Aviva launches PMI product for large employers

Aviva has launched a new private medical insurance (PMI) product for large employers.

Its Guidewell product, which is available from 1 July, has been designed to manage the rising costs of claims and to help employers control their healthcare spend.

The product includes:

  • Open-referral process, so there will be no shortfall in hospital charges or specialist fees for treatment that is covered by the policy.
  • Appointments close to either an employee’s work or home at one of more 250 hospitals and clinics nationwide.
  • Access to Aviva’s BacktoBetter rehabilitation service to manage any musculoskeletal problems.
  • In-house clinicians that work closely with the claims team to understand employees’ clinical needs, using a proven triage process to identify the appropriate approach to the treatment required.
  • Dedicated case managers who are assigned to employees suffering from more complex conditions, such as cancer, heart disease, women’s health and psychiatric conditions.
  • Access to a 24-hour GP helpline, stress counseling helpline, gym discounts, Aviva’s Home of Health online portal to help improve health and fitness, and a mobile stress application

Dr Doug Wright, medical director at Aviva UK Health, said: “GuideWell has been crafted to deliver benefits that we know our [employer] clients, members and intermediaries will value.

“As open referral helps to manage costs as well as quality, it means that some large [organisations] will benefit from competitive pricing upfront, making the provision of this employee benefit much more sustainable over time.

“We have already seen an increase in the use of open referral in our PMI claims, with more GPs and customers choosing this route for their diagnosis and care.

“When managed properly, open referral is a great way for employers to regulate their costs and for employees to access prompt, local treatment by recognised specialists and hospitals.”