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  • Price drop? Bupa makes major changes to Ultimate Health plan

    Price drop? Bupa makes major changes to Ultimate Health plan

    Bupa Global’s Ultimate Health Plan has sat at the top of the International Medical Insurance market for a number of years. It’s designed for ‘Ultra High-Net-Worth Individuals’ – people with a net worth of $30m plus.

    The product goes above and beyond what would normally be found in an International Health Insurance product. The features included in Bupa’s Ultimate Health Plan has made it an attractive proposition for those who qualify. In fact, you can argue it’s as much a lifestyle product as an insurance product.

    The Ultimate Health Plan includes:

    • Post-treatment recuperation in a health resort
    • Access to the very best suites in private hospitals. For example, the private suites at the Bupa Cromwell, where accommodation alone starts at between £5,000 and £10,000 per night.
    • Evacuation for medical and non-medical emergencies (such as natural disasters)
    • An incredibly exhaustive range of diagnostics, including genetic cancer screening
    • The widest range of treatments possible, everything you would usually expect plus prosthetic treatments and transplants

    The product is overseen by a ring-fenced private client service team of experienced, multi-language service specialists based in Copenhagen. Members on the Bupa Ultimate Health plan will have a dedicated contact in the team to manage all of the dealings on their plan as well as assistance in finding the best facility and booking treatment.

    While Bupa’s Ultimate Health Plan is a product unlike anything else in the International Private Medical Insurance market, it came with a price tag to suit, with prices generally starting at $20,000 per person per year. Which really did limit this to the Ultra High-Net-Worth market.

    Considering investing in Bupa Global’s Ultimate Health Plan? Get impartial advice from the independent brokers at Engage Health Group. Call +44 (0)1273 974419 or use the chatbox to the right. 

    What’s new for Bupa’s Ultimate Health Plan?

    Bupa Global have announced a range of product updates and what they are describing as an ‘overall significant price reduction (subject to underwriting)’. Product enhancements include:

    • Removed waiting period for health screenings
    • Added additional tests/therapies that can be claimed for under health screening such as:
      • Cryotherapy
      • Vitamin therapy
      • EMG test
      • COVID-19 antibody test
      • Stress-related therapies
      • Sports massages
      • Colonic irrigation
      • Therapy for sleep disorders
    • Dietetic guidance now available for a medical reason rather than limited to diabetes patients only
    • Footcare now available for a medical reason rather than limited to diabetes patients only

    These updates help the Bupa Ultimate Health Plan retain its place at the top of the tree, amongst stronger competition from Cigna Global and Allianz Worldwide Care, who are also keen to focus on this exclusive part of the market for UK International Medical Insurance.

    Have Bupa’s prices come down?

    The cost of the premium will vary according to a variety of factors, but now starts at around £10,200 per person, reaching as high as £33,000. Keep in mind, this is with medical history disregarded, global coverage (US included) and all the features mentioned above – and more.

    If you’d like FREE quotes and advice regarding Bupa’s Ultimate Health Plan and other international insurance products, please get in touch. Simply fill in our contact form or email enquiries@engagehealthgroup.co.uk. 

  • Bupa Global Launches New Executive Wellbeing Index

    Bupa Global Launches New Executive Wellbeing Index

    The pandemic has been a nightmare for us all in one way or another, but it has also made us take a step back and reassess how we’ve been living our lives up to now – a lot of us don’t want to go back to exactly how it was before. Perhaps the small silver lining in this crisis is that it has forced us to re-examine our values and goals; What’s really important? And how would we prefer to muddle through this life in the future?

    As we realise that COVID-19, or at least, the effects of it, are here to stay for a good while longer, we’re adapting to a new set of needs and wants. And so, too, are the world’s boardroom executives. These business leaders will be helping to shape businesses, employment, and economies in the Post-COVID world – so how have they felt the impact? How will they respond?

