With the increased media interest in health and the NHS, why are more people turning to private medical insurance?
The latest NHS reforms dominate the news at the moment with the general public finally being consulted on their view about competition with private health services, budget control and healthcare. The NHS in turmoil naturally leads people to question the effectiveness of their current service and, indeed, their future health provision.
Previously to that, the problems with superbugs in hospitals, waiting times, mixed wards, the constant cost-cutting and closure of wards and hospitals, etc. were major causes of concern.
The NHS is an excellent health service and we are very lucky to have this in the UK. However, for non-urgent procedures patients can be waiting months for treatment. This can mean a poor quality of life in the interim; it can mean long term absence from work; it can mean a drop in income to SSP after a certain period of time; it can perhaps put jobs in jeopardy as employers seek to make cost reductions through redundancies. For self-employed people or sole traders, it is even more worrying. People cannot afford not to work during a recession.
For many people in these difficult times, it is necessary to think about protecting their source of income through protecting their health. Naturally, a healthy lifestyle is the first priority. Private health insurance also helps. Medical cover can help you to get back to work more quickly and it might cost much less than you think.
Imagine being told you have to have an operation but the waiting time was 10 weeks or 18 weeks? How would that impact upon your life? Your family’s life? Your working life? Health insurance cover would ensure that you would be able to have your operation at a time of your choosing helping you to resume normal working and family life. Some medical insurance policies will also cover rehabilitation costs, if needed and therapies.
When you are looking to take out private medical insurance, you have two main choices: cashplan or comprehensive health insurance. The cashplan policy will pay out a cash lump sum upon approval of inpatient claim. You then can choose to get treated in a private hospital of your choice as a self pay patient or you can wait on the NHS and keep the money.
The other option is traditional, comprehensive private health insurance which covers you for treatment in the hospitals on your selected list and for the level of cover you select. Payment is made directly by the insurer to the treatment centre. You can select the basic hospital list which covers regional and some London hospitals; the London list which also covers hospitals like the Portland and the Harley Street Clinic; or the London Premier which includes the Cromwell and a couple of other top London hospitals. Cover can include additional options such as dental, optical and private GP cover. You can select full outpatient cover and choose levels of other cover options. Cancer cover with many health insurers such as Freedom Healthnet is standard with basic levels of cover. Cancer insurance care is subject to cancer guidelines.
Private health insurance costs less than you think: a typical 30 year old non smoker could pay 50p per day on a cashplan policy and £1 a day for comprehensive private health insurance cover.
