Medical insurance patients are increasing

Private medical insurance inpatient/day-case admissions are on the rise, new figures from the Private Healthcare Information Network (IHPN) reveal.

It reports that, in the fourth quarter of 2022, procedures paid for with private medical insurance reached their highest rate since the pandemic.

‘This continues the upward trend over the past few quarters and it is the first time insured admissions have reached over 140,000 since Q4 2019,’ IHPN says.

‘In 2022, insured admissions were higher than the two previous years and only 6% below 2019.’ 

Year                     Total admissions                     Difference with 2022 (%)

2022                       547,000                                          N/A

2021                       496,000                                          -9

2020                      380,000                                         -31 

2019                      580,000                                            6

Insured inpatient/day-case admissions in the regions by year (rounded)

Region                      2019          2020            2021           2022

East Midlands          20,000      14,000          19,000         21,000

East of England       66,000      43,000          56,000         63,000

London                  205,000     145,000       174,000        193,000

North-east                 8,000         4,000           6,000            7,000

North-west               40,000       24,000        33,000           37,000

South-east             116,000       76,000        98,000         108,000

South-west              31,000       18,000        29,000           29,000

West Midlands         33,000       20,000        28,000          30,000

Yorkshire and
The Humber            21,000        13,000        19,000          21,000

PHIN said insured admissions last year were above 2021 levels in every English region except the South-west where they were the same. 

  

‘Every region except the East Midlands – which had a 5% increase in 2022 on 2019 – and Yorkshire and The Humber – which stayed the same – remains below pre-pandemic levels. The North-east has had the biggest fall (-13%), but from the lowest base. 

‘London and the South-east remain the regions with the highest levels of insured admissions.’ 

Insured inpatient/day-case admissions in the devolved nation by year (rounded)

Devolved nations       2019        2020        2021        2022

Northern Ireland          3,000       2,000      3,000        3,000

Scotland                    24,000     14,000    20,000      22,000

Wales                        27,000     16,000    23,000      26,000

The data provider said insured admissions had remained constant in Northern Ireland.