    The New Executive Wellbeing Index

    In light of this, the leading International Health Insurance provider, Bupa Global, has commissioned research across seven key global regions (China, Egypt, France, Hong Kong, UAE, UK and USA), interviewing almost 2,000 high net-worth individuals and senior executives. The result is their recently released: Executive Wellbeing Index – a fascinating insight into how each area reacted to the spread of the virus, both in terms of public health and the economy. The report also comments on how business will be changing in response to the experience of 2020 and indicates how the focus areas within an International Employee Benefits offering may shift. We have outlined some of the key findings below;

    • Seven in 10 experienced poor mental health in this time, rising to eight in 10 for business leaders. For many, this was a new experience and didn’t know how to best handle the situation, with 40% of board-level executives reporting that they delayed seeking help.
    • This experience has led to one in four executives committing to provide better mental health and wellbeing support for colleagues. This is something that Engage Health Group can testify too, with a surge over the last few months, of interest in International Employee Assistance Programmes (iEAP) which deliver low cost, but very high impact mental health support.
    • One in three board-level executive plan to continue working mostly from home on a permanent basis, with over half stating they plan not to return to the same fast pace of life.
    • Other key findings include; a planned cut down of travel, plans to manage down their hours (24%), take more regular exercise (38%), maintain a better diet (32%), make more time for meditation and mindfulness (30%), and an increasing number of executives are looking to opt for early retirement.

    The Wellbeing Index Highlights Mental Health Problems

    It is sad, but perhaps, unsurprising, that mental health and wellbeing was one of the biggest issues identified, with such a large percentage of the interviewees claiming to have experienced mental health issues. The silver lining to this cloud may be a genuine acceleration in embracing the importance of workplace mental and physical wellbeing, and a rebalancing of work/life priorities. These business cultures can often stem from the top down and with such a significant and lasting impact on board level exec’s focus, and crucially budget, being allocated to support the many employees becoming increasingly isolated. A well designed International Employee Benefits strategy is critical in providing employees with a consistent and effective support system, and with a broad range of products and services now available to international businesses, a meaningful International Employee Benefits offering can be provided across a range of budgets and employee host countries.

    Bupa Global’s research also uncovered that 70% of executives now plan to purchase Private Medical Insurance, or International Medical Insurance, with an emphasis on preventative care and mental health, in the next 12 months.

    In anticipation of this demand, Bupa Global has been investing in its mental health services to support employees, individuals and their families by removing annual and monetary limits across their International Medical Insurance plans for in-patient and day-patient mental health treatments. They are now also including cover for various conditions relating to mental health that had previously been excluded from their policies.

    Bupa Global, and the majority of other International Health Insurance providers, now also provides an International EAP incorporated into their company International Private Medical Insurance plans, as standard, to reflect the demand in this space.

    Bupa Global’s full Executive Wellness report can be downloaded here and the accompanying infographic can be downloaded here

  • Cigna Global to Launch Enhancements to their Individual Plans in October 2020

    Cigna Global to Launch Enhancements to their Individual Plans in October 2020

    Cigna Global Improves their Product Offering

    Leading International Health Insurance provider, Cigna Global, recently announced a raft of enhancements to their Cigna Global Health Options products. The range is specifically for individuals and families and the changes will take effect for plans starting or renewing from the 22nd October 2020.

    Cigna’s Global Health Options have been in the Worldwide Health Insurance market for seven years, and have proven to be very popular due to their flexible modules, rich benefits levels and solid wellness offering. Markets evolve however, particularly in the competitive International Health Insurance space, and so following some extensive research, Cigna are launching the following enhancements to new and existing members;

    • The core International Medical Insurance module is to include a new benefit for Accident and Emergency Room treatment for outpatient treatment when a member doesn’t go on to occupy a bed (Cover in full as standard), and also an expansion of their Mental and Behavioural health care coverage under a new benefit name.
    • The International Outpatient module is to include Genetic Cancer testing and Sleep Apnoea as new benefits. There will also be extended coverage in the Life Management Assistance programme to include access to online a self-help Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) programme.
    • In the International Health & Wellbeing module, there will be an increase in coverage for many of the available screenings.
    • The previous International Medical Evacuation module is being renamed to International Evacuation and Crisis Assistance PlusTM, as it will now include a worldwide comprehensive Crisis Assistance PlusTM programme, bringing significant value to globally mobile individuals. The service offers time-sensitive advice and coordinated in-country crisis assistance for risks that may occur when travelling.

