Aviva business health insurance

Aviva offers two business private medical insurance policies. Solutions provides cover for businesses with 1-249 employees, while Optimum is for businesses with 250+ employees.

You'll find many of the same cover options with each policy, with some variations in the cover levels available.

Aviva's Solutions policy provides private medical insurance for businesses with between one and 249 employees, so it's suitable for one-person companies and larger SMEs.

The policy provides core cover and various optional extras so you can tailor your policy to suit your circumstances and budget.

Private medical insurance funds private medical treatment for acute conditions that arise after your employees join the policy. Solutions covers treatment for various conditions, including cancer, musculoskeletal problems and mental health symptoms.

Here's what you can expect to find as standard.

In-patient or day-patient treatment

Solutions covers treatment in a hospital or day-patient unit. The policy covers your employees' accommodation and treatment costs, including specialist fees and diagnostic tests in the hospital.

Employees who spend the night in an NHS hospital can also claim cashback.

Out-patient treatment

Many private medical insurance policies don't include out-patient coverage as standard, although many now offer some tests, scans or out-patient procedures. Solutions includes out-patient cover, including treatment, diagnostic tests and pre-admission tests. Your employees can also have physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiropractic treatment with a specialist referral.

Cancer cover

Cancer coverage is a vital part of all private medical insurance, and Aviva's policies are no exception. All the treatments you'd expect are covered, including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. You'll also find more specialised treatments, such as bone-strengthening drugs, stem cell and bone marrow transplants and specialist care for side effects.

Your employees can benefit from other services supporting them through their cancer journey, including cover for wigs, external prostheses and genetic testing.

The policy also covers ongoing monitoring and preventative treatment. Should the worst happen, Aviva's cancer care cover includes end-of-life care.

BacktoBetter service

The BacktoBetter service provides specialist care for musculoskeletal conditions, giving your employees quick access to care for their back, neck and joints.

The service acts as a triage and offers physiotherapy without a GP referral.

Mental health pathway

Aviva's mental health pathway provides direct access to counselling and specialist care via a helpline with no need for a GP referral. The service provides referrals to clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors and therapists.

Additional benefits

Some of the additional benefits available with the Solutions policy include:

• Home nursing.
• A private ambulance for hospital transfers.
• A £100 baby bonus.
• Treatment for pregnancy and childbirth-related complications.
• Dental surgery in a hospital.
• Infertility investigations.

If employees can add their children to the policy, it will also pay for parental accommodation to stay with their child in the hospital.

Optional extras

Aviva's core policy covers a comprehensive range of treatments. However, you can tailor your policy by adding further services and extending employees' treatment options.

Dental and optical cover

The eligibility requirements for free NHS dental and optical care mean many of your employees are likely already paying for private check-ups. Adding dental and optical cover to your policy can help them save money on their eye tests, dental check-ups and routine and emergency treatment.

Optical cover can be a cost-effective option if you already pay for eye tests for employees using display screen equipment.

Additional mental health care

Aviva's mental health pathway provides access to out-patient services and counselling. However, if you work in a high-stress environment or want to support your employees with improved coverage, you can increase it. A mental health policy upgrade covers in-patient and day-patient care for acute conditions.

GP referrals

Aviva's standard policy coverage only provides some services, such as tests or out-patient physiotherapy, following a referral from a specialist. However, you can increase your cover to allow an employee's GP or the Aviva digital GP to refer them instead. This additional cover also provides employees with specialist consultations and tests for chronic conditions otherwise excluded from private medical insurance.

An extended hospital list

Each private medical insurance policy includes a hospital list showing which hospitals are covered. Standard lists typically exclude hospitals in central London and other major cities, as costs are usually higher in these areas. If coverage for city centre hospitals will enable your employees to access convenient treatment, an extended list is a worthwhile investment.

Aviva's Optimum policy is for business with 250+ employees. Optimum comprises core cover and optional extras along the same lines as the Solutions plan. However, there are a few differences, meaning your employees are covered for additional treatments within core coverage, and you have more options to tailor your cover.

Here's what the policy offers.

Core cover

With Optimum, your employees receive the same core coverage as with the Solutions policy. They're covered for in-patient and day-patient care, out-patient care including tests and scans, and the BacktoBetter service for musculoskeletal conditions.

The policy also includes level 2 cancer cover which provides comprehensive cover but limits more expensive treatments such as stem cell or bone marrow transplants or ion beam therapy.

Optional extras

Some optional extras on the Optimum policy are the same as on the Solutions plan. You can opt to add:

• Dental and optical care
• An enhanced mental health pathway
• Menopause support
• Extended hospital lists
• GP referrals

You can also add the following benefits depending on your circumstances.

Enhanced cancer cover

Level 3 cancer cover provides unlimited cancer treatments, including higher-cost treatments such as stem cell transplants and proton beam therapy. You can also support your employees with specialist talking therapies.

Gender Identity Services

The gender identity benefit has two levels. The core benefit provides support, including counselling and an initial assessment with a gender identity specialist, while the enhanced option adds hormone therapy and surgery.

Fertility and family planning support

If you have more than 1000 employees, you can opt to add fertility support to your plan. The Solutions policy covers investigations as to the causes of fertility issues, but the Optimum policy goes further, covering fertility treatment at HFEA-licensed clinics, including IVF. Fertility preservation is only available to employees undergoing treatment that may impair their fertility. There's also enhanced mental health support depending on your mental health coverage.

It doesn't cover surrogacy, voluntary sterilisation, sterilisation reversal or complementary therapies.

Neurodevelopmental pathway

The neurodevelopmental pathway helps you support your employees with neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD, autism or Tourette's. It provides direct access to a private diagnosis and support without a GP referral, support from mental health clinicians and a transfer to the mental health pathway for additional support. It's designed to complement rather than replace NHS treatment but can speed up the process.

Optimum Referral

Optimum Referral lets you reduce costs with its flexible open referral approach to private medical insurance. Aviva's claims team will assess each claim using their clinical expertise to refer your employees to an appropriate provider.

The policy is based on a two-year pricing agreement for predictable costs.

Aviva provides the same added value benefits with all business private medical insurance. These are non-contractual benefits and can be withdrawn at any time.

They include:

• Aviva's digital GP service with 24/7 GP video consultations.
• A 24/7 stress counselling helpline.
• Discounts on gym memberships and other wellbeing services and products.
• The Aviva Wellbeing app can help your employees improve their health and wellbeing by increasing their activity levels, eating more healthily, or getting more sleep.
• Mental health and wellbeing resources online.
• The Aviva Line Manager Toolkit with mental health resources helps line managers support their staff.
• The MyAviva portal provides an easier way to make a claim.

Aviva's standard policy exclusions include chronic illnesses, treatment for addiction, cosmetic procedures and straightforward pregnancy and childbirth.

Pre-existing conditions are also excluded if you choose moratorium or full medical underwriting. Still, Optimum customers can opt for medical history disregarded underwriting to provide coverage regardless of medical history.

Ways to reduce your premium

You can reduce your premium by tailoring your cover by removing some benefits or reducing your out-patient cover limits. You could also choose a cheaper form of underwriting, such as moratorium underwriting, rather than medical history disregarded.

Other options include:

• Adding a policy excess so employees pay for part of their care themselves.
• Choose Expert Select, Aviva's guided consultant list that's limited to lower-cost consultants.
• Choose a limited hospital list.
• Add a six-week wait option; your employees can only make a claim if they'll wait more than six weeks for NHS care.

Get in touch

Finding the best health insurance for your business needs can be challenging. Globacare provides tailored advice to help you choose the right policy for your business. Contact us to find out more.