Chronic conditions and neurodiversity support are driving some of the sharpest increases in employee healthcare benefit use, according to data from healthcare trust provider Healix Health.
The findings highlight how staff are turning to workplace benefits as NHS delays remain a concern.
In the first half of 2025, benefits claims for chronic conditions rose by 92 percent year on year. These benefits cover support for long-term health issues such as heart disease, diabetes and asthma. Women accounted for 63 percent of health benefits use. Within this percentage, a fifth (21 percent) of the claims were from women aged 30-39.
Neurodiversity benefits also recorded strong growth, rising 78 percent compared with the same six months in 2024. Claimants under 21 accounted for 49 percent of this, reflecting both greater awareness of ADHD and autism, and growing delays for NHS diagnosis. The average wait for autism assessments is now more than 17 months, an increase of 200 days from a year ago.
Despite this growth in newer benefits, traditional services remain the backbone of employer-provided healthcare. Outpatient treatment accounted for 55 percent of claims, while inpatient and day case services made up 15 percent. Together they represent 70 percent of all use, which is similar to last year. Such services include hospital admissions, scans and consultations. Physiotherapy and cash plans round out the top five most-used benefits, with both seeing an increase on 2024 figures of 8 percent and 7 percent respectively.
Primary care support is also becoming more prominent. Consultations, excluding virtual GP services, rose 60 percent in the first half of 2025. Employees under 40 account for 60 percent of this use. The provider said this points to strong demand for accessible frontline healthcare.
Gender-specific health benefits grew by 27 percent, with 87 percent of claims made by women, mainly those aged 30-49. Reproductive health benefits use also rose by 15 percent, with 78 percent of claims from women in their 30s.
The data signals a broader shift towards prioritising women’s health in the workplace, particularly in areas such as menopause, fertility and reproductive care.
“Employees are showing us what matters to them through the benefits they actually use,” said Keira Wallis, head of clinical operations at Healix Health. “We’ve seen real growth in areas like chronic conditions and neurodiversity, and women’s health is clearly a much bigger part of the conversation than it was a few years ago. These are all areas where the NHS is struggling to keep up, so naturally, more people are leaning on employer-provided care to fill the gap.
“What’s interesting is that men’s health isn’t seeing the same engagement, which suggests more could be done to encourage men to use the support that’s available to them – whether at work or in the wider healthcare system.”
