Self-employed business owners can access free private health support between now and August following the expansion of plans from the health insurance specialist Equipsme to cover freelancers and sole traders.
Those signing up to the Solo or Solo Plus plans – which launch today – will be able to get an online appointment with a GP at any time of day or night, remote physiotherapy consultations, health checks and counselling services through a stress support line – and with nothing to pay until 1 August.
They’ll also be able to access digital triage for more complicated conditions and be directed to in-person treatment if it cannot be safely delayed. When lockdown restrictions ease and private hospitals return to treating non-urgent patients, plan holders will access diagnosis and treatment in person.
Self-employed business owners can also choose to add family members to their plan, all of which can be arranged quickly and easily online.
Equipsme has until now provided health insurance plans for businesses with at least two employees. Today’s news expands that offer to the millions of self-employed professionals and sole traders in the UK.
Matthew Reed, Equipsme’s founder explains: “If you are self-employed you know that the health of your business relies on your physical and mental health. Now that’s more important than ever. We know people are avoiding appointments to find out what is wrong with them, which risks issues that could be sorted quickly becoming far more serious or even chronic.
“We also know how tough it is at the moment to be self-employed. We hope that providing professional counselling and medical advice from now until what we expect will be the peak of the pandemic will go a small way to offering support.”
Self-employed businesses can access private health support and cancel before August with nothing to pay.
Reed adds: “At the moment insurance is not exactly winning the hearts and minds of businesses. This is a genuine offer and I assure self-employed business owners that they can access this on day 1, use it and cancel it by the end of July.”
After August, the plans cost the same for everyone, aged 16-59 and with no long and intrusive questions about customers’ health and lifestyle. There is a simple three-year exclusion for pre-existing health conditions.
Equipsme launched in 2018 with a mission to make private health insurance simple, affordable and sustainable. It won “Best New Product – Innovation Award” at the Cover Excellence Awards in October 2019 and now is shortlisted for The Insurtech Award at the British Insurance Awards 2020.
