The rebirth of corporate private medical insurance - The number of people covered by company-paid private medical insurance (PM1) leapt by 7.4% in 2000 to 2,451,000, according to the latest analysis from sector-watchers Laing & Buisson. It estimates that around 8% of the UK population is now covered by company-paid PMI, and suggests that last year's pick-up may herald the start of the first revival in PMI since 1987-90. We look at why more companies are offering PMI as an employee benefit, and at how the insurance companies are beginning to get to grips with the rising levels of claims and premia that have checked the expansion of PMI in recent years.