An analysis of hospitalization insurance schemes.

An analysis has been made of the liabilities and theoretical surpluses of several profit-making hospitalization insurance schemes, that is, schemes which pay a cash benefit on hospitalization as distinct from sickness and whose benefit is not related to the incurrence of hospital fees. The information required for this study has been obtained from the companies concerned (advertisements and correspondence), the Hospital In-patient Enquiry 1970, and the in-patient statistics from the Mental Health Enquiry for the year 1970. By early 1973 six such schemes had been identified, and these, together with the British United Provident Association (BUPA) Hospital Cash Scheme and two schemes of the British Hospitals Contributory Schemes Association (BHCSA), form the subject matter of this study.