Health insurance company calls on government to scrap taxes

Leading private medical insurance provider Bupa have protested the Government. Bupa have argued that the current tax penalties relating to health at work are inefficient and should be scrapped.

The managing director of Bupa UK Health Insurance, Fergus Kee, reportedly commented: The employee incurs income tax on the benefit and the employer has to pay National Insurance contributions. If that treatment is funded through health insurance, there is a further Insurance Premium Tax charge. So both the company and the receiver of healthcare are penalised.

Kee reportedly continued: Nine out of ten employers tells us they want more from the Government to invest in health at work and over half would invest more if there were more incentives to do so. We work with 80 per cent of FTSE 100 companies and thousands of smaller businesses across the country. The current tax treatment of workplace health provision is an obstacle and a strong disincentive. If removed, it would allow more companies to play their part in keeping Britain healthy .