Almost 1.8 million people accessed health services through health and protection insurance in 2022, up 10% from 2021, with each person accessing support five times on average.
The total figure of 1.77 million people using insurance to get treatment was also up 55% from 2019.
However, the ABI also emphasised the significant rise in the number of times people were using health services through their cover.
The ABI’s report, Growing Demand – increased use of health and protection services in 2022 said: “The number of times customers used the services in total increased by 55% to 8.11 million.
“This is a significant increase from 3.5 times per person on average in 2021 to five in 2022.
“Employer-provided health insurance accounts for three quarters of the use of health services.”
The report highlighted that a total of 1.3 million people (75%) who relied on insurance for healthcare in 2022 accessed it through workplace provided schemes.
And the number of virtual GP appointments people made also grew sharply, ABI said, with 1.4 million appointments across the year, a 92% increase on 2021 and nine times more than 2019.
The reliance on work schemes was reflected in the use of virtual GPs, with almost 600,000 (87%) of the 700,000 people who used virtual GPs in 2022, using their employer’s scheme.
The report said: “In 2022 there were nearly nine times more virtual GP appointments through insurance than in 2019 before the pandemic.
“Nearly nine in 10 were accessed through employer-provided insurance. In the same period, mental health counselling and therapy appointments more than doubled with nearly 19 out of every 20 booked through an employer scheme.”
For mental health counselling, insurers arranged 1.2 million mental health counselling and therapy appointments in 2022. Of that total 94% were accessed through a workplace scheme, with 192,000 of the 200,000 people who used the services using workplace insurance.
Call to cut IPT
Meanwhile, the ABI has renewed its call for government to cut the standard rate of Insurance Premium Tax (12%) as it says the tax on buying health and protection insurance may make it unaffordable for businesses and low-earning workers,
It also called on government to remove National Insurance Contributions (13.8%) paid by employers for health insurance, to exempt health insurance premiums from employee-paid income tax and to remove the double taxation of group income protection (GIP) purchased through salary sacrifice.
The ABI report also urged the government to incentivise more employers to offer health insurance as a benefit to their employees.
The ABI asked government to:
- Increase the rate of statutory sick pay, make it payable from the first day of sickness absence, and make it available to all workers earning less than the current lower earnings limit.
- Embed ‘phased returns to work’ in the sick pay system to support employees’ rehabilitation after long-term illness.
- Allow SMEs to claim back a proportion of sick pay costs if they have effective systems in place to support workers back into the workplace.
Long-term sickness
Dr Yvonne Braun, director of policy, long term savings, health and protection at the ABI, (pictured) said: “Some 2.8 million 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.
“Our latest data demonstrates that 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.
“We urge government to work with us to leverage fully the contribution workplace insurance can make.”
Employers increasingly important
Commenting on the findings, Brett Hill, head of health and protection at independent consultancy Broadstone, said: “Employers are playing an increasingly important role in the health of the nation at a time when economic inactivity because of chronic illness is surging.
“Demand for healthcare support like PMI and virtual GP services is growing rapidly and this data from the ABI demonstrates that three-quarters of those accessing private healthcare services via insurance products are doing so through employer funded health and protection benefits.
“With employers no longer able to rely on the NHS to maintain the health of the UK’s workforce, it is clear that businesses will need to continue investing in healthcare benefits and support services if they want to protect and improve the wellbeing and productivity of their employees.
“We support the ABI’s calls for government action to remove tax disincentives and to encourage employers to step into the breach and expand the breadth and depth of services they can offer employees during this public health crisis.”
MSK support
Paula Coffey, director of claims, rehabilitation and medical Services, Unum UK, added: “Today’s ABI report highlights a significant increase in people seeking musculoskeletal (MSK) support, with over three-quarters accessing it through workplace-provided services.
“At Unum, in 2023 alone, 12,173 MSK appointments were booked via Help@hand, with 47% for back, neck, or shoulder symptoms, and 1,947 appointments specifically for back/neck issues through the remote GP service.
“These numbers underscore the ongoing challenges individuals face, often exacerbated by poorly suited workplace furniture and environments that prioritise comfort over ergonomics.
“Working from home, with diaries heavy with online meetings can lead to lack of movement, fewer breaks and extended periods of sitting which can place significant strain on the back, neck, and shoulders, exacerbating existing musculoskeletal issues or potentially causing new ones to develop.
“To address this, we urge employers to upskill their managers with focused training to identify MSK issues early and provide timely support to improve musculoskeletal health.”