The world is going digital, and so are employee benefits.
Businesses today are, perhaps more than ever before, looking to cut any unnecessary spend from their budgets. With rising employee costs, it is getting harder than ever to justify additional spending on health and wellbeing; and yet, employers face growing pressure to support their employees amid extensive NHS delays, rising rates of mental ill-health, and an increasingly competitive talent market.
This is where the return on investment (ROI) and overall value of employee benefits can make a world of difference for today’s businesses. Corporate wellbeing already has an estimated ROI of 6:1, with savings made in both absenteeism and presenteeism costs. Bolstering the overall value of a benefit with ancillary services and additional tools can dramatically increase both its perception and take up among employees; after all, don’t we all like getting a little bit more for our money?
Digital health tools, like AI-enabled health tracking and virtual healthcare access, are bridging the gap between rising costs and rising needs when it comes to health benefits. These additional services can be integrated into existing health cash plans and contribute to wellbeing output, such as reduced absence and improved morale, without employers needing to allocate even more budget to their wellbeing strategy.
When looking to invest in a health cash plan, or any health and wellbeing-related employee benefit, the key is to look for how much employees can regularly utilise. Some digital tools can track everyday health indicators, for example, through a smartphone by scanning an individual’s face, or digital hearing training tools. These can be used on a regular and ongoing basis, and save employees time, money and effort on watching their health. Once they see that value, wellbeing ROI is that much higher.
One of the great benefits of emerging health technology is that it is a great equaliser. Skin cancer detection apps, for example, use AI to assess and categorise potentially cancerous skin spots and moles, can eliminate both a potential long wait for NHS dermatology and a high cost of private assessment.
This means that cash plans or benefits with a high level of digital access can be rolled out en masse across full workforces, allowing businesses to keep their cost per employee down, and reap the benefits of that all-important wellbeing ROI.
For a still emerging field, digital healthcare, or health technology, has quickly become a trusted source of wellbeing advice for the vast majority of the UK. Medicash’s research, conducted in June and July 2025, has found that we are more confident than ever about the potential for technology in our healthcare: we found that over half of the 2,000 people surveyed trust digital and virtual tools to accurately monitor and support their wellbeing, with less than 18% still unconvinced. However, it is still crucial for employers to find the balance. Our research identified that the most popular form of health benefits among UK employees is a combination of the virtual and the practical, with 40% of employees currently in receipt of health benefits stating that while they are positive about digital solutions, they still seek out in-person healthcare options.
Ultimately, the ROI on digital health offers businesses today more than just the obvious cost savings. With a positive impact on accessibility, engagement, and long-term wellbeing, going digital can both futureproof an organisation’s overall benefits offering and build a healthier, more resilient workforce, without breaking the budget.
Paul Gambon is sales and marketing director at Medicash
