Private patients should be able to jump the queues on NHS waiting lists, according to the participants of one of the latest surveys. A poll of readers of ‘Health Insurance and Protection Magazine’ found that over three quarters of people believe that a person who has already got a referral from a private consultant should be able to join an NHS waiting list higher up than someone who hasn’t already had a referral on the NHS. It follows the high profile case of a woman with a back problem who had already received a private diagnosis, but was then told to have NHS treatment she must get another referral and join the back of the waiting list. Experts have now said that there should be more of a private sector involvement in the NHS to avoid some confusion and to allow people to have added peace of mind if they should so choose it. The top-up system has been one step to integrate some of this.


Other people have said that private patients, including private health insurance policy holders, should have the same rights as NHS patients if they decide to opt for the free healthcare in the end as they contribute as taxpayers as well. However, if patients are increasingly having similar problems with integrating back into the health service after seeking a private diagnosis, NHS top ups may seem like an attractive option. These mean that NHS treatments can be upgraded if the patient so wishes, but at an extra cost to them. Cash plan private medical insurance is ideal for this situation as it is one of the cheapest type of policies available and is perfect for supplementing the NHS.

Millions of people in the UK are lucky enough to be covered by a private medical insurance (PMI) policy provided by their employer. These are great, not only for the workforce by having access to some of the best healthcare facilities in the country and being able to beat often long waiting times of the NHS for treatment, but for less obvious reasons for the company too. Over three quarters of British workers believe that their employer should be responsible for their healthcare as it is where they spend the majority of their time, and most businesses both big and small recognise the importance of providing benefits like private medical insurance to their staff. Not only do staff feel more loyal to the company, it also attracts a higher calibre of candidate to any job vacancy in the first instance. Employees are also more likely to return to work in a quicker time should they become ill by being treated in the most convenient place and time to them.


Not everyone is covered by a corporate private insurance policy however. It is an attractive option to most people, and the traditional view that premiums are expensive and unaffordable can put people off enquiring into a quote for private health cover. But more cost effective private health insurance like the cash plan policies provided by Freedom Healthnet have made the peace of mind that comes with PMI available to even the lowest budgets. These can even be highly beneficial to those people who are self employed and are looking to cut costs where they can.

The private sector is looking to play an increasingly important role within the NHS, especially following the general election according to industry experts. The Chief Executive of private health provider Bupa, Ray King, told the London Evening Standard, “Whichever colour of party comes into power they will make the NHS seek higher levels of productivity and that inevitably means engaging with private health providers.” The NHS already has many contracts with the private sector, including to treat some patients which they haven’t got beds or resources to treat themselves. By seeing the NHS look to the private sector for help, which seems to be a growing pattern, the public may start to wonder whether they should go directly to a private doctor or hospital for their treatment. If so, they may wish to take out a private medical insurance policy to help make the costs more affordable.


The NHS is undoubtedly restricted by its budget from the government and this is likely to take some form of cut over the five years as MPs try to pay back some of the huge debt the country is now in following the recession. People already have the option to top up their NHS care if they so wish, which could be because they feel there is a better treatment available that the basic NHS budgets will not allow for. An ideal way to make these top ups less of a monetary issue, is to take out low cost private health cover. Cash plan policies are among the cheapest and can provide the peace of mind of traditional private medical insurance but at a fraction of the cost, meaning that they are accessible for almost every budget.

Millions of workers in the UK are taking days off sick because they are unsatisfied with their jobs. Illness is one of the biggest problems for employers and costs huge sums of money every year through loss of productivity and efficiency. But now it seems that it not sickness itself that is causing all of these problems. According to one of the latest surveys published by Bupa, nearly half of the British workforce are annoyed with a lack of career progression and feel generally unfulfilled in their jobs. The “How are you Britain?” report suggests that this can mean people end up taking days off as a result.


There are a number of things that employers can do to help this apathetic attitude of some of their staff and reduce the cost of sick days to their business. Among these suggestions is providing private health insurance for employees which can help to improve the loyalty which they feel towards the company they work for. Not only this, if workers do actually become ill, they will be able to avoid the waiting times of the NHS if they so wish and visit a private hospital which means they are more likely to return to work quicker than they might have done otherwise. It can also cost very little in comparison to the cost of sickness to the workplace, particularly if the company opts for a cash plan private medical insurance policy. Other suggestions that have been made to help staff feel more satisfied at work are providing health food in canteens and encouraging fitness activities.

