Sustainability
Director of Distribution Gavin Shay explains: “For many of our customers, their traditional PMI plans have just become impossible to sustain. That’s especially true on plans that have seen high usage and expensive claims. One or two large cancer claims can change the premium for a business significantly in the following years.
“It’s precisely why we chose an approach to pricing at Equipsme – with an eye on sustainability. So we don’t sell low and recoup by hiking the prices up in subsequent years - and we spread risk across the community to help smooth claims inflation. Also, we don’t cover pre-existing conditions, which we make very clear to any prospective customers, and especially relevant if they are looking to stop an existing PMI policy and move to Equipsme.
“To put that in some sort of context, it means our most popular plans have only gone up on average around 5% year on year since 2018.”
For Cottsway Housing Association, that sustainability element was key.
Clare Sellman, Head of Corporate Services, explains: “We had a very traditional private medical insurance plan in place, but we found that over recent years the costs had just become unsustainable.
“Aon recommended Equipsme to us, and it immediately sounded like what we were looking for. Because it’s backed by AXA Health it felt familiar and we knew the quality of care would still be there, but of course it’s much more cost effective.
“We particularly liked the fact that everyone pays the same and the risk is shared across the wider population – so it’s not claims-related or based on your organisational use, which is partly responsible for the increase we were seeing for our original premiums.
“For us, it was really important that we could keep health insurance in place for the whole workforce and maintain it for the long term – and with Equipsme we feel we can do that.”
Jon Tann, Benefits Specialist at mining firm Imerys, picks up the same theme.
He says: “We liked the fact that Equipsme had an easy-to-understand plan structure, pricing and implementation model. No one can see into the future, but by spreading the risk across all Equipsme members and companies, we think it’s a scheme that’s going to be more stable in terms of pricing than that of traditional PMI schemes.”
Excluding cancer treatment
One of the things that helps keep Equipsme’s costs down is the fact that cancer treatment isn’t included. Gavin explains: “We want to be really, really clear about what Equipsme can and can’t cover, and we’re completely open about the fact that we don’t do cancer treatment.
“That was a very deliberate decision. When we designed our plans we talked to businesses about what they wanted - and we found that overwhelmingly the biggest challenge business face is from everyday sickness absences due to things like minor illnesses and MSK issues. So we focussed our plans on providing practical, everyday care, early intervention - and that swift diagnosis.
“People with suspected cancer can still get the fast-track tests and consultancy to confirm their condition for eligible claims, which in turn can help speed up getting back to the NHS for their treatment. It means they’re still getting where they need to be sooner, but the wider scheme isn’t being hit by much higher unpredictable treatment costs – which means it’s possible for MORE people to access that speed and service for other conditions. And for many of the businesses we work with, that pay-off is worth it.”
That’s certainly the viewpoint of Jon Curtis, Group Finance Director at engineering firm TBS Engineering.
He explains: "Basically, I describe Equipsme as PMI without cancer treatment. That’s why it’s so cost effective."
“We know that the NHS is still very good at dealing with cancer once someone gets a diagnosis. And Equipsme helps them get to that point. So we were really happy with it as a compromise – because the price point has allowed us to open up real, practical and usable health benefits to everyone.
“For our part, we’re confident there isn’t anything else like Equipsme out there, in terms of price levels, cover levels and service levels. It’s the perfect blend.”
Wider workforce
Perhaps surprisingly, the driving force behind many moves from traditional health benefit models isn’t about cost, but about equality.
Gavin says: “Equipsme never set out to undercut competitors - or be the cheapest in the market. We set out to make real, quality private health insurance work for real employees – the ones in the high vis jackets and overalls as well as the ones in the suits.
“For the vast majority of the businesses we work with, the biggest motivation for a move from PMI to Equipsme is simply wanting to make health benefits more equal across the company. That in turn can help drive engagement, boost productivity and build culture.”
Equity was certainly one of the chief motivating factors for Imerys. Jon Tann explains: “Health-wise, we offer an EAP and well-being service, as well as cancer screening through Check 4 Cancer and Menopause support with BUPA. While senior staff had access to an existing PMI scheme, a noticeable gap in physical healthcare support existed for all other employees.
“Everyone at Imerys is part of its success, everyone is struggling with NHS waiting lists and times, and it felt like the right time to implement an inclusive healthcare scheme to support everyone.
“When we looked at what the market was offering, Equipsme was the only solution that would give us health insurance at a realistic price point for every employee. Transitioning from PMI for a limited number to Equipsme for the broader employee base was a very easy choice.
“I would definitely recommend Equipsme to other businesses that want to make a positive change that impacts more people across their organisation in terms of health support. If valuing all your people is important to your culture, Equipsme is one way to actually put that into action.”
Read more about Cottsway Housing Association
Read more about TBS Engineering
Read more about Imerys
Find out more about Equipsme plans
Contact Gavin at [email protected]
Article created: October 2025
