Cost of healthcare benefits is rising
Tuesday, 17 July 2012
The true expense of providing healthcare benefits to staff continues to increase, research shows.
The 2012 Towers Watson global medical trends survey found that the perks are set to rise by 9.6 per cent, with wellness programmes and health strategies becoming popular employee benefits for staff.
Respondents named new medical technology, profit motives and the recommendation of too many services as different reasons for the increased costs.
Francis Coleman, director of international consulting at Towers Watson, said: "The news is not all gloom and doom. Across all regions, we are seeing projections increase at a slower rate than in the recent past, perhaps evidence of the global economic slowdown."
Mr Coleman went on to say that more employers will be compelled to search for solutions to manage their medical costs.
One firm that has recently added new healthcare benefits is D Young.
The law company has made health screenings available for families, while financial education workshops have also been introduced.
