Health insurance provider Westfield Health has revealed that 100,000 of its policyholders are now covered by its scanning benefit.

According to Westfield, the s scanning benefit allows eligible policyholders to access MRI, CT and PET scans, which are able to detect serious conditions such as heart disease, brain disorders and cancer early at a treatable stage.

Westfield was the first health cash plan provider to offer a standalone MRI and CT scanning benefit and the insurer remains the only provider to offer a complete scanning service.

The company says that once referred by a consultant, policyholders can call Westfield’s scanning helpline and a scan will be arranged on their behalf with the cost covered by the policyholder’s plan.

Westfield Health Chief Executive Jill Davies says: “To reach more than 100,000 policyholders is a terrific milestone. This is excellent news for Westfield and underlines our commitment to the wellbeing of our policyholders, as well as to employers tackling absence issues.

“Westfield has always strived to anticipate and meet changing healthcare needs and develop products accordingly, and this scanning success is a shining example of how we are achieving that. In some cases, this benefit has helped to cut waiting times, thereby providing peace of mind for the customer and facilitating a quicker return to work.”