Cleanliness of NHS hospitals has taken a back seat when it comes to the public’s concerns about the NHS. A new survey carried out by You Gov on behalf of The Sun has revealed that significantly more people named putting targets ahead of patient care and postcode rationing of drugs as bigger problems in the health service than cleanliness of wards. These concerns were also backed up when the 1,747 adults who took part in the study were posed with the statement “The Government’s introduction of targets for GPs and hospitals means more effort is concentrated on targets than patient care”. Over three quarters said they either strongly agreed, or tend to agree. As MRSA rates in hospitals have reduced recently, these new concerns may be encouraging more people to take out a quote for private medical insurance than issues that have been hitting the headlines for longer.


Other issues may be more of an annoyance to those people that have witnessed or experienced problems with the NHS first hand rather than hearing about them in the media. Almost half of the people (47 percent) who took part in the You Gov survey said they had been subject to unreasonable hospital charges. Cash plan private medical insurance could provide a solution to managing some of these charges. The NHS has begun to charge people if they wish to top up their treatment to a more expensive version and cash plan policies are ideal for this sort of situation. As they pay out a lump sum to help cover the cost of treatment, it gives the patient the option as to whether they would like to be treated in a private hospital, abroad or to help cover some of these charges in a NHS clinic.

Some private medical insurance providers are beginning to encourage their client’s employees to consider being treated in an NHS hospital rather than making full use of their private health insurance cover. Staff are being offered £200 a night to use the NHS for their treatment rather than going into a private hospital. The BBC is reported to be involved in such a scheme, although a spokesperson has denied it, because they have been inundated with senior staff who are claiming on their corporate health insurance policy for a stay in a private clinic that could cost up to £1,000 per night. Offering a cash incentive is one way in which companies like this are trying to cut costs on their private health cover. Another option for businesses is to compare other types of policy with their current one and considering swapping to a cheaper alternative. Cash plan private health insurance is one of the cheapest ways of providing this valued benefit to employees.


Private medical insurance providers, like Freedom Healthnet, have been recognising the importance of giving people the option to use the NHS if they wish for years. Cash plan policies in particular have found that the choice that people get from being given a cash lump sum to cover all or part of the cost of their treatment is an advantage. This means that people can choose whether they would prefer to be treated in a private hospital, in a clinic abroad or in an NHS centre if they so wish. This may be the most convenient option for some people if the hospital is closest to their home for example and then the policy holder can use the money to help cover other costs incurred as a result of the illness, such as having to take a day off work or travel costs.

Cash plan private medical insurance has been taken up by increasing numbers of employers. In 2006, corporate health insurance accounted for 8 percent of the market, but in 2008 this had risen to 13 percent according to Mintel. A report by Laing and Buisson found that the number of cash plans provided by companies increased 29 percent in 2008, bringing the total to 378,000. Stephen Duff, deputy chief executive at HSF told All Business, “When company finances are tight a health cash plan voluntary scheme doesn't cost the company anything. And it gives employees the opportunity to buy a cash plan at the corporate rate instead of the consumer rate, which is around 40% more.”


These figures prove that businesses in the UK are recognising the many benefits of having private health cover for their staff. Greater efficiency is just one of these, as staff who become ill can be treated in a shorter time and therefore return to work more quickly than what they might have done being treated on the NHS. By offering private health insurance for employees, companies can even attract higher calibre of staff and have a higher quality production as a result. Loyalty amongst employees is also something that comes about as a result of providing private health cover. The Laing and Buisson research also found that 88 percent of people who have a cash plan policy value the core benefits, so this could make it an even more worthwhile investment. Stephen Duff says that people can often put off going for medical checks because of money worries. “However, when they have budgeted for their health through a cash plan they go for more regular check-ups, which means that they are less frequently off sick, which is better for them and therefore for their company.”

