Britons are increasingly making use of added benefits attached to their insurance policies, especially as health insurance claims rise year on year, data from Vitality has shown.
Ahead of the life and health protection provider releasing its full annual health claims report later this week (October 19), Vitality unveiled figures showing a vast uptake in the use of its everyday care services.
The services, which are available to people with health protection policies with Vitality, include the use of Vitality GP, Talking Therapies, Physiotherapy, and the newly introduced Optical, Dental and Hearing Cover benefits.
Amid news reports of National Health Service GP appointments becoming harder to obtain across the UK, Vitality revealed it had delivered more than 110,000 virtual GP consultations in 2022.
According to Vitality, the provider delivered more virtual GP consultations ever month in 2022 - approximately 10,000 each month - than it did in the whole of 2015.
In 2015, primary care claims made up just 10 per cent of all claims - this rose to 58 per cent in 2022.
Dr Katie Tryon, director of health strategy for Vitality, said: “The significant growth we are seeing in claims for these everyday services shows how Vitality's health insurance has become integrated and integral to a person’s overall health and wellbeing.
“Recognising this, we have sought to continually innovate and develop our primary care services, to provide faster access to a broad range of healthcare services, so our members get access to their treatment and support when they need it."
The data showed:
- More than 58 per cent of health claims in 2022 were for everyday care services
- Over 60 per cent of Vitality GP user were referred to onward clinical services in 2022
- 28 per cent of clients were referred to physiotherapy services
- Talking therapies accounted for 85 per cent of mental health claims in 2022
- Physiotherapy claims have increased by more than 60 per cent from 2019 to 2022, with members aged between 25 and 39 the most likely to make a physiotherapy claim.
But the data also revealed an increase in cancer claims over the year, with at least a quarter of all claims coming from people below the age of 50.
According to Vitality, breast cancer was the most common cancer claim from women of all ages, accounting for approximately half of all claims, at 49 per cent, while prostate cancer was the most prominent form of cancer in men over the age of 50, at 33 per cent.
Some 25 per cent of cancer claims were made by members under the age of 50, highlighting the importance of awareness and access to screening for all ages.
Dr Keith Klintworth, VitalityHealth managing director, said: "Cancer can be a devastating diagnosis, with this data highlighting the importance of early intervention, cancer screening and access to high quality treatment for people of all ages.
“Cancer is an integral part of our health insurance offering, spanning access to innovative new treatments, to mental health support and seamless clinical journeys. It is also an area that has always been a priority for us, with constant enhancements and development over the years.
“This year is no exception, and several exciting enhancements will soon be available to members, that complement our existing proposition and further focus on quicker and earlier diagnosis for our members.”
