Bupa strengthens SME health insurance with major benefits launch

Bupa has further enhanced its small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) health insurance offering, with a range of valuable new benefits becoming available to all eligible customers, helping businesses support employee wellbeing, reduce absence and strengthen their employee value proposition.

The latest enhancements build on Bupa’s commitment to helping small businesses access healthcare that works harder. By combining everyday health support, preventive healthcare, mental health expertise and business support services, the proposition is designed to help employers keep people healthier, more productive and engaged.

New benefits available from August

From August, all eligible SME health insurance customers can access:

• Yearly dental allowance – providing every person named on the policy with a dentist appointment and hygiene appointment each year at more than 360 Bupa Dental Care practices across the UK. Early dental intervention can help identify health concerns sooner and support overall wellbeing. Available to all SME customers from 2 August.
• Face-to-face GP appointments – giving employees the choice of in-person appointments at 69 Bupa health centres, alongside existing digital GP services. Appointments include access to selected clinically recommended tests, helping employees receive answers and treatment more quickly. Available to new and renewing SME customers from 1 August.^†
• Personalised Health: Medication Check – an at-home DNA testing service that helps identify how an individual may respond to more than 100 wide-ranging medicines, to support finding right treatment at the right dose and helping employees manage long-term health conditions more effectively. Available to all eligible SME customers from 2 August.
• Growth+ – access to specialist HR and employment law support through WorkNest, including expert advice, downloadable templates, HR health checks and CPD-certified learning resources for managers and employees.

These benefits complement innovative preventive healthcare services launching in September, including Personalised Health: My Prevention Plan, which helps employees assess their future risk of developing breast cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes and, where clinically appropriate, access tailored interventions and support.^*

Helping SMEs tackle absence and support growth

The launch comes as sickness absence remains at historically high levels, with around 150 million working days lost each year in the UK. SMEs are particularly impacted, with limited capacity to absorb productivity loss. Bupa’s modelling indicates that reducing employee absence by just one day per year could unlock more than £2 billion in economic value for UK small businesses.¹

Dan Sullivan, Director of Products and Propositions at Bupa UK Insurance, said:

Dan Sullivan, Director of Products and Propositions at Bupa UK Insurance, said: “Small businesses are under pressure right now. With sickness absence at record levels, even one person being off can have a big impact. That’s why SMEs need healthcare that works harder for their business – helping people stay well, get support earlier and return to full health sooner, improving productivity and growth.

“SMEs need to compete with large corporates on benefits. By strengthening our SME health insurance offering, we’re bringing together something genuinely distinctive – from being the only UK insurer** to include a dental allowance as standard, to leading the market on preventive health. Combined with our cancer cover, the most comprehensive mental health support and connected care pathways, it gives small businesses a high quality, competitive package to attract and retain great people.”

Additional benefits already available

Alongside the August launches, SME customers also benefit from a range of enhancements already available, including:

• Members First – For customers with Mental Health cover included on their policies, a dedicated mental health talking therapies^∧ pathway with no excess to pay and no impact on outpatient allowances when employees access therapy through Bupa services.
• JAAQ at Work – clinically backed wellbeing content across more than 70 health and wellbeing topics, helping employees access trusted advice and support whenever they need it.

Comprehensive support for employees and employers

Additional features of Bupa’s SME health insurance proposition include:

• Comprehensive cover, including Cancer Promise and Mental Health Advantage.
• ConnectedCare, linking digital and in-person healthcare services across GP, mental health, physiotherapy, Personalised Health, specialist treatment and dental care through My Bupa and Blua.
• Care pathways for common health and musculoskeletal concerns.
• 24/7 health helplines, including support for health concerns, family mental health and menopause.
• Neurodiversity support, providing coaching and practical resources for employees.
• Dedicated business support, including account management, Bupa Connect and wellbeing resources to help employers maximise the value of their cover.

Find out more

To explore the full range of enhancements and discover how they can support your SME clients, read the SME relaunch intermediary adviser brochure. (PDF, 0.5MB)

Notes

• Dental allowance – available to all eligible customers from 2 August.
• Face-to-face GP appointments – available to new and renewing customers from 1 August.^†
• Medication Check – available to new and renewing eligible customers from 1 June to 1 August, and all eligible customers from 2 August.
• My Prevention Plan – available to eligible new and renewing customers from 1 September, with 12 months' continuous Bupa cover required to access the benefit.^†
• Members First mental health support – available to eligible new and renewing customers with mental health cover. ^∧†
• Growth+ support through WorkNest – currently available until 31 December 2026.

^†Clients on a 2-year fixed policy will be eligible for the renewal benefits at the end of their 2-year fixed term. However, they will be eligible for mid-contract change benefits regardless of where they are in their 2-yuear fixed policy.

^*Customers need to pay a £100 contribution each time they have a preventive assessment

¹Health workforce, healthy economy research, (PDF, 1.5MB)

^**For verification click here (PDF, 2.0MB)

^∧Counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), psychology and psychotherapy.