    These enhancements bring, what was already a compelling offering, more up to date, particularly following recent market improvements to improve mental health coverage, and employers increasing levels of concern around keeping global mobile employees safe, wherever they are around the world. The International Private Medical Insurance market continues to evolve at pace, driven by a competitive insurer landscape and the changing needs of individuals and employers adapting to the challenges of working and living in different territories around the world.  

    Read our latest case study: Managing Expat Risk with a Medical Evacuation Plan

  • Now Health International Launch Telemedicine Service to UK Based Members

    Now Health International Launch Telemedicine Service to UK Based Members

    International Health Insurance provider, Now Health International, have announced this week that during the Covid-19 pandemic, they are launching a virtual doctor service to their members based in the UK, however the detail is important as the standard plan terms and conditions apply.

    With many people still uncomfortable with going to see their GP at their surgery, telemedicine services have seen usage swell by up to 400% over the last few months. Now Health International has now responded to this demand and is offering pay and claim coverage for telemedicine.

    In addition, Now Health has also agreed a preferred partnership with telemedicine service provider, Medicspot. Upon launch they introduced Medicspot as using “cutting edge innovation in medical technology to help improve the quality of healthcare for all. Their vision is to change lives with transformative care, one community at a time. Medicspot uses innovative technology to perform a full clinical examination of patients. This technology allows Medicspot to treat 70% more conditions than smartphone-based GP services.”

    It’s useful for members to note that, while Medicspot are Now Health’s preferred partner, International Private Medical Insurance members can use any recognised telemedicine service provider in the UK on a pay and claim basis during the pandemic. It is however important to note that reasonable and customary charges do apply, so if the claim is outside of standard charging practises there may be a shortfall that needs to be covered by the member. If you aren’t sure, we would recommend using Medicspot to ensure your claim is reimbursed in full.

    It is also worth pointing out that consultation fees and medication are covered in accordance with your plans benefits. This means that you can only use this service if you already have outpatient doctors consultations and/or prescription drugs benefits on your International Health Insurance plan. If you have an outpatient deductible, per visit excess or co-insurance, then these will also apply as they would do for a normal doctors visit.

    A growing number of International Health Insurance providers have started incorporating virtual doctor services into their products over the last 12 – 24 months. The insurers who have rolled this out as a core part of their offering are doing so for members internationally, rather than just the UK. During the pandemic many have also made it available to all their members, whether it was originally included on their International Medical Insurance plan or not.

  • Bupa Global enhances mental health coverage

    Bupa Global enhances mental health coverage

    Leading international health insurance provider, Bupa Global, has launched a range of improvements to the mental health coverage offered across its international health plans. 

    The improvements announced include:

    • Removal of mental health waiting period
    • Removal of mental health lifetime limits
    • Enhanced out-patient benefits to bring them in line with those of physical conditions
    • Remove of general exclusions for addiction, ADHD and self-inflected injury

     

    These enhancements have already been introduced to a large number of Bupa Global’s International Medical Insurance plans and they aim to have them applied to every plan by April 2021. 

    Bupa leads the way in mental health support

    The move represents a response to the growing demand for mental health support – and provides further value to its global health plans. It’s important to note, there are a range of international plans available for individuals and businesses – and so depth of coverage varies. However, mental health support is being increased across all these products.

    Bupa Global already had one of the more generous coverage levels for mental health conditions on their International Private Medical Insurance plans before these changes. Implementing these improvements now mean that when we compare International Health Insurance products, Bupa Global now lead the market on their approach to, and coverage for, mental health conditions.

    Will competitors follow suit?

    With mental health conditions effecting 1 in 4 people in their lifetime a large number of Bupa Global’s present and future customers should benefit directly from these improvements. This move may trigger an improvement from other insurers in a large and competitive International Health Insurance marketplace, which will now fall short of Bupa Global’s benchmark. Employers are increasingly interested in providing comprehensive mental health support to their teams, particularly for expatriate employees which can be under particular strain.

    ADHD is finally being addressed

    It’s also refreshing to see issues around neurodiversity being addressed too. For example, getting a diagnosis for a condition like ADHD is an important first step for many – and Bupa provides coverage for that. But they are also making available treatment related to some of the mental health issues which may stem from ADHD such as depression or anxiety.  

