Jennings adds that with many organisations moving to working from home on a permanent basis, the need to provide employees and their loved ones with access to remote, trustworthy and holistic health benefits is fast becoming the number one priority to assist employers and line managers.
“The increase in conditions, such as mental health and musculoskeletal, calls for us all to take better control of our health and lessen the burden on the NHS,” he says.
On that last note, the fact that group protection benefits come with embedded value wellbeing – also known as early intervention – services as standard makes them well placed to help.
Some of these services, such as Virtual GPs and Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), are even made available at no extra cost to the immediate families of employees.
Latest statistics from industry body GRiD reveal that 3,415 people (34.7 per cent of all group income protection claims submitted in 2019) were helped back to work before the end of the deferred period thanks to early interventions; 57 per cent had help to overcome mental health issues; and 13 per cent had support overcoming a musculoskeletal issue.
GRiD also reports that there were 74,707 interactions during 2019 with the additional help and support services that are funded by group risk insurers, giving daily value to employees regardless of whether a claim was made or not. The majority of these (37 per cent) were related to counselling; 12 per cent were related to family issues and 12 per cent to employment matters.
Fitzgerald says insurers are now more visible in helping employers improve access and usage of embedded value services; in proactively identifying needs, signposting to solutions and sharing best practice. He adds that such services, as part of a wider wellbeing programme, also help clients nurture a culture of self-care.
“Embedded value services are getting more targeted and sophisticated all the time - for example, long Covid support programmes and eldercare support.
"The traditional peace of mind value of protection is still there, and it does what it says on the tin, but it’s now part of a biopsychosocial approach: what’s keeping the individual off work? How are they coping psychologically? And how are they being supported by those around them?
"Ultimately to get better and return to work - understanding this will help them with complex wellbeing problems.”
Homer adds that all insurers have now developed added value services with SMEs in mind, which brings important accessibility advantages to this market: “Via group protection, SMEs enjoy valuable services - such as essential mental health support - that they might not otherwise be able to access easily or economically.”
