Westfield Health will absorb January's 1% insurance premium tax (IPT) rise instead of passing it on to policyholders.
The decision will cost the health insurer an additional £530,000 per year and it is the first health insurer to announce plans to do so. Jill Davies, chief executive of Westfield Health, called the tax increase "unwelcome" and said the provider wanted to reassure all its customers, whether companies or individuals, that it will not be increasing prices immediately on implementation. "However, in future reviews of plans, we will have to build any increase in the prevailing rate of IPT in our premium calculations," she says. "Although it was disappointing to hear of the 1% IPT increa...
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