    Dr Luke James, Medical Director for Bupa Global and Bupa UK Insurance commented:

    “Mental health issues can affect everyone. Early diagnosis and treatment improves outcomes. Our new extended cover, which includes ongoing support for all mental health conditions, will ensure that more people than ever before can access the right help.”

     

    At Engage Health Group, we work across the health and wellbeing marketplace to ensure you find the right policies at the right price, and ensure your whole benefits package provides prices from across the market.

    Contact our expert team at enquiries@engagehealthgroup.co.uk or call 01273 974419 for FREE no-obligation advice and support.

  • New home cardiac assessment service launched by Bupa

    New home cardiac assessment service launched by Bupa

    There has been growing concern amongst cardiologists of late that thousands of people may be putting themselves at greater risk of long-term heart damage, having put off obtaining medical help during the pandemic.

    As a result, Bupa UK has launched a new home-assessment cardiac service, which is designed to provide fast diagnosis of heart conditions.

    The service has been piloted successfully in London and offers customers a video consultation with a cardiologist within 36 hours.  This follows a member contacting the Bupa claims team in the usual way and being triaged via their specialist team.

    If it is deemed that further investigation is needed to provide a firm diagnosis, the latest electrocardiogram (ECG) and pathology test kits are sent directly to the customer’s home and a further video consultation is then arranged to discuss the results.

    It’s hugely important that anyone suffering with cardiac symptoms, such as palpitations or discomfort, doesn’t delay seeking the appropriate medical advice.  During the pandemic there has been a significant reduction in the number of people seeking medical advice, and a general reluctance or inability to access medical support.  And whilst hips, knees and related conditions can safely wait, some things shouldn’t be put on hold.

    This is yet another fantastic innovation from a leading insurer, acting to make the patient journey more convenient and efficient.

    There has been a real drive from Employee Benefits providers in the last few months to adapt and ensure that their customers can still access services from the comfort of their own home, and this initiative is a great addition.

    This new cardiac service is part of Bupa’s enhanced range of remote health services, where customers can get advice from nurses on everyday health concerns, treatment from GP’s, physios, mental health therapists, and fast access to diagnosis and treatment for critical conditions such as cancer, and mental health.

  • Home working: a game-changer for Employee Benefits strategies?

    Home working: a game-changer for Employee Benefits strategies?

    Let’s face it, 2020 has been extremely challenging for HR decision makers. Employee safety and wellbeing have become the number one topic in organisations and senior management teams have had to move mountains to adapt working processes to cope.

    One of the most prominent changes has been in the number of employees who are working from home. And people seem to like this new arrangement. According to a March 2020 survey by Glassdoor, 67% of UK employees felt that they could be just as productive and benefit from the work-life balance and flexibility that comes with working from home. So if people’s attitudes are changing, what does this mean for an organisation’s employee benefits strategy?

    Of course, not all employees can or should work from home. But the pandemic has certainly erased assumptions that companies had about the necessity of all of their staff to be in their place of work to get the job done. Information gathered by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development suggests that 61% of employees who were not furloughed in April were working from home on a full-time basis. That’s an increase from 24% before the pandemic hit. If there’s anything certain in all of this uncertainty, HR departments can expect a future increase in the number of flexible working requests that they receive on the issue of working from home.

    Radical shifts in thinking are not just the preserve of employees who are wondering if working from home could be the ‘new normal’ for them. With dangers of financial losses from reduced trading in all kinds of sectors, senior managers are looking at empty offices and asking themselves if they’re all really needed when technology can carry the communications load.

    Is your employee benefits strategy still fit for purpose?

    Going beneath people’s desire to work from home reveals all sorts of emerging attitudes about wanting to feel safe and wanting to protect their families and others. But it has also resulted in people valuing some extra time with their loved ones or getting more work done and rejecting the prospect of returning to the dreaded commute. It’s not unreasonable for employees to ask for their changes in attitudes to be supported by their employers.

    From the company point of view, the debate revolves around the advantages and disadvantages of working from home versus the costs of paying for office space. Increasing home working options removes understandable concerns associated with social distancing, wearing face masks and using communal areas. And if people do go back to work in the same numbers, companies may also need to consider improved ventilation and additional cleaning, which only adds to the costs of what may already be an expensive line item.    

