One size fits all rarely works in practice. Things that benefit one person do not always have the same advantages for someone else. With some private medical insurance policies, because of the way that they are structured, people can occasionally end up paying extra premiums to have access to one particular benefit, when other benefits offered on that higher level of cover are not needed, irrelevant and a waste of money. Freedom Healthnet, like other health insurers such as Norwich Union and Health Online, allows you to tailor your private medical insurance policy to suit your needs.

Freedom Healthnet allows its customers to choose whether they would like inpatient only cover, both inpatient and outpatient or fully comprehensive cover. Inpatient care includes accommodation charges, drugs and dressings, theatre charges, specialists’ fees, diagnostic tests, oncology treatments, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy as well as MRI and CT scans. Outpatient treatments are then optional and customers can choose whether to include them in their policy or not. These treatments include specialist consultation and treatment fees, x-rays, pathology, diagnostic tests and procedures, MRI and CT scans, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and physiotherapy. By giving customers the option as to whether they would like to be covered for outpatient care or not, Freedom Healthnet allows people to make savings on their private health insurance quote if these services are not needed.

It is also possible to personalise your policy even further, when deciding on which level of cover you would like. An essential insurance policy such as Freedom Gold Health Insurance may be suitable for someone wishing to top up their NHS treatment with the new rules on supplementing the cost of drugs for example, by paying for up to £30,000 worth of inpatient care. However, someone who is looking for a policy that gives them more peace of mind by covering nearly every eventuality may prefer a fully comprehensive policy which covers unlimited amounts of both inpatient and outpatient treatment.

Many of us will need a physiotherapist at some point in our lives, for a variety of reasons, such as: following an illness, an accident or as a result of ageing. 

Given that illness and accidents can be, by their very nature, unpredictable, as are the effects of aging on the body, many people will feel safer in the knowledge that they can have access to physiotherapy treatment by getting a quote for private medical insurance. 

Access to physiotherapy is covered by most private medical insurance providers, however it is often thought of as a luxury and is an add-on in many cases. This is despite the fact that the treatment is a central part of the recovery process in many hospital departments such as outpatients, intensive care, mental health, paediatrics, occupational health and orthopaedics. 

In contrast to this, Freedom Healthnet gives access to physiotherapy treatments on its most basic of private medical insurance plans. Physiotherapy is classed as an outpatient treatment and is optional on all policies, but both inpatient and outpatient care can be accessed for as little as £20.29 per month on a Gold level of cover. By upgrading your essential health care policy to cover both inpatient and outpatient care, you will also gain access to other optional outpatient treatments and services such as specialist consulations, x-rays, pathology, diagnostic tests, MRI and CT scans, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. 

Around ten per cent of the NHS’s budget will be wasted this year, because of simple errors. The figures, which have been approximated on behalf of the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA), reveal that the amount the health service will spend on compensation to poorly treated patients will have increased by nearly a third compared to last year. One health insurance company, Health-on-line has even predicted it to be the reason why they have seen an increase in quotes for private medical cover. The company’s director Mike Dalby says, "It’s difficult to be certain but we have seen an increase in health insurance enquiries over recent months and we’re beginning to wonder whether this is due in part to the public’s increasing frustration with misdirected NHS funds."

It has been argued that the significant amount the NHS wastes as a result of their mistakes could easily be prevented with more care and attention, and the money could be much better used in other areas to improve facilities and overall patient service. Waiting lists are often a major concern, and one of the reasons that people look into taking out a private medical insurance policy in order to be treated in a much quicker time. Mike Dalby adds, "Many people will question why this compensation has to be paid in the first place. Is it down to the fact that the NHS is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain standards of cleanliness, or that the increased pressure on the health system is leading to more mistakes being made? It will only have a detrimental effect on the public’s confidence in the NHS and could be the reason for increased interest in private health insurance".

