Thanks to the NHS, private medical insurance (PMI) isn’t as common in the UK as it is in the USA. But it has its attractions. Offering PMI to staff gives them faster access to treatment, a more comfortable care environment and a wider choice of specialists, facilities and timings. So who’s doing it?
- 10.9% of the UK population has PMI.
- It is most popular among 55-64 year olds, those of higher incomes, living in the south east, east and London.
- 73% of employers offering flex schemes offer PMI for the employee, and 72% offer it to the employees’ partners.
- According to Beate O’Neill, health and wellbeing senior consultant at Punter Southall, PMI take-up is more popular for senior management and in industries such as law. “Beyond those areas, it’s likely to remain static,” she says.