The private healthcare sector could help to solve the debate of how to deal with the NHS, says the group chief executive at one of the UK’s biggest health insurance providers. Speaking at the Conservative Manifesto Conference, head of AXA UK Nicolas Moreau, said, “Preserving and protecting the NHS should be at the forefront of Government policy but this comes at a cost. A future government will need to choose between a defined level of healthcare cover that should be provided by the NHS and what needs to be paid for by patients through top ups. The private sector has many solutions that will help.” The NHS is always a popular subject for politicians vying for public support, and with an election coming up in the next few months, the state of healthcare in the UK is almost certainly going to be brought to the forefront of party campaigns.


Increasing numbers of NHS patients are already being treated in private healthcare facilities in one controversial method of dealing with a shortage of beds. Other patients who are not happy with the level of care offered by the health service, are choosing to upgrade their treatment with the top ups mentioned by Moreau, and this is something that looks like is going to become even more popular as the NHS becomes even more limited by its budget. Cash plan private health insurance is ideal for covering the cost of topping up NHS treatment because it is much cheaper than other forms of private health insurance and is designed to supplement the NHS.

Back pain sufferers and other patients with musculoskeletal complaints may be persuaded to take out a quote for private health insurance after it was revealed that over half of patients have to wait over six weeks for physiotherapy on the NHS. An investigation carried out by Health Insurance and Protection magazine has found that only forty percent of the 126 out of 152 primary care trusts that were included in the study had waiting times of less than six weeks. That’s despite the fact that patients with back pain have a much higher likelihood of returning to work if they are treated within a four to six week time bracket. Employers may find that they prefer to cover their staff with corporate private health insurance if it means that they can beat the queues and return to work in a shorter period of time. Some sufferers face waits of over eighteen weeks in nine primary care trusts across the UK.


Occupational health treatments are not covered by all private health insurance policies so it is important to check the list of benefits of each provider and level of cover whilst comparing policies. Freedom Healthnet offers physiotherapy on all levels of its private health cover, even the most basic policy, and because they are cash plan policies they can be over half the cost of those from other providers. Back problems are a huge cost to businesses in the UK, causing employees to take nearly five million days off work every year. Physiotherapy won’t be able to help all of these problems, but by providing near-immediate access to this treatment, companies could significantly help to cut the number of days lost to sickness and improve the efficiency of their workforce.

Many companies in the United States are becoming less satisfied with their private health insurance providers, according to one of the latest surveys. PricewaterhouseCoopers have found that the recession has caused many American companies to look again at the private health cover they are offering for their employees. The two main things that bosses said they would like to see improve is better information and more value. One way in which they might decide to improve their private health insurance policy is to consider swapping to another provider or a different type of policy. The easiest way to do this is to get a quick and simple quote on the internet.


It is not only companies in the United States that are looking to save money across all their everyday costs. Businesses in the UK have also been hit by the recession, and many of them may have considered cash plan private medical insurance as an alternative to the traditional policy that they may already provide for their staff. Cancelling cover altogether will undoubtedly save the most money but the benefits of having corporate private health insurance could be worth the expense in the long term. The businesses who took part in the PricewaterhouseCooper study felt that there was a lot of waste in their private health cover. Cash plan insurance is a more cost effective policy and could give employees a similar access to private health care facilities but at a fraction of the cost.

As the government looks increasingly likely to get rid of the default retirement age for workers in the UK, it’s not only the ageing population that are beginning to worry about the implications. It is thought that four in ten will have to work six years longer than they originally hoped to because of an increasing pension deficit across the country. That’s according to research carried out by Aon Consulting and means that the average retiring age is likely to rise to 70. The costs for employers of providing benefits to an ever ageing workforce could go up significantly –some experts say it could be up to 20 percent.


There are a wide range of employee benefits, one of which is private health insurance. If the cost of premiums increases some companies may be forced to cancel their policy or look for a cheaper option. Cash plan private medical insurance is a much cheaper way for companies of providing private health cover for their staff and switching to this type of policy could make the savings that a business is looking for. Cancelling altogether may not be the best option for a company that has already reaped the benefits of private health cover and could end up costing them more money in the long term from staff sick days, less efficiency and productivity. It could also mean staff become less loyal and motivated to work hard if it seems to appear that their interests are not as at heart as they are used to.

