Pandemic increases interest in employee health insurance

• Two out of three managers believe that this social benefit is more necessary than before covid
• 81% of companies offer this advantage, which is consolidated as the most valued
• 62% of employees who change jobs take this differentiation factor into account

Madrid, October 28, 2021. The health crisis has increased interest in health insurance in the workplace, to the point that 65% of managers believe that offering the workforce this social benefit is more necessary than before of the pandemic. This follows from the 4th Health Insurance Barometer, presented this morning by SegurCaixa Adeslas and carried out based on more than 700 interviews with decision-makers and employees. The study was presented at the 9th Health Insurance Forum, which was attended by more than 200 human resources professionals and medical directors from the main companies in the country.

According to the study, 81% of companies offer health insurance for their workers, while 38% of those that do not, intend to hire it. Users have valued the speed of access to the care service, comfort and flexibility in choosing the center and professional as the main reasons for the improvement in the perception of this social benefit during the pandemic. These strengths consolidate health insurance in companies of all sizes. 78% of those that offer it have less than 250 employees, a percentage that increases to 84% in the largest, according to the survey carried out by Kantar. 

Insurance transcends the purely care aspect to become a motivational tool. 49% of managers acknowledge that it improves the work environment and the relationship with employees. This is not the only highlight, as they also cite increased loyalty, engagement and motivation (48%), improved corporate image (42%) and reduced absenteeism (40%). These advantages explain why the company assumes the cost of insurance in 87% of cases, either partially (32%) or financing it in full (55%) for all employees.

From the point of view of the worker, the interest in the company offering private healthcare provision also increased compared to the previous barometer and now reached 60% of those surveyed. Health insurance is perceived as part of a good environment in which to develop personally and professionally, which makes this benefit a powerful talent selection and retention tool. In fact, if they change jobs, 62% of those surveyed say that having private insurance would greatly influence their decision to join a company. Additionally, those who do not take this aspect into account fall by four percentage points compared to the survey conducted in 2018.

Innovation and public-private collaboration

One of the factors that play in favor of the good perception of health insurance is its digital commitment. Features such as electronic prescription, teleconsultation or access to services through chat, video call, mail or telephone are among the most interesting services for those surveyed. 89% of managers also find the digital options that insurers make available to them very attractive, when it comes to easily carrying out regular procedures such as registering and canceling policies, requesting duplicate cards, tracking requests etc 

In many cases, the digital services that health insurers are incorporating are facilitating the development of a culture of prevention in the corporate sphere. Close to two-thirds of the companies that have services and programs to promote health and well-being have contracted health insurance for employees. This greater awareness of prevention is shared by the employees. Nearly 7 out of ten value having preventive medicine plans and monitoring of chronic diseases, through personalized support services, alert systems or websites with advice and tools to control their pathologies.

"Innovation is a factor that facilitates the transition towards a new health paradigm in which, following the definition of the WHO, prevention will be crucial to achieve a state of complete well-being, and not just the absence of conditions or diseases" explained the Executive Chairman of SegurCaixa Adeslas, Javier Mira, at the opening of the 9th Health Insurance Forum.

At SegurCaixa Adeslas, the promotion of healthy habits revolves around Adeslas Salud y Bienestar, the digital platform that is equipped with a program of services designed to accompany customers in the daily management of their health. This tool has just surpassed 300,000 registered users and has activated more than 100,000 health plans and personalized challenges to help policyholders adopt active life routines, according to the president.

Technological innovation makes it possible to advance towards an offer with greater added value, according to Javier Murillo, General Manager of SegurCaixa Adeslas. The search for higher levels of efficiency is essential in view of the growing costs of care and the health needs of society. "We must preserve the Welfare State with new formulas of public-private collaboration that extract the value of the always insufficient health resources of the system, regardless of their ownership," said Murillo.

The presentation of the 4th Health Insurance Barometer was given by Carlos Hernández, Deputy General Director of Business at SegurCaixa Adeslas, in a round table with the participation of Guillermo Belenchón, CCO Division Insight at Kantar Spain. Next, Raquel Jiménez, Medical Director of Iberdrola, and Rafael del Portillo, Director of Labor Relations, Labor Law and Occupational Health at Repsol, analyzed the results of the study. The event also included a talk on positive psychology by the speaker Víctor Küppers, while the professor and science communicator Javier Sirvent closed the Forum with a review of the challenges and possibilities of Artificial Intelligence applied to medicine. 
 

SegurCaixa Adeslas is the leading Non-Life company in Spain in health insurance. It is integrated into the Mutua Madrileña Group and owned by CaixaBank. The Executive President is Javier Mira and Javier Murillo, its General Director.