Employees with young families are particularly keen. Although most employers will not cover your family, they allow you to include them on the scheme and pay yourself, taking advantage of the lower premiums. A child with glue ear may have to wait four months for NHS treatment, but you can get it within a couple of weeks privately. Four months off school can have a devastating effect at an early stage. Covering your family through workplace medical insurance can halve the cost, even after tax.
Companies can negotiate cheaper cover buying in bulk.
Godmon says the people most likely to refuse medical cover from their employer are the young, healthy and single, who have no health concerns or dependants to consider. Company-paid medical insurance has another advantage over individual cover. Buy it yourself and you will have to complete a lengthy medical questionnaire, possibly including a medical examination. Any illnesses you currently suffer from, called pre-existing conditions, will be excluded from most policies. So you can join the scheme and get your bunions done next day.