Getting a quote for private medical insurance is now a very easy process, heightened greatly by the internet. But if you are not entirely sure what you are looking for, you could end up with a policy that is not as suited to your needs as another one might be. Increasing numbers of people in the UK are now taking out private medical insurance but there are still a large number of people for whom it is a new idea that has now become accessible to them through cheaper versions of private health cover like cash plan policies. For others, they may have been covered by one company for a number of years and have only just considered swapping to another provider. It is no wonder that people make mistakes and end up taking out a policy that is not completely relevant or costs them more than necessary.


Some of the most common mistakes people make are because they don’t really know what they want from private medical insurance and what their main priorities are. It is best to research the different types of cover that a company offers before you even think about taking out a quote, and one of the easiest ways to do this is on the providers website and decide whether you want to cover just yourself, you and your partner, or your whole family. There are a number of levels of cover available as well, so decide whether you would like to be covered for inpatient or outpatient treatment or both. If physiotherapy and other alternative treatments are something which you would like to be covered for, make sure that these are included. People can also make mistakes with their excesses. Even though they can often bring down the premiums for some policies, you may be paying more excess than the cost of the actual treatment. Opting for cash plan private medical insurance like the policies offered by Freedom Healthnet can be a better way of lowering the cost of premiums.

Private health insurance policy holders may not be making the most of their cover by continuing to use the NHS. GP’s may now be encouraged to offer their patients a private referral because those who are privately covered are said to be taking up places in NHS clinics that could otherwise be used to treat those people who do not wish or cannot afford to pay for their care. At the moment, doctors may not always realise that their patients have private medical insurance or are willing to pay for their treatment and automatically refer them to NHS specialists. It may also be that they are not too sure of the procedure to refer patients to private hospitals. The independent sector are now trying to persuade GP’s to help ease the pressure on the NHS by encouraging patients to investigate all options.


More people may be willing to pay for their healthcare than some GPs may initially think. Some people may not have even considered that there might be an alternative than being patient in an NHS waiting list for an appointment with a specialist or for an operation. Paying directly for the cost of private treatment might be an option for some people, but for the majority of people this often costly option is not a choice if they do not have savings or wish to spend them on healthcare. Cash plan private medical insurance is a cost effective way of having access to private health care but with monthly premiums that are much less noticeable than an often large one off payment.

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.

The NHS may actually be helping private hospitals in the UK to survive through the recession and even improve their services. This is because of the increase in the amount of NHS patients that are now being treated in private health centres, which is offsetting a downturn in the number of patients who are paying for their own treatment. One example of this is General Healthcare group, who owns one of the largest private healthcare companies in the UK, BMI Healthcare, which recorded an increase of profits of 7.6 percent over the past year despite the recession. Private healthcare, as a luxury item, could have potentially been one of the hardest hit sectors during the recession but it doesn’t seem that this has happened and private health insurance policy holders of now and the future will no doubt benefit from these facilities that are still performing well.


Private hospitals, like the ones owned by BMI Healthcare have seen a drop in the number of patients who are funding their treatment through ‘self-pay.’ One option for these people who may no longer be able to afford to pay for often very costly private healthcare is to compare private health insurance policies. One of the easiest ways to do this is through an online quote. Cash plan private medical insurance is one of the most affordable types of private medical cover and its customers get the best of both worlds. The NHS is using the private sector for four times as many procedures as it was 18 months ago according to Laing and Buisson and cash plan private health insurance gives its customers the option to be treated in by the NHS if they wish so they may even end up in a private hospital anyway. Customers can then use the money to help towards other costs incurred as a result of illness, like travel for example.

NHS patients have had the option to upgrade their treatment since last year, meaning that they can have access to expensive drugs if they wish to pay extra. This has been extremely popular with revolutionary cancer drugs like Herceptin, but now it seems that the huge cost of these treatments are bumping up the cost of some private medical insurance policies. PMI is a highly attractive option to help pay towards the cost of upgrading NHS care, but if premiums are becoming more expensive some people may start to look for an alternative. Cash plan private health insurance, like the policies offered by Freedom Healthnet is extremely affordable, and although it doesn’t cover the cost of cancer treatment, it is ideal for topping up other forms of NHS treatment. This way, premiums are less likely to increase from their already low cost because they will not be affected by this.


