Rising health insurance claims down to recession

The rise in medical insurance claims is down to stress caused by the recession, according to health insurance news today. The information was reported in the Telegraph and based on a report from the international employee benefits consultant Mercer.

Insurance companies have predicted private medical insurance customers taking advantage of their policies whilst they still had it. Money worries are generally regarded as being bad for the health .

Steve Clements, a principal in the health and benefits arm of Mercer, reportedly commented that there was a marked increase in scheme utilisation. This may well have been due to the stressful environment of the credit crunch as, anticipating redundancy or a reduction in health benefits in 2009, more people sought to make claims while they could. However, average bill costs have remained fairly static over 2008, largely due to reduced inflationary pressures on medical treatment costs.