates, and Insurers
The SIP Health Cost Index offers unique planning and comparative insights for private individuals and families evaluating relocation, multi-residency lifestyle, healthcare and insurance planning. Also multinational companies budgeting employee health benefits for global executives and expats benefit from the SIP HCI, and insurers are able to benchmark pricing accuracy and competitive positioning across markets.
With IPMI being the only insurance class providing guaranteed, elective, cross-border access to private medical services, the SIP HCI serves as a reliable measure and indicator for the true cost levels of private healthcare globally.
The full digital report and index is available on www.sip.ch/HCI and provides additional information.
About SIP Medical Family Office
SIP is one of the world’s leading independent consultants for Health Management and International Medical Insurance, established in Switzerland since 1997, and with further group companies that are licensed as medical insurance intermediaries for the EU/EEA and the United Kingdom. Founded as an independent insurance advisory firm for international private medical insurance, SIP advises private clients, companies, NGOs, and diplomatic missions on their health insurance and health management needs. SIP has pioneered the concept of the Medical Family Office, providing a complete range of medical concierge, preventive medicine and health management services to its clients. For over 25 years, individuals, families and companies as well as their advisors have been relying on SIP’s expertise and experience. A team of dedicated professionals supports clients every day in protecting what matters most.
C Knight
iPMI Global
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