More than four in ten people (42 percent) would pay for drugs that are currently not available on the NHS according to the 2008 Health of the Nation survey, which was carried out by Bupa. These often new and expensive treatments can be more effective in treating certain conditions and are undoubtedly highly sought after by sufferers. But the NHS is inevitably limited by its budget that is looking likely to be cut in the next few years as the government makes to look savings to help pay back the record amount of debt the UK is now in. The number of people who are taking out a quote for private medical insurance to enable them to upgrade their medical care in the most affordable way may increase as a result.

Almost three times the amount of companies are now offering their employees a permanent form of private medical insurance than this time last year. That is according to some of the latest research from Hewitt Associates who found that over two thirds (67 percent) of companies now offer private health cover as part of a flexible benefits scheme for their staff compared to just 23 percent in 2008. The annual flexible benefits survey found that health screenings was the top employee benefit, followed by dental care. These results show that despite the recession, employers are still recognising the importance of looking after the health of their staff as a long term investment rather than a short term cost. Just some of the advantages to a company of providing health benefits like private health insurance are attracting a higher calibre of staff and reducing the cost of days lost to sickness each year.


Some people do not realise that there are many types of private medical insurance, as well as different levels of policy on offer. Cash plan private health cover pays out a cash lump sum to the patient to put towards the cost of private healthcare, or if they wish to be treated on the NHS they can use the money to cover other costs like travel expenses. But why decide to opt for cash plan private health insurance for your employees? Firstly, it is the most cost effective form of health cover so a company can still provide their staff with this highly regarded and appreciated benefit but at a low premium. Secondly, there are no hospital lists which means that if your employees commute in to work from further afield they will have an even wider choice as to whether they would rather be treated nearer to home or work. By making this more convenient choice they may be able to recover in a quicker time in a more comfortable environment to them.

The British healthcare system is one of the best in the world, beating the American system in the results of a new survey. The study was carried out by the Commonwealth Fund across eleven countries around the world. The 10,000 doctors who took part rated the NHS highly for its provision of inexpensive healthcare that is available for everyone. It comes as American President Barack Obama is looking to introduce a more readily available healthcare system in the States, raising concerns among some people that they would have something similar to the NHS. While it provides a good standard of care for most people, there are still some patients in the UK who have a private medical insurance policy to give themselves the peace of mind that they will be treated in the best environment available.


Some Americans are concerned that if they have an NHS style healthcare service some of the criticisms of the UK system will transfer to their own level of healthcare including some people who believe that “death panels” will decide their fate. While having to pay for their treatment may be an inconvenience to some, and unaffordable for others, some Americans will be reassured that they will be getting the highest standard of healthcare. Patients in the UK who are covered by cash plan private medical insurance seem to have the best of both worlds. While they can have access to private hospitals and clinics, if they wish they can use their cash lump sum to supplement any costs incurred to them due to their illness and still use the NHS to have free healthcare. In the Commonwealth Fund survey, the UK was the only country where doctors felt that the quality of healthcare was improving so patients should take advantage of this if they wish. The NHS did come second to the US when it was judged against waiting times, with 28 percent of patients having to wait a long time to see a specialist in the UK, compared to 22 percent in the States. Private healthcare could then supplement the NHS where it doesn’t perform so strongly.

Private healthcare companies are now caring for four times the amount of NHS patients than it was less than two years ago. Figures from the Department of Health released this week show that a total of 8,400 NHS treatments were carried out by a private healthcare centre in August this year, compared to 2,100 procedures eighteen months previously. While some private health insurance customers are concerned that private hospitals should be differentiating between the level of care that a NHS patient receives compared to a paying customer, it means that the importance of patient choice is now being recognised by the government as well as some existing private health insurance providers like Freedom Healthnet. In fact, these cash plan policy holders have the benefit of choosing where and when they wish to be treated already, included in that is the choice to be treated in an NHS hospital if they wish. So cash plan health insurance customers like those with Freedom now have an even wider choice.

Some private hospitals have started to offer a premium service to those people who have paid, either through private health cover or by paying directly for their treatment. NHS patients now have the option to be treated in one of 149 private hospitals which provide healthcare at a quality standard ‘at a price acceptable to the NHS’. This number has almost doubled in the last year, as there was only 88 private hospitals to choose from in October 2008. Those cash plan private health insurance policy holders who choose to be treated one of these private facilities may then use the money they would have put towards the cost of the treatment on covering travel, money lost from taking time off work or other expenses that come as a result of their illness.