    The other aspect of a review of employee benefits revolves around employee costs. Sickness absence costs have probably risen and there may well have been an increase in demand by employees for wellbeing services such as counselling, occupational health consultations and health screenings. The pandemic has increased levels of anxiety and prevented people from getting their usual access to NHS medical and dental services, leading to further health problems. If your benefits strategy has no provision for these types of services, it may be time to ask for advice on what is available.

    Return on investment on employee benefits

    Achieving the best value for your employee benefits package doesn’t have to mean that values are compromised. For example, the trend for open plan spaces and smaller working spaces has compromised people’s privacy. A hard edged business proposal to reduce office space and redirect that savings into a revised benefits strategy may be pushing on an open door as far as employees are concerned.

    There’s no doubt that flexible working, including home working, is a benefit in itself. A successful review, though, should take account of the kinds of benefits that home and other workers are likely to value these days. Some examples are:

    • Dental plans – The pandemic has reduced access to dental services so funded dental plans will help employees to be treated more quickly when dentists open up fully.
    • Business Health Insurance – There are all sorts of packages for all sorts of budgets but the most successful option will focus on the explicit health needs of the workforce.
    • Group Income Protection – The media has covered the real worries that employees have had about being off sick without sufficient sick pay. Income protection can help workers to feel more secure and less stressed.
    • Group Health Cash Plans – These are low cost and can provide a range of benefits to help employees cover the cost of eyes tests, dental work and initial consultations or tests to help get staff diagnosed and back to work quickly. They also often come with an Employee Assistance Programme included, which provides mental health support and, where needed, face to face counselling for employee struggling with their mental health, financial worries and a range of other issues.

    To argue successfully for a change in your company’s employee benefits strategy, it’s crucial to bring some number crunching to the table. A thorough analysis may include the following:

    • The impact of employee benefits on engagement, motivation and productivity
    • Costs that can be saved or expenditure that can be moved into employee benefits – for example, reduced sickness absence levels or reduced office space
    • The key reasons why the proposal is required to allow the company to adapt for the better
    • Acknowledgement of any potential disadvantages or risks, with proposed actions ready to remove or reduce them.

    One route that can assist is an independent review of your current benefits package and what changes you would like to make. Our consultations are designed to analyse at a critical level the employee benefits options that would fit your company’s organisational needs and your employee’s changing desires.

    At Engage Health Group, we work across the health and wellbeing marketplace to ensure you find the right policies at the right price, and ensure your whole benefits package provides prices from across the market.

    Contact our expert team at enquiries@engagehealthgroup.co.uk or call 01273 974419 for FREE no-obligation advice and support.

  • Virtual GP’s could save UK businesses £1.5bn and reduce NHS GP appointments by 50 million

    Virtual GP’s could save UK businesses £1.5bn and reduce NHS GP appointments by 50 million

    According to new report from AXA PPP Healthcare, online GP’s could deliver up to £1.5bn of savings for UK businesses.

    Their report, which focuses around how online and telephone services can boost efficiencies across business and healthcare states significant savings can be made on the time it takes employees to travel to face-to-face medical appointments.

    The figure of £1.5bn is derived from the total loss of working time in 2019, which could have been avoided if UK employees accessed online services instead.  These figures which have been produced by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) are striking, and further support the forward march of telemedicine.

    AXA report that in 2019, 13% of NHS GP appointments in England were held over the phone, but less than 1% were made using online video calls.  The CEBR estimates that had virtual/online GP appointments been offered as a first access point across all GP practices, the number of face-to-face consultations could have been reduced by 50 million!

    It is well-documented that virtual GP appointments aren’t always the appropriate route and that sometimes a physical examination is necessary, however, the AXA report supports that receiving appropriate assistance via an online setting yields many benefits.

    One of the major issues in the NHS GP setting is that of cancellations, or worse still, “no shows”.  In some ways, because people don’t pay for their GP appointments, the perceived value to them is zero, meaning that there’s little by way of discouragement or penalty when they don’t turn up for an appointment.  The reality of course, is that GP appointments DO cost something, whether people turn up or not.  This means that not only is it a poke in the eye to the UK taxpayer, but it also makes that slot unavailable to someone else who may be in greater need.

