Three quarters of people who accessed healthcare services via insurance in 2022 did so through workplace schemes, research from the Association of British Insurers has revealed.
The research, Growing Demand - increased use of health and protection services in 2022, found of the 1.8mn people who accessed health or protection insurance in 2022, 1.3mn relied on workplace provided schemes to do so.
The association stated that, at a time where record long-term illness levels are buffeting businesses, the findings highlight the “crucial role” of the employer in protecting the health of the workforce.
This is reflected in the use of virtual GPs, with almost 87 per cent of the 700,000 people who used this service in 2022 using their employer’s scheme.
Yvonne Braun, director of policy, long term savings, health and protection, at the ABI, said this data demonstrates there is “huge demand” for health services provided by workplace insurance.
“The data also shows an exponential rise of virtual GP appointments, a good example of the speed and flexibility of health services insurers provide through the workplace,” she added.
She underlined the importance of workplace insurance schemes, stating: “Some 2.8mn people are out of the workforce because of long-term sickness.
“Keeping people healthy and in work is vital for our economic growth and productivity as a country.”
ABI’s data also found that insurers arranged 1.2mn mental health counselling and therapy appointments in 2022.
Some 94 per cent of these were accessed through a workplace scheme.
The research marks the first time the ABI has collected data showing how many people use insurance provided by their employer to access health services.
Additionally, the report urged the government to help maximise the role health and protection insurance can play in tackling the in-work sickness crisis.
To incentivise more employers to offer health insurance as a benefit to their employers, the ABI made several suggestions to the government such as to increase the rate of statutory sick pay and make it payable from the first day of sickness absence.
The association also called for embedding “phased plans to work” in the sick pay system to support employees’ rehabilitation after long-term illness and allowing SMEs to claim back a proportion of sick pay costs if they have effective support systems in place.
“We urge the government to work with us to leverage fully the contribution workplace insurance can make,” Braun added.
tom.dunstan@ft.com
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