New research from Howden Life and Health reveals 27% of Brits have self-funded private medical treatment in the past five years. On average this ‘out of pocket’ treatment cost £6,000, with one in seven spending more than £15,000. Data comes as NHS league tables confirm eight in ten of England’s hospital trusts are ‘missing targets’ and expose stark ‘postcode lottery’ of care in England. Demand for PMI is also rising fast: 60% say they would choose private medical insurance (PMI) over any other workplace benefit if fully funded. Posted on Thursday Oct 2
Almost one in three (30%) UK adults say they'd be forced to sell the family home if their partner passed away. Over a third (35%) would have to use their savings just to get by. While one in five (18%) would need to take on a second job or side hustle to make ends meet. To help customers protect what matters most, Tesco Insurance has launched a life insurance proposition in conjunction with Aviva. Posted on Tuesday Sep 23
New research from UK health and life insurer The Exeter shows that just one in five adults (22%) feel very confident their family would be financially secure if the unexpected happened. Posted on Monday Sep 22
Insured admissions rise to 171,000 in Q1 2025 – the joint highest ever quarter. Over 70% of private health treatments now funded by Private Medical Insurance. Pushes total private health admissions to nearly a quarter of a million treatments amid significant strain on NHS care. Posted on Thursday Sep 18
MetLife UK’s second Everyday Risk Report finds number of everyday accidents is on the rise. A&E visits increased 3.8%, while hospital admissions increased 7% year-on-year. Despite the risk, just one in ten (10%) have the right type of accident and sickness cover which would give them financial support when needed most. Posted on Wednesday Sep 17
Swiss Re's optimistic scenario estimates GLP-1 drugs could lead to a reduction in cumulative all-cause mortality in the US general population of 6.4% over the next 20 years. For the UK, Swiss Re's optimistic scenario forecasts a 5.1% cumulative reduction in all-cause mortality in the general population, over the same time horizon. Achieving the full potential of GLP-1 drugs is strongly dependent on availability, adoption rates, lifestyle and nutritional changes. Posted on Wednesday Sep 17
Countries such as Switzerland, Spain, Australia and Canada currently permit some form of assisted dying. It’s against the law in the UK, and this has forced many terminally ill patients to travel abroad for help or endure prolonged suffering at home, in a hospice or in hospital. The “Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill”, or the Assisted Dying Bill, passed the House of Commons in June 2025 and is now under consideration with the House of Lords. Posted on Tuesday Sep 16
Under-40 consumers overlook traditional life insurance plans citing misalignment with their stage in life (32%), high costs of premiums (28%), and lack of immediate benefits (25%). Majority seek living benefits instead, like emergency financial support, wellness rewards or coverage for fertility treatments. Posted on Monday Sep 15
New survey exposes critical gaps in understanding as GLP-1 medications blur lines between medical treatment and lifestyle choices. Consumer Intelligence has released findings from a comprehensive survey revealing widespread confusion about whether popular weight-loss medications constitute pre-existing medical conditions for insurance purposes. Posted on Wednesday Sep 10
Catherine Foot, director of the Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement, comments on ONS statistics on estimates of the very old, including centenarians: Posted on Wednesday Sep 3
As life expectancy continues to rise, the traditional structure of “learn, work, retire” is becoming increasingly outdated, undesirable and unsustainable for both individuals and employers. Posted on Wednesday Aug 27
Hike in IPT could prove counter-productive for the UK economy by limiting take up of private healthcare options. Could create a ‘double whammy’ impact, increasing costs for both businesses and workers. Tax rise would push more people towards the NHS and risk undermining gradual progress on reducing NHS waiting lists. Posted on Wednesday Aug 27
37% of workers aged over 55 say they would consider leaving their job if their employer restricted ability to work flexible hours, and 25% would take a pay cut in exchange for more flexible working options. Posted on Thursday Aug 14
Since launching in March, 60% of life insurance policies have included beneficiary nomination. Before its introduction, 40% of The Exeter’s life insurance policies, on its Real Life product were placed into trust. Posted on Thursday Aug 7
WTW and Klarity, are working together to help life insurers improve pricing accuracy by integrating wearable technology and data into their underwriting processes. Posted on Tuesday Aug 5
The life insurance market in India is projected to grow from INR9.2 trillion ($110.2 billion) in 2024 to INR 14.6 trillion ($170.0 billion) in 2029, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.6% in terms of gross written premiums (GWP), according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. Posted on Wednesday Jul 23
Younger generations are leading the way with a wellness revolution, according to a survey from L&G. A new poll, of 2,000 people, shows Gen Z is prioritising physical health, mental wellbeing and healthier habits more than older generations. Posted on Wednesday Jul 16
The Continuous Mortality Investigation (CMI) publishes frequent mortality analysis for England & Wales through its mortality monitors. Today’s updates cover the period to 27 June 2025. Posted on Wednesday Jul 9
36% of respondents, the equivalent of 16 million working-age adults, considered private health insurance as the most important, non-compulsory insurance to have. 33% of respondents, the equivalent of 14.7 million working-age adults, said life insurance was the second most important insurance. Posted on Tuesday Jul 1
The Continuous Mortality Investigation (CMI) has released the latest annual update to the CMI Mortality Projections Model, CMI_2024. The CMI Model is used by UK pension schemes and insurance companies which need to make assumptions about future mortality rates. Posted on Monday Jun 30
This morning’s HMRC tax receipts update shows that Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) receipts recorded a total of £1.48 billion in May 2025, an increase of £50 million on the same month last year. That brings the total IPT collected in the first two months of the 2025/26 financial year to £2.13 billion, an increase of £83 million compared to the same period in 2024/25 (£2.05 billion). Posted on Friday Jun 20
PMI-funded admissions up 6% y-o-y in 2024 marking fourth year of consecutive growth. Follows significant demand among businesses to implement PMI into workforce strategy. Posted on Tuesday Jun 17
A new report has revealed women are considerably underinsured compared to men. The 2025 Life Insurance Index, commissioned by UK-lifeinsurance.com, quizzed 2,000 Brits across the country on what they knew about the policies, and how many held them. Posted on Tuesday Jun 10
The revitalising benefits of a walk are well known but for two in five (38%) UK adults it’s also a time to mull over major financial decisions according to new research from Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group. Posted on Wednesday Jun 4
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