The US-based Cigna Corporation, a global life and health insurance company with US$35 billion in sales revenues and 85 million customers in 30 countries last year, is gearing up for a high pace of expansion to become one of the largest providers of healthcare services in Indonesia.

Cigna global chief executive officer David Cordani said on Wednesday that Cigna Indonesia, which last week celebrated the 25th anniversary of its operations in the country, would soon move to a new, larger headquarters in the country, with better digital technologies to support its 1,000 telemarketers and to better serve its 1 million customers.

'€œThe increasing number of middle-class consumers, changing lifestyles, rising health care awareness and low insurance market penetration [only 2 percent], have all combined to offer us a great opportunity to grow,'€ added Cordani, who arrived on Tuesday on a two-day visit to launch Cigna Indonesia'€™s expansion program.

The Boston Consulting Group predicted that Indonesia'€™s middle and upper classes, with monthly spending of $200 or more, would increase from 75 million in 2013 to 141 million in 2020.

Cordani said the strong communications platform used to support the launch last year of the government-run universal healthcare program under the Social Security Management Agency (BPJS) had further boosted insurance awareness nationwide and opened up wider business opportunities for private-sector providers in the $1 trillion economy.

'€œAs a company that constantly develops innovations in products and the distribution of products to meet the individual needs of customers, Cigna Indonesia'€™s operations can complement the basic government healthcare system,'€ Cordani added.

The challenge, according to him, is to provide a wide range of affordable customer-led innovative healthcare products and services through direct interaction with customers using digital technology communications.

One of Cigna'€™s strengths was that globally, the company always looked for alternative distribution channels, which were important for such a vast country like Indonesia, Cordani added.

Talking about the main prerequisites for a financially sustainable healthcare system, Cordani said well-designed financial vehicles to pay for the treatment of the sick should be supported with an effective campaign to enhance healthier lifestyles, especially in view of the rising incidence of chronic diseases.

'€œThat is why, in our healthcare products we always advocate strong preventive measures and make efforts to encourage healthier lifestyles to help improve health and lower health costs,'€ he said.

He acknowledged that the contribution of Cigna Indonesia to Cigna'€™s global revenues was still small. '€œBut we are looking to the long-term growth potential, which is quite high in this country of 250 million people with steady economic growth.'€

Cigna Indonesia chief executive officer Tim Shields, who accompanied Cordani, said his biggest challenge was to always look for new innovative health products and services and bring locally tailored health solutions and protection to local consumers.

The biggest challenge, according to Shields, is building awareness of protection and the benefits of health insurance and meeting the individual needs of local customers at affordable prices.

Cigna Indonesia'€™s 2014 financial statement showed a 15 percent increase in net premium income to Rp 658.3 billion ($51 million), a 6 percent rise in assets to about $145 million and 5 percent growth in total investment to $114 million.

The report also recorded a 171-percent liquidity ratio, a 300 percent investment ratio, an 8-percent investment-income ratio and a 103-percent expense ratio.

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