Why PMI needs to deliver everyday care

Whilst deteriorating population health will have implications across the whole spectrum of healthcare, primary care provision is set to be particularly impacted.

Conditions typically diagnosed and managed within a primary care setting are projected to increase at the fastest rates. These include conditions like chronic pain, type 2 diabetes, anxiety or depression and chronic kidney disease³.

GP services are already under strain from rising demand and increasing numbers of people living with complex care needs and often having multiple, chronic health conditions^4.

The experience for many when trying to access public primary care services are long waiting times and a lack of availability⁵.

Given the growing health challenges the country is facing, Private Medical Insurance needs to play an expanding role in helping to deliver better access to a broader range of healthcare, whilst also playing a crucial role in the prevention of illness.

Alongside the traditional role of providing access to private hospital treatment, the provision of more everyday healthcare benefits, including primary care, will be of increasing value to consumers, at a time when access to these essential services is severely stretched.

Therefore ensuring products deliver actual value, rather than just being something they file away and forget about, hoping never to claim on.

It’s also about recognising the important role that everyday healthcare services, like primary care, play in the prevention and management of common health conditions.

Expanding access to a broader range of everyday healthcare benefits is also about delivering better preventative support, particularly given the growing burden of disease caused by lifestyle risks⁷.

Helping clients to improve their health and prevent illness from arising has benefits socially as well as individually. PMI plans that can support clients in this area can play a key role in reducing the burden on public healthcare systems and easing some of the pressure on the NHS.

Alongside primary care, health and wellbeing benefits like the Vitality Programme, rooted in behavioural economics, can be the key to helping clients to manage and improve lifestyle health factors – such as physical activity and eating better – through incentivisation and rewarding positive lifestyle choices. We see this approach clearly paying off, with analysis of VitalityHealth claims between 2017 and 2021 showing up to 46% lower claims costs for highly engaged members across major claims categories⁸.