The UK’s biggest private medical insurance provider, Bupa, has recorded profits for the first half of 2009 despite the fact that the number of people covered by one of their policies has fallen. The net PMI policies for the company had dropped by three percent from the beginning of the year, but profits in the UK and North America had grown by just over one percent. This pattern has occurred partly because of price increases to cover the loss of the number of people taking out private medical insurance (PMI). Increasing premiums may encourage more people to consider getting rid of their private health cover especially for those people who are struggling in the recession more than others, perhaps because of a redundancy or pay cut. For those people who do not wish to scrap their private medical insurance altogether however, comparing policies may be a better option.


Comparing prices is advisable no matter what you are investing in, whether that is a new washing machine or television or other types of insurance such as car or house insurance. Savings can often be made and private health insurance is no exception. By swapping to cash plan private medical insurance you may be able to avoid increasing premiums from other providers and even cut your monthly fee in half. Freedom’s premiums start from as little as £10.88 per month which means that you can still have the reassurance of PMI but with less of a worry of whether you can still afford it. The number of people who took out cash plan policies in 2008 actually increased despite the recession so this means that any increase in premium is much less likely than if you were insured by a company such as Bupa.