PMI price hikes continue to blight the future of the health insurance market

Rising private medical insurance (PMI) premiums pose a "bigger threat" to the sector than future improvements to the NHS, according to speakers at Laing & Buisson's annual private healthcare insurance conference. Opening the debate, Philip Blackburn, market analyst at Laing & Buisson, said the only reason the PMI market has continued to grow is due to increases in average cost, with the same customers paying more and more for their premiums, and not growth in new business. Commenting on this, Fergus Kee, managing director of BUPA Insurance, said delivering affordable healthcare is the in...