All Healthcare and wellbeing articles – Page 251
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Article
Sickness absence affecting UK businesses
Long-term sickness absence is a big issue for 45% of UK firms, according to research by Aviva Health.The insurance firm’s annual absence management report found that 40% of respondents say someone else at the workplace has to pick up the work of the person off sick and 27% say that ...
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Article
Buyer's guide to health cash plans 2012
Focus on factsWhat are health cash plans?For the payment of a premium, health cash plans reimburse members for the partial or full cost of a range of everyday health treatments. Typically, the benefits included in a cash plan are dental and optical care, on-site care, on-site health screening, physiotherapy and ...
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Article
Oscar Mayer Group rejigs health cash plan
Oscar Mayer Group has withdrawn hospitalisation benefits in its health cash plan and added new benefits such as funding for prescriptions, consultations and diagnostic tests, health screening, and an increase in optical benefits.The food producer has offered the cash plan, provided by Bupa, to its 2,000 staff via its flexible ...
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Article
William Grant and Sons adds health cash plan to flexible benefits
EXCLUSIVE: William Grant and Sons has added a health cash plan to its flexible benefits scheme to offer more flexible healthcare provision for its 1,600 employees.The Scottish distiller offers the plan, provided by Cigna Healthcare and introduced in July, in addition to its onsite occupational health programme and private medical ...
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Article
HSCIC report: NHS sickness absence rates continue to decrease
NHS employees in England had a sickness absence rate of 4.12% in 2011/12, slightly lower than the two previous years, according to a report by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).The report presents sickness absence information recorded by the English NHS for the last three financial years and ...
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Analysis
Group risk: Strategies for managing long-term absence
If you read nothing else, read this…Maintaining regular contact with an absent employee can improve their chances of returning to work.Employers should consider actions as for an employee on maternity leave, such as catch-up meetings and sending newsletters.Determining an appropriate level of contact with an absent employee should be a ...
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Opinion
Debbie Lovewell: Employers under pressure to reduce costs
Our 14th annual healthcare research reflects the pressures many employers are experiencing because of the current economic climate. As the UK has once again entered into recession, more than half of our respondents say they have come under increased pressure to reduce costs over the past 12 months.To tackle this ...
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Article
Allianz Worldwide Care launches international PMI product
Allianz Worldwide Care has launched an international private medical insurance (PMI) scheme, which is designed for UK-based employees and expatriates.The product called, Signature, is divided into two core plans: Signature Prime and Signature Plus. These cover a range of in-patient and day-care treatments.There are also a number of optional add-ons ...
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Article
Medicash adds EAP to health cash plan product
Medicash has added an employee assistance programme (EAP) to its health cash plan offering.The EAP service includes a support helpline and an intervention for stress programme.It also includes:Access to emotional support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.Access to local face-to-face counselling.Post-trauma critical incident support.Enhanced debt management service.Career coaching.An ...
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Article
Northumbrian Water awarded for tackling sickness absence
Northumbrian Water has won Business in the Community’s (BITC) Workwell award for its programmes to address sickness absence among its 3,000 employees.The programmes include RehabWorks, which was introduced in April 2008 to address sickness absence due to musculoskeletal disorders, and NWLSupport, which was introduced in April 2010 to address sickness ...
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Case Studies
ICAP conducts review of sickness absence
Interdealer money broker ICAP conducted a major review of its sickness absence strategy three years ago, involving an analysis of its absence data with Bluefin Corporate Consulting. The review led to the introduction of an occupational health scheme.The firm, which has 1,600 UK staff, aimed to target absence related to ...
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Analysis
Top tips for managing sickness absence
If you read nothing else, read this…Line managers should be trained in how to manage sickness absence.Employers should track absence data and have clear policies and procedures in place to deal with it.Non-medical absences should be included in absence policies.Case study: Intervention is on the money for ICAPInterdealer money broker ...
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Article
Healthcare research 2012: Sickness absence
Reactive perks such as employee assistance programmes and private medical insurance have risen in importance as ways to help reduce sickness absence, says Debbie LovewellBenefits designed to help employers manage employees’ mental and physical wellbeing top the list of methods to reduce sickness absence levels. This year, respondents cite employee ...
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Article
18% of respondents receive a dental plan through their employer
Only 18% of respondents are offered access to a dental plan through their employer, according to research by Cigna UK.The study, carried out in conjunction with YouGov, found that almost a third of those who are not offered dental †benefits through their employer would like to be.The research coincides with ...
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Article
Aviva introduces new option for corporate PMI schemes
Aviva UK Health has introduced a new healthcare trust option on its optimum private medical insurance (PMI) healthcare cover, called Corporate Excess.Employers choosing the new option will have a corporate excess of about 80% of the predicted claims set on the policy, from which employee claims are paid.The advantage of ...
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Analysis
Building a PMI plan for expatriates that complements state provision
If you read nothing else, read this… Making use of state healthcare and local provision where possible for expatriate staff can help to reduce the cost of providing international medical insurance, but it can add complexity. Depending on where staff travel and the duration of their time abroad, another option ...
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Case Studies
Alexander Mann challenged advisers for top results
Alexander Mann Solutions took a more commercial approach to its last review of its employee benefits package, which included scenario modelling and much tougher negotiations with its adviser, Thomsons Online Benefits, to achieve a cost-effective result.This was prompted by the revelation of an eye-watering private medical insurance (PMI) premium for ...
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Article
Buyer's guide to private medical insurance 2012
Focus on factsWhat is PMI?Private medical insurance (PMI) pays for the costs of private medical treatment, enabling claimants to jump the NHS queue and arrange treatment at a convenient time.What are the origins of PMI?The first PMI policy was launched by Crusader Insurance (now part of Cigna) in 1907. Prior ...
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Article
Jelf launches online health and wellbeing service
Jelf Employee Benefits has partnered Health Assured to launch a health and wellbeing service that includes an interactive online assessment, employee assistance programme and absence management system.The service, Jelf Protect, provides support if staff or their family members are diagnosed with a serious health condition, a long-term disability or are ...
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Article
Expacare introduces international PMI for small employers
Expacare has launched an international private medical insurance (PMI) product for small employers.The scheme, called Choices, is designed for organisations with between five and 29 employees.It is a fixed, core plan to which additional optional benefits can be added, allowing employees to tailor the plan to their needs.The core plan ...