    AXA’s report states that 28% of respondents cite the main reason for cancellations or simply not turning up to appointments was due to work commitments taking over.  And when you consider that 41% of UK adults need to take a half day or more off work to attend a face-to-face GP appointment, you can start to appreciate just how big the opportunity is to improve things.

    Technology is playing an ever increasing role in the healthcare space as part of an integrated journey from sickness to health, and whilst this has been limited over the past few years to the “early adopters”, the recent COVID-19 pandemic will have helped to kick-start the wider population, especially UK businesses.

    Of course many employers have included telemedicine as part of their Employee Benefits provision for some time, but there are still HR functions or organisations as a whole who find it difficult to convince key stakeholders of the return on investment.

     

    It is now becoming more clear than ever of the tripartite benefit on offer:

    Employee – Speedy access to GP, faster diagnosis, improved recovery

    Employer – Less down time for staff, lower absence rates, improved productivity

    Society – Less stain on NHS GP’s, lower cost to NHS as patients routed via employee benefit provision, more NHS availability and capacity to those who genuinely need face-to-face GP time.

    As consumers in a technological world, we order taxis and meals from the palm of our hand with little thought, but there has been some reluctance with healthcare, which can feel a bit too important to sort out via your phone.

    But, as is the way of the world, things are moving forward, and as long as patient needs are well-managed into the future, it seems impossible to imagine a downside.

     

    Virtual GP services can be purchased standalone, but most employers provide access via their Private Medical Insurance, Health Cash Plan, Group Life or Group Income Protection plans.

     

    At Engage Health Group, we help businesses of all sizes and across all industries negotiate the health and wellbeing marketplace, on a local and global scale. We work on behalf of our clients to ensure businesses are getting advice that has their best interests at heart.

    Contact our expert team of brokers at enquiries@engagehealthgroup.co.uk or call 01273 974419 for FREE no-obligation advice and support.

  • Canada Life introduce “We Care” proposition across Group Risk product lines

    Canada Life introduce “We Care” proposition across Group Risk product lines

    When businesses consider the likes of Group Life, Group Income Protection and Group Critical Illness for their staff, it’s fair to say that their motivations are predominantly formed from concern of the worst happening, and protecting their people in that event.  

    You certainly couldn’t accuse the Group Risk market of being overly sexy and engaging.  In fact, when one imagines the discussion the Employee Benefits Advisor has with their client, you can’t help but envisage the drab, stony-faced scenes at the beginning of The Matrix in which Agent Smith interrogates Keanu Reeves; “Are you sure a benefit term of 2 years will be enough, Mr Anderson?”

    Wouldn’t it be great if instead of focusing purely on the stark protection elements of these products, insurers developed a range of services which employees could actually utilise when they are alive and well? 

    Enter Canada Life’s “We Care”, offering a range of FREE additional employee benefits for companies which purchase ANY of their Group Risk products, including Group Life, Income Protection and Critical Illness. 

    Available solely via Canada Life’s CLASS range, employees will now have unlimited access to the following tertiary services.  What’s more, the additional services are available to every member of the employees’ immediate family as well as all staff within the organisation, even if they are not included on the insurance cover! 

    So what do employees now have access to?

     

    Virtual GP Consultation

    Speak to a GP over the phone or via video call from the comfort of your own home. 24/7, 365 days of the year with no limitations on how often an employee calls.

     

    Second Medical Opinion

    Access to over 50,000 leading consultants worldwide, offering expert second opinions on diagnosis and treatments for almost any condition.

     

    Smoking Cessation

    A team of specialists to support employees all the way, helping to set goals and give tips to beat smoking.

     

    Mental Health Support

    Anxiety, stress and depression are just a few health difficulties many people suffer from.  Up to 10 therapy sessions to guide employees in the right direction.

     

    Burn-out Prevention

    Addressing symptoms as early as possible is the best way to beat it.  Up to 10 sessions with a specialist to assist with coping mechanisms and reduce stress.

     

    Life-events counselling

    If an employee is suffering bereavement, going through a divorce or has had a traumatic experience, talking to someone can help.  Up to 10 personalised sessions with an expert means staff can get the right support.

