PMI options for your employees

A few sick days here and there might not seem too much of an issue for a single employee but combined they can make a huge impact on the bottom line of a business. And what if sickness absence is made much longer because required treatment is not available?

A recent BBC news article highlighted that long NHS waiting times appear to be pushing people into paying thousands of pounds for private treatment [1]. The article describes case studies where patients suffering through long NHS waiting times even opted to take out loans to get treatment done privately.

Research released by the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) [2] suggested that, since the pandemic, there has been a significant rise in patients paying out of their own pockets for hip and knee operations. Self-funded hip replacements increased 165% when comparing July to September 2019 figures against the same period in 2021, while self-funded knee replacements saw a 122% rise.

Of relevance to ECA Members is the example of an apprentice engineer whose knee problems had meant that they had become bed-ridden and unable to work. Rather than facing a wait of up to two years on the NHS and worried they would lose their job, they took out a loan to cover the £7,000 cost of a private operation and follow-up physiotherapy. 

Musculoskeletal issues are a common problem impacting workers.

Many ECA Members who are covered by the ECIS Private Medical Insurance (PMI), available exclusively to ECA Members, are using their benefit to quickly resolve Musculoskeletal issues impacting their ability to work. 

Indeed, Musculoskeletal issues account for a higher proportion of claims spend than any other issue on the ECIS large corporate policy which covers nearly 15,000 individuals. Costs for common Musculoskeletal operations like hip and knee replacements can top £15,000 in the private sector if the patient pays.

With the ECIS scheme, these costs would be covered through the monthly premium as in-patient and day-patient treatment is covered in full. The scheme also provides increased medical resources such as the Direct Access Service which enables members to be triaged directly with Bupa with only a simple phone call. 

How ECIS can help

If you’re thinking of a PMI policy for your employees, or if you would like ECIS to review your current arrangements, speak to the ECIS team on 0330 221 0241 or visit them at www.ecins.co.uk.

[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-62042465 

[2] https://www.phin.org.uk/press-releases/triple-digit-percentage-rise-in-number-of-people-choosing-to-self-fund-private-hip-and-knee-replacement-operations-since-the-pandemic