All Healthcare and wellbeing articles – Page 252
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Article
Kent County Council closes PMI scheme for senior staff
EXCLUSIVE: Kent County Council is to withdraw its private medical insurance (PMI) scheme for senior staff in April to save costs.The PMI scheme, provided by Simplyhealth, is available to about 1% of the council’s 40,000 staff.The change is part of a more practical approach to health and wellbeing by the ...
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Article
ICAP cuts costs with review of sickness absence strategy
EXCLUSIVE: Interdealer money broker ICAP has cut its total cost of absence by one-third and reduced its group income protection premiums over the past three years after a major review of its sickness absence strategy.Since the review, which began in 2009, the firm has reduced the number of days’ absence ...
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Analysis
Health cash plans: Using cash plans to reduce PMI costs
If you read nothing else, read this…Employers are looking to combat the rising cost of private medical insurance (PMI) by introducing an excess. An excess of £100 can secure a premium saving of 7% to 10%.A common trend is to plug the PMI excess gap for employees by introducing a ...
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Analysis
Health cash plans: What are the key elements of a health cash plan?
If you read nothing else, read this… A health cash plan reimburses members for the full or partial cost of health services such as dental, optical, physiotherapy and employee assistance programmes. In the past, cash plans were paid for by the employee, but there is a growing trend for employers ...
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Analysis
Health cash plans: How to select the right plan for staff
If you read nothing else, read this… Health screenings, online risk assessments and medical questionnaires are first-step options to determine employees’ health profiles before introducing a health cash plan. Including relevant and valued health benefits in the cash plan will boost staff engagement and ensure a higher return on investment. ...
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Case Studies
Case study: Cash plan eases PMI excesses at Gallagher Heath
Gallagher Heath uses a health cash plan to cover some of the excess from its private medical insurance (PMI) scheme.Only 340 senior employees at the insurance broker and risk management firm are members of its employer-paid PMI scheme, provided by WPA via a healthcare trust. But since October 2008, all ...
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Opinion
Health cash plans: Sponsor's comment: Cash plans can bridge the gap
This article was supplied by HSF Health PlanHealth cash plans offer a flexible and cost-effective alternative to private medical insurance, says Lee Andre, marketing manager at HSF Health PlanThe popular desire for private medical insurance (PMI) can hardly be underestimated. Of course, most employees would, if they could, opt into ...
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Analysis
Health cash plans: Offering eyecare benefits through health cash plans
If you read nothing else, read this… By law, employers must pay for eye tests and glasses for employees who use visual display units (VDU). Of those with an eyecare policy in place, most reimburse through expenses or issue eyecare vouchers. To meet their duty of care, employers can choose ...
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Case Studies
Case study: Barhale builds flexibility into health cash plan
Construction company Barhale has built a health cash plan from scratch to suit its workforce.The firm offers its 600 senior staff a private medical insurance (PMI) scheme, but it has also introduced Westfield Health's Mosaic cash plan, using intermediary PMI Health, to provide healthcare benefits for its 400 weekly-paid staff.The ...
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Case Studies
Case study: Kids Allowed staff get helping hand from cash plan
Last June, Cheshire-based childcare firm Kids Allowed set up an employer-paid cash plan for its 200 staff.Carla Rodgers, HR manager at Kids Allowed, says: "We do not pay sick pay, but we wanted to look after the wellbeing of our staff. It is a strenuous job."The organisation pays £1 per ...
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Article
GKN introduces voluntary benefits scheme after review
Global engineering group GKN has introduced a voluntary benefits scheme after a review of its benefits structure.The firm has introduced GKN Advantage, provided by BHSF, which includes: legal and counseling services, a health cash plan, and childcare vouchers and a bikes-for-work scheme via salary sacrifice arrangements.The scheme is open to ...
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Article
William Russell extends global PMI to Abu Dhabi
International expatriate insurance provider William Russell has announced that its plans are now available to employers in Abu Dhabi.Previously, strict insurance regulation meant that insurance plans, available in much of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), could not be sold in Abu Dhabi. The Dubai Insurance Company (DIC), the underwriters of ...
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Article
UK absence management approach is increasing risk
Employers’ current approach to absence management is heightening employer and employee risk, according to a report by group risk insurer Ellipse and Dr Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University.The report, Sick notes: How changes in the workplace and technology demand a rethink of absence management, ...
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Article
Employee Benefits health cash plans supplement 2012
Download a PDF of the Employee Benefits health cash plans supplement 2012 How to select the right plan for staffWhat are the key elements of a health cash plan?Using cash plans to cover private medical insurance costsOffering eyecare benefits through health cash plansSponsor’s comment: Lee Andre, HSF Health Plan
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Analysis
New model emerges for private medical insurance
If you read nothing else, read this ...Many conditions that used to require inpatient stays now only require day-case or outpatient treatment.Some experts see insurers providing company-paid cover for outpatient and day-case treatment, but inpatient cover as an employee-paid option.No PMI insurers formally offer this yet, but Cigna HealthCare has ...
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Analysis
Sickness absence review: industry reactions
Will the recommendations from the government’s review of sickness absence management help to reduce the problem? Alison Coleman asks key industry figures for their viewsWith 140 million working days lost in the UK every year, sickness absence is almost a disease in itself and managing it is one of the ...
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Article
Eurotunnel introduces cash plan for staff
Eurotunnel has introduced a health cash plan for its 791 employees at its UK terminal.†The cash plan, provided by Health Shield, offers a number of benefits including: dental; dental accident; eyecare; alternative therapies; chiropody; health screening and a 24-hour helpline. The scheme, called Essentials, costs the organisation 75p per week ...
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Article
Simplyhealth research: Tax breaks on PMI provision will ease burden on NHS
Over half (55%) of senior managers with HR responsibilities believe organisations should be given tax breaks to provide all staff with private medical insurance (PMI) and ease the burden on the NHS, according to research by Simplyhealth.The research findings follow Dame Carol Black and David Frost’s review into sickness absence, ...
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Article
Aviva partners Emirates Insurance Company for expatriate PMI offer
Aviva UK Health has set up an arrangement with Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Insurance Company to provide expatriates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with compliant private medical insurance (PMI) products.The partnership means that employers with staff based in the UAE will now be offered one of four bespoke international PMI ...
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Article
CIPD/Simplyhealth research: Fit notes prompt employers to discuss sickness absence
The introduction of the fit note has prompted employers to hold conversations with their staff around sickness absence and the best ways to get an individual back to work in the case of long-term illness.The Absence management survey, conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Simplyhealth, ...