How to choose the right level of private medical care

Author: Louis Wustemann

Summary

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• Decide whether private medical insurance is to be used primarily as an employee benefit or also to help manage absence.
• For benefits purposes, assess which staff should qualify for private medical insurance cover by benchmarking against practice in the relevant sector and region.
• Consider whether employee-only or family cover is appropriate.
• Decide whether to specify any restrictions on cover or any contributions from employees to restrict costs.
• Where private medical insurance is used for attendance management, consider appointing a "gatekeeper" to manage claims.
• Examine which types of specialist care should be included to help cut absence rates.
• When considering including private medical insurance in a flexible benefits package be aware of the possible negative impact on premiums.