Three-fifths (60%) of employees rank private health insurance (PMI) as their top workplace benefit, according to research by MyHealthPal.
The health insurance firm’s findings revealed that PMI ranked higher among respondents than extra holiday (41%) and life insurance (37%).
It also found that self-funded healthcare has reached a total of £46.2 billion in the UK, up 24% from £37.1 billion during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Chemotherapy is now the second most common privately funded procedure in the UK, because 31.6% of patients are not treated within the 62-day target and around 6.1 million people are still waiting for NHS care. It is also the only top procedure to see an increase in admissions, at 1.7%, while most others declined in admissions.
Furthermore, one in seven respondents said they are losing sleep worrying about whether they will be able to access treatment, with just 32% feeling confident that they can access hospital treatment in a reasonable timeframe.
Confidence was found to be even lower for non-urgent operations (22%), mental health services (22%), and scans and diagnostics (28%).
Matt Hall, SME director at MyHealthPal, said: “When something such as health insurance overtakes extra holiday, it tells you priorities have shifted. People are thinking less about perks and more about access, whether they can actually get seen and treated in time. If people can’t get an appointment early, everything else gets pushed back, such as diagnosis, referrals, treatment. That’s where delays really begin and private care and employer health cover become more relevant.
“More people are now choosing jobs based on access to healthcare, paying privately to avoid delays, and prioritising health cover over other benefits. It’s no longer just about salary or holidays. So they’re taking control through their employer, or by paying for it themselves.”
