Millions of plumbers, dancers, vets and other self-employed people are putting their health at risk because they cannot afford to take time off work when they are sick, says
PruHealth, the innovative private health insurer.
New research conducted for the insurer by a market research service, reveals that 72% of self-employed people claim they have no choice but to soldier on working when they are ill. Only one in ten self-employed people, when questioned, said that they always take time off when they are unwell.
Being the only person to run the business is the main reason many stay at work regardless of their health:
When ill health eventually prevents them from working many self-employed people are faced with a further challenge, as one in two have no private medical insurance, income protection or critical illness insurance to protect them when they need it most.
Shaun Matisonn, Chief Executive of PruHealth, says: “The self-employed are not only endangering their own health by soldiering on when they’re ill but they’re also risking financial hardship and the stability of their businesses by not protecting themselves. The self-employed should be looking for the peace of mind that if they ever need medical treatment they can access it when and where they want to. "
The self-employed have good reason to be concerned about ill health as significant numbers of them have had to take long periods off work during the last three years. Nearly 10% have spent more than a week while another 6% have spent up to a month or more in hospital. Of those who spent time in hospital 43% had to pay more than £1,000 out of their own pocket for urgent treatment.
Matisonn adds: “Long periods of illness can be very disruptive for those working for themselves. Getting back to work as fast as possible is critical. Private medical insurance can help to speed up access to healthcare and offers flexibility to fit treatment around their business commitments.”
The research reveals that when faced with a non-life threatening condition that requires a recovery time of two weeks or more, 27% of the self-employed would pay for private treatment to minimize any disruption to their business.
PruHealth is the first private medical insurer to link the cost of premiums with the efforts people make to look after their health. It rewards people for looking after their health. For example, by going to the gym or long walks, taking preventative measures such as going for health screens and assessments and limiting the claims that they make, people can get back up to 100 per cent of their premium towards the cost of their renewal.
