PMI benefits: a guide for internal communicators

Private medical insurance (PMI) was the top benefit for a quarter (25%) of 2,000 UK employees surveyed by Epassi UK[1] in 2025. Yet despite 43% of employers offering the perk, only 16% of staff were aware of it, highlighting a significant failure to communicate healthcare benefits. Internal communications teams are uniquely placed to solve the problem.

In this blog, I’ll explain the gap in employee health-benefits communications, discuss the role of IC teams, and share my copywriting tips to close it.

Healthcare benefits rise, but internal communication fails

NHS waiting lists stand at 7.11 million, making private medical insurance increasingly popular and valued as an employee benefit.

In 2025, research commissioned by the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN) found that 62% of respondents believed “that all workplaces should offer private healthcare”. Meanwhile, almost 7 in 10 18–24-year-olds said they’d be more likely to apply for a job that offers PMI.

The Drewberry Employee Benefits Benchmarking Report 2026 reveals that only 36% of employers felt their staff understood their benefits ‘very well’. However, most (55%) felt the benefits were ‘quite well’ understood.

There’s room for improvement because most communication about healthcare and other benefits reads like a formal policy rather than a friendly conversation. It uses confusing insurance-speak and a cold tone that can make employees lose interest. This can diminish the perceived value of the benefits, undermine staff loyalty and risk retention.[2]

Internal communicators can improve employee understanding of PMI

The best way to explain any benefits to employees and maximise their value is for HR to work with internal communications experts skilled in storytelling.

As the creative communications agency Gallagher explains:

“Whether or not IC is involved in creating a policy, they must be involved in ensuring it’s understood, valued, and used. It’s not just about announcements; it’s about understanding, clarity, and behavioural change. That’s IC’s area of expertise.”

Writing benefits communications that employees actually read

As a healthcare and insurance copywriter who also works in internal communications, I’d offer this advice on communicating information about employee healthcare benefits:

  • Rewrite any policy language to lead with employee benefits rather than product features. Instead of ‘The policy’s healthcare benefits include physiotherapy’, write ‘You can see a physio within days’.
  • Explain insurance terms like ‘excess’, weaving in a benefit where possible. Instead of ‘A £50 excess applies’, write ‘You pay a fixed amount, called an excess, of £50 towards the cost of a claim, which helps reduce the cost of your insurance’.
  • Use a conversational tone to clarify PMI benefits and build trust. Healthcare is personal, so your copy should be, too. The NHS Content Style Guide is a great starting point. It recommends addressing the reader as ‘you’ and avoiding ‘should’, which can sound patronising.
  • Don’t bury the lede – your internal communication has failed if people are confused about their healthcare benefits and what they cover.
  • Schedule your communication at memorable, regular and logical times, such as during onboarding. Don’t communicate once and then stop. Frequent communication about employee benefits significantly improves both recall and uptake.

Employers with an employee benefits communication strategy will see a real return on their investment when IC professionals help staff genuinely understand and use their PMI. If you’d like help with the wording, that’s where I come in.

Visit my healthcare writing page to learn more about building employee trust and understanding.

[1] Cited in Health & Protection magazine

[2] Institute of Internal Communication: Impact Brief – The trends shaping organisations and internal communication, May 2026