All part of the plan?

From 2,984,000 contributors to healthcare cash plans at the end of 2002 an estimated 433,000 were company paid, by salary deduction as a group of employees, or through a personal scheme, according to Laing & Buisson's figures. Company-paid cash plans account for 15% of total contributions, but this share has been growing in recent years and the trend looks likely to continue. This 15% of total contributions equates to £56.7 million being paid into cash plans, yet only a fraction of this is being received by brokers as commission. The majority wings its way back to the providers themselves....