"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."
- Keira Wallis, head of clinical operations at Healix Health
In its H1 2025 benefits usage data, Healix Health reported that neurodiversity benefit usage has risen by 78% year-on-year, making it one of the fastest-growing categories. These services include diagnostic assessments and ongoing support for conditions such as ADHD and autism.
Strikingly, 49% of claims came from those aged under 21, highlighting awareness amongst parents and young adults as well as the pressures caused by NHS waiting lists.
Autism diagnosis wait times now average over 17 months - this is 200 days longer than twelve months ago. Given these delays, staff are increasingly relying on employer-provided healthcare to secure timely assessments and support.
“Employees are showing us what matters to them through the benefits they actually use. 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,” said Keira Wallis, head of clinical operations at Healix Health.
Alongside neurodiversity, chronic condition benefits surged by 92% compared with H1 2024. These benefits include support for long-term illnesses such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease.
Women accounted for 63% of claims, with those aged 30-39 representing 21% of usage.
Gender-specific health benefits also increased by 27%, with 87% of claims made by women. This reflects a growing emphasis on reproductive and women’s health in the workplace.
She added: “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.”
Despite rapid growth in new areas, traditional healthcare remained the backbone of benefit usage, with outpatient (55%) and inpatient/daycase treatment (15%) accounting for 70% of claims.
Physiotherapy (8%) and health cash plans (7%) completed the top five most-used benefits.
