Ryan FowlerA recent report from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) highlights a significant reliance on employer-provided health insurance schemes. According to the ABI’s latest findings, 1.3 million of the 1.8 million people who accessed healthcare through health or protection insurance in 2022 did so via workplace schemes, amidst escalating long-term illness levels impacting businesses.
The report, titled ‘Growing Demand: increased use of health and protection services’, reveals that the use of virtual GPs has also seen substantial growth. Nearly 600,000 individuals, representing 87% of those who used virtual GP services last year, accessed them through their employers’ plans. This sector alone has witnessed a 92% increase in appointments since 2021, reaching 1.4 million sessions last year, marking a ninefold increase since 2019.
Additionally, mental health support through insurers saw 1.2 million counselling and therapy appointments in 2022, with 94% facilitated by workplace insurance programs. Brett Hill, Head of Health and Protection at Broadstone, underscored the critical role of employers in this evolving landscape.
“Employers are playing an increasingly important role in the health of the nation at a time when economic inactivity due to chronic illness is surging,” Hill commented. He pointed out the rapid growth in demand for services like private medical insurance (PMI) and virtual GP services, facilitated primarily through employer-funded health benefits.
Hill also emphasised the need for continued investment by businesses in healthcare benefits to safeguard and enhance employee wellbeing and productivity, particularly as reliance on the NHS diminishes. He supported the ABI’s call for governmental measures to remove tax disincentives and encourage employer-led expansion of health services amid this public health challenge.