Increasing numbers of people in the UK may be getting quotes for cash plan private medical insurance after a huge increase in premiums by the large traditional policy providers. Bupa, the biggest private health insurance company in the country, has increased its prices by 14 percent in the last two years, and similarly PPP Healthcare has upped its costs by 12 percent. This is simply too much for some people, especially with more and more redundancies and lay offs meaning that people do not have as much disposable expenditure as they used to. Cash plan private medical insurance is an excellent way for people to cut costs while still having a number of health benefits.


Over the past year the number of people in the UK who have a traditional private health insurance policy has fallen dramatically. Over 10 percent of people used to be covered, but this has dropped to just 6.3 percent according to research by Laing and Buisson. Cash plan private medical cover on the other hand has been booming recently, with the sale of policies increasing a massive 180 percent over the past 12 months. Companies as well as individuals are discovering the advantages of switching to this more affordable health insurance, with 14 percent of businesses in the UK now offering cash plan health cover for their staff. This can be seen especially among smaller businesses with over a quarter of those with less than 100 staff now providing cash plans for their employees.

Nearly a quarter of people in the UK have cancelled their contents insurance. That’s according to the Association of British Insurers who have seen a number of people looking to cut their expenses by stopping a variety of different insurance payments. Life insurance is another cover which has suffered during the recession, as people look to make priorities in every area of their daily costs. But while some types of insurance, like contents and life cover, may have taken a backseat, others like private health insurance may still be important for those people who want to give themselves added peace of mind that they will be treated in a high quality hospital within a short space of time should they become ill. Swapping a private health cover for a lower cost policy like from a cash plan private health insurance provider like Freedom Healthnet could be a more attractive option than cancelling altogether.


There are a number of types of insurance that people cannot cancel, including third party motor insurance and building insurance if you have a mortgage. If you are looking to save money on your expenditure however, contents insurance, flood damage cover and critical illness insurance are some types of policy that you may wish to look at cutting back on. Health is one area in which a lot of people draw a line when it comes to compromises, which could be one of the reasons why the number of people taking out private health insurance in 2008 actually increased despite the country heading into recession. If you choose to cancel your policy, you could end up paying higher premiums than you did previously if you decide to take it up again in the future. Cash plans offered by Freedom Healthnet can cut your monthly premiums by more than half of some other providers and could save you more money in the long term by switching rather than cancelling altogether.

Cash plan private medical insurance could be one of the most suited types of private health cover to the needs of the over 50s. According to research carried out by Saga, the freedom to choose where and when a patient receives their treatment is the second most important factor to this age group when it comes to choosing a private medical insurance policy. Freedom Healthnet offers just this, and unlike many other cash plan providers, has no hospital lists from which to choose from. This gives even greater choice when it comes to deciding where a patient would like to be treated. Another benefit to cash plan private medical insurance is the low cost premiums. Over 50s can often be put off by the rising monthly prices of private health insurance with increasing age, but this is one affordable way to gain access to the some of the best hospitals and treatment centres in the UK.


The reason why most people over the age of 50 choose private medical insurance is to avoid NHS waiting lists according to the survey. Hygiene is also a big issue following high profile cases of MRSA, and was the third main reason that over 50s chose private health cover in 2009. Only one in ten of the people who took part in the study were happy with the cleanliness of NHS hospitals and may have wanted access to an alternative to give themselves peace of mind. Private health insurance is an affordable way to do this, especially as people may not wish to use their savings to pay directly for private healthcare which can be costly.

Over five million people in the UK could be put at risk of side effects in a new NHS cost cutting scheme. The health service is set to save over £70 million with the new rules which means that pharmacists must opt for a cheaper alternative of drugs if there is one available. It also means that pharmacists will be able to change a patient’s prescription without speaking with their doctor for the first time, excluding during an emergency. Asthma sufferers, epileptics and patients with bipolar disease are set to be among those affected. While the generic, unbranded alternatives are most of the time exactly the same as their more expensive counterparts, sometimes ingredients can differ within a certain percentage. Other factors, like colourings can also change within different versions of a drug and may cause side effects within some patients. Some critics have even said that the cost of treating in adverse effects of drugs could end up costing the NHS more money.


