All Healthcare and wellbeing articles – Page 254
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Analysis
Health and wellbeing: Best remedy for sickness
If you read nothing else, read this … Third-party absence management systems involve staff reporting absence to a trained nurse or healthcare professional. Data is then fed to the employee’s manager. Opinion is split over whether technology-based reporting platforms are superseding third-party absence management systems. Third-party systems can manually record ...
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Article
EXCLUSIVE: Lookers drives savings after consolidating private medical insurance schemes
Car dealership Lookers has saved £30,000 on premiums after consolidating 14 private medical insurance (PMI) schemes across its business.The firm had accumulated the schemes through acquisitions. It decided to replace them with one large claims-related scheme and retain one existing plan, which has an older demographic and a high number ...
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Article
Buyer's guide to private medical insurance
FOCUS ON FACTSWhat is private medical insurance? A group PMI policy enables employees to access private medical treatment quickly and at a time that is convenient to them. Policy benefits vary greatly, but plans will usually cover consultations, diagnostic tests and treatment, whether as an inpatient or an outpatient. They ...
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Article
UK Healthcare to launch cash plan at Employee Benefits Live
UK Healthcare will be introducing a corporate health cash plan at Employee Benefits Live, which will be held on 27 and 28 September at the Business Design Centre in London.The plan has been developed for organisations with over 50 employees, and starts at £1 per employee per week.UK Healthcare is ...
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Article
Now Health International introduces online facility for PMI quotes
Now Health International has introduced an online facility to enable employers to get an immediate quote for group international private medical insurance (PMI).It is aimed at small to medium-sized enterprises or those that want cover for up to 50 staff. It enables an employerto get a quote within minutes based ...
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Article
Perfect Health Insurance launches health cash plan for small employers
Perfect Health Insurance has launched a health cash plan aimed at small employers.The plan offers standard cover for dentistry, optical and hospital stays, but also includes new benefits such as cover for hospital car parking of up to £45 per day for friends and family visiting patients in hospital, and ...
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Case Studies
Case study: Communication is key for Raytheon
Defence contractor Raytheon UK hopes to win over its diverse workforce with a communications offensive. The organisation, which has 1,300 employees, sends updates by email, plasma screen, newsletters, briefings and its intranet.Gary Litster, pensions and benefits manager, says: “Because of our diverse work environments, we communicatebenefits information regularly through a ...
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Case Studies
Case study: Wrigley staff chew flexible benefits over
Chewing gum maker Wrigley ensures its flexible benefits scheme offers something for all staff. An impressive 85% of the firm’s 500 staff take up the scheme.Al Riley, senior rewards adviser, says: “We are diverse in terms of age and gender. The [mobile sales teams] tend to be recruited at a ...
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Article
MNPA increases flexible benefits take up
MNPA has increased take up of its flexible benefits scheme to 95% after adding in a group personal pension (GPP) plan, switching private medical insurance (PMI) providers, and putting all perks onto an online benefits portal.The pensions firm launched the GPP following the closure of its defined benefit (DB) career ...
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Article
Mercer research: SMEs face higher premiums for private medical insurance
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) face higher premiums for providing private medical insurance (PMI) to staff in 2011, according to data released by Mercer.The data found that, on average, PMI premiums for SMEs have increased by 10% since 2010, while large firms have seen an increase of 4.9%.SMEs pay an ...
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Analysis
How incentives help reduce sickness absence
If you read nothing else, read this… Cash-based incentives or rewards can be offered to encourage attendance and discourage unnecessary absence. However, positive results may not address the underlying cause of high sickness absence rates. Recording sickness absence data is essential in order to understand how incentives can be effective. ...
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Article
Buyer's guide to health cash plans
Focus on factsWhat are health cash plans?For a premium, these 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, onsite health screening, physiotherapy and employee assistance programmes.What are the origins of ...
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Case Studies
Case study: Charles River Associates' health cash plan is a winner
Global consulting firm Charles River Associates carries out an annual benefits review.In April 2010, it introduced an employer-paid health cash plan, provided by Westfield Health, for its London-based staff. Peg Dahl, associate director, global benefits, says: “This complements the supplemental medical and dental insurance we already offer and gives employees ...
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Article
Mercer research: Most European organisations measure the length of employee absence
The majority (82%) of European organisations measure the length of employee absence while 35% record the causes of absence and 27% measure the costs.The Pan-European Survey on Employer Health Benefits Issues, conducted by Mercer in 14 countries across Europe with 556 employers, found that 29% of respondents in France, 23% ...
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Article
CBI/Pfizer research: Workplace absences cost economy £17 billion
Workplace absence cost UK employers £17 billion last year due to 190 million working days lost, according to new research from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and Pfizer.The CBI/Pfizer Absence and Workplace Health Survey found that despite the introduction of the fit note in 2010, the rate of absence ...
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Article
Towry removes PMI and travel insurance from flex scheme
Financial services firm Towry has removed private medical insurance (PMI) and travel insurance from its flexible benefits scheme.It removed PMI before its annual flex enrolment window this month after rising premiums made it no longer viable to offer through flex. Richard Higginson, head of reward at Towry, said the benefit ...
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Analysis
Private medical insurance in a disaster zone
If you read nothing else, read this… International PMI typically includes inpatient and outpatient services. Many international PMI policies will include medical evacuation and repatriation services, or will offer these as additional extras. Exclusion clauses may be included for areas that the Foreign Office advises against travelling to. ...
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Case Studies
Case study: David Lloyd Leisure gets perks in shape
When David Lloyd Leisure (DLL) introduced a flexible benefits plan in June 2010, it incorporated its existing voluntary benefits scheme into the new offering.The flex scheme includes a health cash plan, bikes for work, childcare vouchers, critical illness insurance, private medical insurance, a discount scheme, salary sacrifice company cars, holiday ...
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Article
Aviva research: Employers believe in joint responsibility with staff to help return to work
The majority of employers (63%) believe they have a joint responsibility with employees to help staff back into the workplace after sickness absence, according to new research from Aviva UK Health.In its 360 Degree Absence Management study, which polled nearly 700 employers, Aviva found that 21% of respondents believe it ...
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Article
E.On switches on new flex perks and puts PMI in trust
E.On has added new benefits to its flexible benefits plan and switched its private medical insurance to a healthcare trust.The PMI scheme, provided by Simplyhealth, is employee-funded for most staff and is also available to families.Ant Donaldson, senior specialist – employee benefits at E.On, said: “PMI has insurance premium tax ...