     

    Healthy Diet at Work

    A professional nutritionist can assist employees in devising a personalised diet plan, plus top tips on staying healthy when eating out.

     

    Get Fit Programme

    Four or eight week get fit programmes with a specialist, providing a structured exercise regime.

    With all of these great benefits, it’s easy to forget that they are additive to the core insurance purpose of protecting the lives and health of employees. But that’s the point really.  It’s sensible to put measures in place to protect ourselves against the worst happening, but now employers can feel good about mundane insurance plans in the knowledge that their teams have access to a range of genuinely useful additional services.

    There are lots of Group Risk insurers now bucking the associated image of their industry, and this can only be a good thing, as ultimately, it means more employees and their families are protected.

     

    But I can only show you the door Neo, you’re the one that has to walk through it!

    Contact our expert team of brokers at enquiries@engagehealthgroup.co.uk or call 01273 974419 for FREE no-obligation advice and support.

  • 5 employee benefits which are FREE or inexpensive to implement

    5 employee benefits which are FREE or inexpensive to implement

    Attracting and retaining the best calibre of staff, and then keeping them engaged throughout their tenure is more important than ever. While benefit provision has historically been a significant focus for large businesses, it’s clear to see that smaller organisations are now making this part of their core business strategy too.

    Of course, big corporates have big budgets, and the ability to deliver a glossy range of benefits and rewards which might be out of reach for many smaller organisations. Thankfully that doesn’t mean employee benefits are a non-starter for SME’s, and there are some very effective ways to engage staff without breaking the bank.

    Below we have listed our top five benefits which can be implemented at a comparatively small amount, but still offer a fantastic return on investment.

     

    1. Employee Assistance Programme

    Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) can be thought of as a “Citizens Advice Bureau” for employees. Its main aim is to provide confidential, independent, impartial and unbiased guidance to employees who could be suffering in a range of areas including Health & Lifestyle, Legal, Work Life and Home Life.

    With a 24/7 helpline and up to 8 sessions of face-to-face counselling included, employers can feel assured that they are not only satisfying their Health & Safely obligations, but also supporting employees who might otherwise not have a sounding board or advice outlet available to them.

    Some of the key areas that employees utilise an EAP are as follows:

    • Mental Health
    • Eldercare
    • Addiction
    • Terminal illness
    • Debt problems
    • Bullying and harassment
    • Stress
    • Identity & LGBTQ
    • Domestic abuse
    • Bereavement

    Finally, due to the rich Management Information available to employers in terms of how the EAP is being used, this can assist in identifying underlying risks in the organisation which mightn’t otherwise have been obvious.

     

    2. Group Health Cash Plan

    A mechanism to provide cover for the every-day healthcare costs which employees might face, Group Health Cash Plans are more popular today than they’ve ever been.

    Full Private Medical Insurance, whilst excellent, is comparatively expensive to provide, and for those with a limited budget, may be a non-starter.  Health Cash Plans on the other hand are not only available for a fraction of the cost, but are arguably more valued by employees, due to the fact that the benefits can be extracted and enjoyed on a more frequent basis.

    In practical terms, a Health Cash Plan allows employees to claim back money spent in a number of health-related areas, the following of which tend to be the most common;

    • Routine dental treatment such as check-up’s, scale and polish, fillings
    • Routine optical care such as glasses and contact lenses
    • Physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy
    • Chiropody, podiatry and homeopathy
    • CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
    • Health screening, massage and flu jabs
    • Virtual GP

    It is also typical for employees’ children to be included for free (up to 50% of employee limits) under the plan, and for individuals to have flexibility to add their partners and upgrade cover on a voluntary basis.

     

    3. Volunteering

    Employees of all ages, but particularly the younger generations now entering the workplace, are finding it increasingly important for their employer to play an active role in supporting the local community. 

    More and more employers are using this route to enhance their Employer Value Proposition (EVP), in addition to the traditional benefits which companies offer.

    A great way to embrace this growing requirement is implementing a volunteering benefit which is both free to roll-out and can supplement any existing corporate social responsibility or charity focus already in place.

