Over four and a half million people are seriously worried about their current healthcare provisions,...
Over four and a half million people are seriously worried about their current healthcare provisions, according to a new survey from Legal & General, writes Ben Marquand.
The study questioned more than 1,000 adults, over the age of 16, about their attitudes towards healthcare cover, in the light of recent publicity concerning the limitations of the NHS, and found that almost half are thinking about making private healthcare provisions.
The results bring encouraging news for IFAs according to Legal & General as they suggest more individuals are warming to the idea of PMI. John Castagno, managing director of general insurance at Legal & General, said: 'These results show that around 50% of the adult population are now concerned they do not have adequate medical protection in place, whether it is through existing cover or a reliance on the State. And more than one in 10, which works out at around 4.6 million, are now considering reviewing their protection needs which is a very encouraging figure for those in the industry. It is an excellent opportunity for IFAs. Around 6.4 million customers currently have private medical insurance, but two-thirds of these are through employer-sponsored provision.'
The survey found that 16% of those who said they were not confident about their healthcare cover were concerned for themselves and their partner, whereas 14% were more concerned for their partner. 15% were solely worried about their own health provisions.
The provider intends to conduct similar consumer surveys on a regular basis to monitor attitudes towards the purchase of private healthcare on a more regular basis. The next wave of questioning will take place in September.
