The Health foundation, Think-Tank, has recently released their study on the UK healthcare system. Within its findings was worrying news about how waiting lists for non-emergency operations and treatments were getting longer and how trying to visit a GP out of hours is increasingly difficult. The study looked at the UK health system and compared it with those of our neighbours in Europe and other first world nations.

The foundation learned that 55% of patients within the UK had problems accessing their GP at night and at the weekends with Great Britain coming in well behind countries like The Netherlands and Germany. Additionally, waiting times were worse in the UK compared to its European neighbours with 15% patients waiting over 6 months for treatment.

It is studies like this which worry consumers and make individuals consider buying private health insurance to ensure peace of mind.

A report in The Independent today discusses how the cost of private medical insurance premiums are soaring and those who are worried about their health should take advantage of health screenings instead.
Health screenings are an excellent idea and should, in fact, be undertaken once a year. Just as you would MOT your car, you should have a thorough check-up to ensure that you are healthy - so for peace of mind - or to pick up early warning signs if you are not. Unfortunately, the NHS does not have the resources to be able to do this for all of us, and even when a checkup is undertaken financial restrictions mean that the extense of the tests are far inferior to that found in the private sector. Basic health screenings cost between £150 and £200, on average, and they will cover all of the health fundamentals in about a dozen tests. More comprehensive tests last a couple of hours and cost between £300-£500. These can include about 40 tests, with extensive blood screening. Some of the results are available there-and-then, with the rest available in a few days to a week. BMI, BUPA and Nuffield Hospitals all offer health screening packages.
The article in The Telegraph suggests this in place of private medical insurance - which is a possibility - but then the sticky point of paying for a fixed-price operation comes into play. Many people can find the money to cover basic operations but operations for more serious illnesses can be extremely costly. Screening helps to identify conditions early, so as to avoid the need for the operations but, what happens if an operation is needed and there is no funding in place to cover it?
The article recognises the importance and peace of mind that private medical insurance brings, but stated that comprehensive family medical cover for a couple in their early thirties with two children is likely to cost over £100 a month. This is not the case. Freedom Healthnet offers their top-end, comprehensive health insurance for a family of 5 with parents in their mid- 30's, including rehabilitation and outpatient cover and no voluntary excess for £85.57 a month. The most basic cover - Freedom Gold - for the same family with outpatient cover is only £60.97. This is significantly less than the £100 quoted and has all of the options included. When you consider that the replacement of a heart valve costs in the region of £18,000, a haemorrhoidectomy costs approximately £2,200 and a sports knee injury (cruciate ligament) is in the region of £4,300 - see payouts for common medical procedures, you can quickly see how private medical insurance is worthwhile if you want to be treated promptly. In fact, Freedom's Platinum Health Insurance (its mid-range policy) was highlighted recently in The Independent as the best value comprehensive medical insurance policy over BUPA, AXA and the other providers.

The Freedom medical insurance policies pay directly into your bank account upon approval of eligible inpatient claim, before the treatment takes place. This, then, enables you to approach the hospital of your choice - BMI, BUPA, Nuffield or one abroad - and get a 'self pay' fixed price quote for the cost of the treatment. A 'self pay' price is often lower than the standard price, so be sure to ask for that. Also, our clients have sometimes found that if they are slightly flexible upon treatment dates and times they can benefit from additional savings: if the hospital can conduct two similar operations on one day then there are savings for them in terms of surgeon, anaesthetist time, theatre staff, etc. Please note: this is not always the case in all hospitals, ensure that you discuss this with the hospital of your choice. It is always important to note that any savings made on the price of your hospital treatment are yours to keep, tax free.

Get an instant online quote for medical insurance from Freedom.

The takeup of Individual Medical Insurance is on the increase in the UK as publicity over fatal infections in NHS hospitals reaches new heights. The Telegraph quotes how 90 patients cared for by Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells Hospitals NHS Trust died as a result of infection from a nasty superbug, Clostridium difficile. With recent photographs of dirty hospitals in the press, the rise of MRSA and other such bugs and the often-lengthy waiting lists, people are turning to private health insurance to rescue them from the failing NHS.

According to The Telegraph, about 7.4 million people in the UK already have health insurance and this number is now on the increase. When faced with a mixed sex ward or a private room by yourself when you are ill, many opt for the latter. Moreover, the prospect of being treated instantly instead of waiting months to see a consultant and then more months for treatment is instantly attractive. Private health insurance offers choice and people are really beginning to understand the benefits associated with that choice.

With reports that the funding for the NHS is going to slow down after 2008, the increased demands of an expanding population, coupled with increasingly expensive drugs and procedures will not be able to be met. BUPA has produced a report illustrating that there will be an £11 billion gap in the funding of the NHS by 2015.

All of these factors are driving people to the conclusion that private health insurance is the way to go. Many are lucky enough to have employee health insurance via their work for themselves and their families. Indeed, the ABI state that about half of the number of people covered in the UK have insurance policies via their employer.

Following on from the Employee Health Benefits Exhibition, the ABI discussed the ideas around employee medical insurance at their Health Conference earlier this month.

Health and Safety has ensured that the number of workplace injuries continues to fall, year on year, which is excellent news for both employees and employers. However, one issue which continues to affect employers is absenteeism due to illness. With 28 million days per year lost due to illness and 7 million days still lost due to injury, this is a serious problem for businessess. Absence from work costs employers a staggering £13 billion per year and an additional £13 billion paid in incapacity benefits by the government / the taxpayer.

The government is endeavouring to address these issues from their end, including advising small and medium sized businesses, but the medical insurance industry has a vital role to play in alleviating the above situation. 10 million workers in the UK are currently being covered through helath insurance and income protection insurance and every year more than £3 billion is paid out to meet healthcare needs and to replace lost income.

Medical and Health Insurance is increasingly offered by companies who wish to reduce the amount of time taken off work by their employees due to sickness or injury. It is seen as a perk or benefit by the employees who appreciate the fact that their employers are investing in their health. Additionally, employee medical insurance can be extended to include family cover - offering peace of mind as their loved ones will receive prompt treatment in the unfortunate event of illness, without having to suffer the delays of the NHS.

When people leave companies or retire, their health insurance plans often stop and they have to get a new policy for private health insurance. Many find that they have to go with a new insurer to keep the costs down as their premiums could double or triple with some providers when coming out of a group insurance scheme into a private one. The reason for a disparity between employee and private medical plans is that with company health insurance there is a substantial discount given for a group of people being covered. Additionally, the PMI cover could be paid by your employer, leaving you to only pay the insurance premium tax (IPT). With Freedom, our company medical schemes start from 3 individuals + so a family business or start-up business can be covered by a private health plan. We also offer family health insurance as well as individual. With our family medical policy, it covers all of your children (to age 25 whilst in full time education) for the same cost as one child, hence giving you savings there immediately.

Also, some insurance providers do not want to continue with the client when they leave the company and make them 'restart' their policy - so that the client has to take a policy with a 2 year moritorium on cover for conditions treated in the past 5 years, or similar. With Freedom Healthnet, you can switch from your Freedom company policy to a Freedom individual policy without having to go through this.

With Freedom Health Insurance, we have a switching system which provides for individuals who retire or who leave their employer but who wish to carry on with their private medical insurance. Contact the Freedom team for details 08703 50 40 30.

Alternatively, our instant quick quote for medical insurance will show you how little your premium could be with Freedom Healthnet - quoted in The Independent as the most competitive comprehensive insurance policy over the likes of Bupa and AxaPPP.