    If you are considering putting this in place, here are some top tips to consider:

    • Set a dedicated person to manage this benefit, record days used and manage some of the below considerations.
    • Set a fixed amount of days per year which can be used, either in one go or throughout the year (Between 1 and 5 days is a common offering)
    • Consider which charities you want to support via this benefit;
      • Do you want one charity that your business wants to support with a key project that they have?
      • Consider providing a panel of pre-vetted local charities or good causes which you would like to direct employees towards.
      • Do you want to let your employees choose their own charities that are important to them? If so you should require prior submission for you to vet the charity.
    •  Employees should be required to give between one week and a month’s notice before their volunteering day in order to give you time to plan for their absence.
    • You should ensure that any charity that you are supporting has the appropriate insurances in place should your employee injure themselves while on their premises.

     

    4. Group Life Insurance

    Sometimes referred to as Group Death-in-Service Insurance, this benefit is designed to ensure that, in the event of an employee passing away, a tax free payment will be made to their dependants/beneficiaries, whether that is a parent, partner or child/children.

    Interestingly, employers considering this benefit often ask if the term “death in service” means that the employee must physically be undertaking their employed role when they die.  This is not the case, and the benefit is payable as long as the employee is in active service.

    Employers typically structure the benefit to provide either 2x or 4x the employee’s salary upon death, and it’s also possible to have different levels of benefit depending on seniority or grade.

    Each employee completes an “Expression of Wish” form upon joining which outlines who payment should be made to in the event of their death.  The form also allows for multiple beneficiaries to be recorded, allowing the employee to specify how any benefit should be divided.

    The other great feature of this type of cover is that in most cases, employees do not have to complete medical underwriting, unlike individual protection.

    With so few people taking financial advice and setting up their own personal Life Assurance provision, this kind of scheme is an excellent way of demonstrating to employees that you have their families’ interests at heart if the worst was to happen.

     

    5. FREE added extras to Group Risk Protection policies

    Providing a small Group Risk Protection policy for your exec team can provide FREE counselling, second opinion service, treatment sourcing and retail perks platforms for ALL employees.

    Did you know that if you purchase a Group Risk product (Group Life, Group Income Protection or Group Critical Illness) for a minimal number of staff, some insurers will allow you to extend a whole range of additional benefits to your entire workforce, completely free of charge?

    Providing Group Risk benefits to just two Directors, for example, could enable you to extend the additional value to hundreds of other staff!

    Group Life, Income Protection and Critical Illness are a fantastic way to cover your people in the event of death and illness respectively but the key benefit we want to highlight here is the value which immediately becomes available to all staff NOT insured under the Group Risk protection plan. 

    These can include:

    Counselling Services

    • Confidential counselling
    • 24/7 telephone helpline
    • Up to 10 Face-to-face sessions with a psychologist
    • Putting employees in touch with support groups in their area
    • Financial and legal telephone services from an independent consultant
    • Guidance on a range of everyday issues such as debt, buying a home, tax and divorce
    • All delivered via easy to use apps
    • Access to service from anywhere
    • Wellbeing articles brimming with articles and podcasts
    • Meaningful Management Information to show usage and identify trends

    Second Opinion Service

    • Provided by leading services such as Best Doctors
    • For any employee who has been diagnosed with a medical condition (private or NHS)
    • Locates world-leading experts for the condition
    • Arranges full review of employee medical condition
    • Employees received full diagnosis, a comprehensive report and recommendations for treatment plan
    • Health questions answered by an expert
    • Access via phone and online portal
    • Extensive library of wellbeing tools, videos and literature
    • Medical and travel arrangements made if employee chooses treatment outside of the UK

    Treatment sourcing

    • For those without private healthcare but wanting to source private treatment
    • Competitive treatment costs as opposed to following retail route
    • Access to over 20,000 consultants around the UK
    • Treatment sourcing deal with 450 private hospitals and NHS private patient units
    • Fast and efficient booking process to facilitate quick consultations, tests and procedures

    Perks

    • 1000 + perks via app
    • Cinema discounts
    • Retails discounts
    • Restaurant discounts

     

    How will you deliver highly valued perks to your workforce within budget? Contact Engage Health Group’s team of impartial brokers to uncover the best FREE quotes and receive expert guidance. Email enquiries@engagehealthgroup.co.uk or call 01273 974419.