Over 100 women in the past year have had to turn to private medical insurance because the NHS hasn’t provided drugs that could significantly improve their health. Cancer drug, Herceptin, is a very expensive treatment, costing up to £20,000 for a year’s worth and cash strapped NHS trusts in certain parts of the country haven’t been able to provide it for patients with early stages of cancer. There have also been at least two high profile cases where women have gone to the High Court to fight for the right to be treated with the drug on the NHS. Although the majority of private health insurance policies do not include the treatment of cancer among the illnesses and conditions which they will pay out for the treatment of, Herceptin is just one drug which the health service won’t readily provide for patients, mainly due to the cost.


Top-ups are just one way in which more expensive treatments are now available, partly on the NHS. Until last year, if patients wanted to be treated with a drug not provided by the NHS, they would have to foot the whole cost. Since then the law has changed and patients can now pay the extra cost on top of what the NHS will pay towards medication. Cash plan private medical insurance, like the policies offered by Freedom Healthnet are ideal for paying for NHS top-ups. At a very low monthly premium, they are an affordable way of having access to more expensive, but often faster acting and innovative treatments.