A brand new private medical practice is set to open in the Midlands, meaning that private medical insurance customers will have an even wider choice when it comes to deciding where to have their treatment. The centre will be run by The Independent General Practice (IGP), which already has three other successful clinics in Swansea, Cardiff and Newport. It will offer a range of services to patients, including general health check ups, vaccinations, and occupational healthcare, as well as GP facilities. 

The new surgery, which will be found at the Health Harmonie Centre in Edgbaston, will just be one of many private healthcare centres that are available more widely to Freedom Healthnet policy holders. In comparison to other private health insurance companies, Freedom does not have limited hospital lists of which you are expected to choose from. With the exception of some London clinics, Freedom customers are pretty much restriction-free when it comes to where they would like to receive their treatment. 

The Edgbaston healthcare centre will be based around the successful format of the IGP’s other facilities in Wales and will be headed by local practitioner Dr. Swallow. He told Wales Online, “The rapid growth of the IGP model has not gone unnoticed in professional circles and I’m pleased to have become a part of a practice which affords such a comprehensive range of both medical and cosmetic treatments.” People who live in the Midlands may find themselves enquiring into a quote for a private medical insurance policy to allow them to have an easier access to the top quality services the new centre will provide.

Despite much improvement recently in cleaning up Britain’s hospitals, only five out of fifty one acute health trusts passed a hygiene spot check by the country’s health watchdog. The Healthcare Commission undertook the inspections as part of one of the biggest investigations into cleanliness standards in recent years, and found that the majority were not meeting the required standards for NHS institutions set in the government’s Health Act in 2006. 

The Act was designed to improve the conditions which had led to a large number of superbug outbreaks such as Clostridium Difficile and MRSA, but it seems that while significant changes have been made, and most of the complaints are for minor breaches of the guidelines, many NHS trusts could still do a lot more to improve their services. More NHS patients may decide to get a quote for private medical insurance, especially as improvements don’t seem to have been as effective as first thought. It may seem a more reassuring option for some people to take advantage of a private health insurance policy, and gain access to top quality private hospitals, which are renowned for their low rate of superbugs and high levels of standards. 

Overall, the Healthcare Commission found that around 29% of all NHS Trusts across England hadn’t met one of the three main objectives of the hygiene code. But it is particularly worrying, especially for patients, that such a high number of acute clinics should be failing to keep clean in all aspects and areas. Acute clinics offer a wide range of services, including specialist care, emergency treatment and complex and lifesaving surgery, at a time when cleanliness could be more vital than ever. More peace of mind for patients is needed, and they may find themselves turning to private medical insurance to provide this psychological reassurance. Liberal Democrat Health spokesman Norman Lamb told the BBC, "Considering the horrifying death toll from superbugs, it is very disturbing that adequate systems are still not in place in very many of our acute hospitals." 

Britain’s healthcare services have been put in thirteenth place in a European league table, lower than countries such as Hungary, Austria and Luxembourg. The list was compiled by the Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI) and although the UK had gained four points since last year's grading, many people are concerned that we should be higher up. Such concerns could even lead some people to opt for private medical insurance to ensure that they are receiving the best possible treatment available in this country.

The EHCI assesses the different healthcare services in Europe, based upon many factors, including the amount of information available for patients, the quality of the treatment, and how easy it is to access the various services available. The Netherlands came out top of the league table, which again could lead people into making enquiries about cash plan private medical insurance policies such as those offered by Freedom, in order to access services similar to these efficient, top quality, foreign healthcare providers. 

Freedom’s private health insurance policies allow the patient to choose where they would like to receive their treatment, by paying them a cash lump sum, rather than paying directly to the hospital. In this case, the patient could if they wished, bypass the facilities in Britain, and use their money to pay for private treatment in countries with highly regarded hospitals like the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria and Luxembourg. Perhaps perceptions of the NHS have been damaged recently, with stories of long waiting lists, and superbugs, so by getting a quote for a private medical insurance policy, efficient, convenient and the best quality treatment centres will be available, whether that is at home or abroad.