Small Business Health Insurance: Provide quality healthcare benefits
Let us help you find the most suitable Group Private Medical Insurance (PMI) policy to help provide fast private care for your employees. Get a business health insurance plan that supports staff wellbeing and day-to-day resilience.
· We obtain quotes from the UK’s leading health insurers.
· Transparent policies with no hidden surprises.
· Speak to friendly, UK-based, expert insurance advisers.
Give private medical support your employees can rely on
What are business health plans?
Small business health insurance, often called group private medical insurance (PMI), helps your employees get faster access to private healthcare for urgent or acute conditions. It sits alongside the NHS, giving staff a quicker route to specialists, tests, treatment, and some therapy options.
What does Group Private Medical Insurance cover?
A typical group PMI policy for UK small businesses can include:
✓ Fast access to consultants and specialist appointments, helping avoid NHS waiting times for your employees.
✓ Diagnostic tests (for example MRI, CT scans, PET scans) and quick referrals for medical treatment.
✓ In-patient and day-patient hospital treatment, including surgeon and consultant fees.
✓ Optional outpatient cover for specialist consultations, tests and therapies such as physiotherapy.
✓ Mental health support, including counselling, psychotherapy and access to psychiatrists.
✓ Cancer diagnosis and treatment support, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy where covered.
✓ Digital GP and telemedicine services with private GPs for quicker GP appointments, advice and onward referrals.
✓ Useful extras like employee assistance programmes (EAPs), health screening and wellbeing tools.
As with all policies, terms and limits apply and some conditions (for example chronic conditions or pre-existing conditions) may be excluded or require underwriting.
Why offer group PMI to your staff?
- Faster care: Employees can see specialists, access private treatment, and get tests quickly, which may help them recover sooner.
- Retention and attraction: Offering private health insurance is a valued perk that helps retain talent and attract new employees.
- Reduced absence: Early diagnosis and treatment can cut time off work and reduce disruption to operations. Employee health insurance supports physical and mental health and helps reduce sick leave and unplanned sick days.
The right business medical insurance can be tailored to your business needs, helping you balance cover levels, value, and cost.
How to get a Group Life Insurance quote
Simply complete the below form and a member of the team will be in touch.
Get a quote today
-
“The Mercer Marsh Benefits consultant listened carefully to my requirements, explained clearly the various elements to help with my decision making, asked insightful questions to cover all eventualities.”
CJ Hair Limited -
“What stood out most was combination of expertise, knowledge of the product, friendliness and genuine care that we were getting the best deal possible.”
CJ Hair Limited -
“The Mercer Marsh Benefits consultant clearly wanted the best outcome for our company and worked with us as a trusted partner rather than just as an external adviser.”
CJ Hair Limited
Speak to an expert
How Group Private Medical Insurance works
-
Choose the level of coverDecide what to include: inpatient treatment as standard, with optional outpatient cover, mental health support and digital GP services. Set annual limits or any excess that suit your budget - and keep the plan affordable while making the most of your money.
-
Agree the underwriting approachInsurers may use moratorium underwriting (no upfront medical questionnaire), full medical underwriting (employees declare medical history) or medical history disregarded for larger groups. We’ll explain which approach best fits your team.
-
Set up the policy for your workforce
We’ll help arrange a group policy that covers eligible staff. You can decide who’s included (all employees, part-time staff or specific categories). -
Use and claimsWhen an employee needs care, they contact the insurer or digital GP, discuss referrals, private appointments and treatment. The insurer handles claims under the policy terms.
-
Ongoing managementWe’ll support renewals, changes in cover (where included), and any claims issues so the scheme keeps working for your business.
Common add-ons and extras
- Outpatient cover: Specialist appointments, tests and therapy without hospital admission is available at different levels of cover to help tailor the plan.
- Physiotherapy and musculoskeletal care: Quick access to treatment for injuries and back pain.
- Mental health cover: Counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and specialist psychiatric care.
- Digital GP services: Phone or video appointments for advice and referrals.
- Cash plan top-ups: Help with routine dental care and optical costs.
What to watch out for
- Pre-existing and chronic conditions: Many PMI policies don’t cover conditions that existed before joining. Make sure you understand how your policy is underwritten..
- Annual and per-condition limits: Some policies cap how much they’ll pay each year or per treatment.
- Waiting periods: Newly diagnosed conditions or certain treatments may have waiting periods before cover starts.
- Cost vs benefit: Balance premiums with excess levels and the scope of outpatient and mental health cover to get real value. Understand how much employees pay (if you choose to share premium costs) versus how much the business funds.
Who benefits most
- Small employers wanting a competitive employee benefits package.
- Businesses where quick access to medical care could help reduce long-term absence of key employees.
- Employers looking to support employee wellbeing with mental health and wellbeing services.
Free guide: Employee Benefits Market Trends (UK)
FAQs
Speak to an expert
Please also note that we are not lawyers or tax advisers and nothing in this document should be construed as legal or tax advice or relied on for this purpose. We strongly recommend that you seek appropriate advice in relation to matters of law and taxation.
Mercer Marsh Benefits is a trading name used by Mercer Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Firm Reference Number 121935). Mercer Limited is registered in England and Wales (Registration Number 984275). Registered Office: 1 Tower Place West, Tower Place, London, EC3R 5BU. © 2026 Marsh. All rights reserved.