Bupa is rebating £125m to its UK health insurance customers following the temporary disruption to some medical treatments last year as are result of the pandemic.
The rebate equates to roughly one month’s premium and is payable to both individual and corporate insured customers.
The health insurer maintained treatment for critical conditions like cancer and heart disease throughout the pandemic, but some treatments in independent hospitals were delayed as they supported the NHS.
In recognition of this, Bupa pledged to pass back any exceptional financial benefit ultimately arising as a result of the impact of Covid-19 to its health insurance customers.
During the first wave of the pandemic Bupa’s Cromwell Hospital supported hundreds of NHS patients with critical cancer care through the Royal Marsden Cancer Hub until the NHS contract ended.
Bupa continues to support the NHS at the Cromwell Hospital and are currently providing critical and time-sensitive cancer care and diagnostics.
Bupa Dental Care set up 11 urgent dental centres around the UK, supporting the NHS with urgent care to over 100 patients a week. We continue to provide emergency triage to dental customers.
It also implemented virtual consulting for its dental customers.
From April 2021, eligible individual customers, and small and large business customers funding health insurance for their employees, are expected to receive a payment equivalent to approximately one month’s premium. The precise figure may be more or less depending on the final outcome of the calculations and whether premiums were paid in full or for part of the time when private treatment was most disrupted.
The rebate is part of the wider response package Bupa put in place to support customers, investing in a range of ‘at-home’ health services, including access to GP care through mobile devices, 24/7 for all customers, video and telephone access to Bupa recognised therapists and consultants, fast-track diagnosis at home for skin and cardiac issues, expanding chemotherapy at home for cancer patients and mental health support, including support for carers through Bupa’s Family Mental Health Helpline.
Alex Perry, CEO, Bupa UK Insurance said: “We are determined to do the right thing for our customers. From the start of the pandemic we invested heavily in providing new and additional healthcare services from home, such as our Digital GP service, to help people access the care they need.
“Thankfully many of the face-to-face services that were impacted were delayed rather than cancelled. More and more customers have been accessing health services as they resumed.
“We were the first major health insurer to commit to a customer rebate and are now acting on this pledge. As an organisation without shareholders our customers come first, and we continue to support them throughout these times.”