The NHS is more than likely going to have cut costs in many areas in the coming years as the government will struggle to carry on the amount of funding it has pumped in during the last decade. Some patients may be worried that these cuts could affect their health and experts are calling for some medications like some epilepsy drugs to be exempt from the new rules. Some people however, may wish to pay extra to ensure that they can carry on taking the more expensive drugs which they know suit them. Topping up treatment that is already available on the NHS is something which cash plan private medical insurance is ideal for. It is a low cost way for people to have access to private health care if they so wish.

The Liberal Democrat party leader Nick Clegg has joined the many people in the UK who opt for private healthcare for their families. This was a controversial announcement by the politician last month, who admitted paying for his son to see a private specialist to avoid NHS waiting lists. While this is becoming increasingly common in the UK, with the numbers of people who have private health insurance increasing in 2008 despite the country heading into recession, other politicians have criticised Clegg for not supporting the National Health Service. Liberal Democrat policy even allows the public to look for private healthcare if they are not treated on the NHS within a reasonable time. It is this sort of lack of confidence in the NHS, made even more in the public eye through these high profile figures that have encouraged people to take out a quote for private health insurance.


Mr Clegg himself does not have a private health insurance policy, and has paid for individual appointments himself. Self pay is one option if you wish to be treated in an alternative to the NHS but this can be costly and if can eliminate people if they do not have savings and could also lead people to get into debt they would rather avoid. Private medical insurance, particularly cash plan private health cover is an affordable way to gain access to private healthcare and avoiding the NHS waiting lists that are off putting to so many people. Illness is not something that one can predict, so while we may have savings now and could afford to pay for private healthcare, in the future when we need treatment, often as an emergency we may not be able to afford it. This is why private health insurance policies can provide a good peace of mind.

As President Obama heats up the debate in America about whether to introduce free healthcare for all, debates have started to arise here in the UK about our very own healthcare system. The NHS has always been criticised over one reason or another, whether this is over long waiting lists, hospital cleanliness or access to revolutionary, but expensive treatment. It is only really now though that politicians and speakers have begun to consider whether the future of the British healthcare system lies within the NHS. Some people abroad, in countries where thousands of people have to go without basic treatment because they simply cannot afford it, dream of a free healthcare service and in this case it might seem that we take the NHS for granted. But others, who favour private healthcare as a more favourable option look upon the NHS as one reason why a free healthcare system should not be introduced in the United States. British MP Hannan even joined in the criticism of a 60 year old service that has encouraged some people to choose to pay for their healthcare anyway, often through private health insurance.


The main advantage it seems to the British healthcare system is that people can have the best of both worlds. The NHS is excellent for emergency treatment, especially after incidents like road traffic accidents. For less unpredictable healthcare needs, private hospitals are a good way for people to upgrade their care if they feel they want to. Private health insurance is just one way that private healthcare can be accessed, but can make it much more affordable to a lot of people. Cash plan private health insurance in particular, is a much more cost effective way having that extra security and peace of mind, and has meant that private health care is no longer something that is considered a luxury and confined to the rich. David Cameron has said that he wants to open up the NHS debate even further, and with an election arising in the coming year, the next few months could be vital for the future of the NHS.

Private medical insurance is one way for people to avoid the waiting lists of the NHS and be seen in a place and time that is most convenient to them. Waiting lists is currently one of the main reasons for people to take out a private health insurance policy but with NHS waiting times becoming shorter all the time, some people have begun to question the relevance of having private health cover, especially in a financial environment where people are having to cut costs in every area of their daily expenditures. The Department of Health has recently announced that most people (over 94 percent) now only have to wait eight weeks or less from the time they are referred by their GP to their outpatient slot. This is all down to the increased government spending on the health service which has seen waiting times drop from 18 months in some cases. Despite this, there has been some other factors which have meant that the number of people taking out private health insurance increased again last year.


In clamping down on waiting times, the NHS has classed a number of procedures as non-urgent. These treatments tend to have longer waiting lists as a result, and although they are not life threatening, the procedures such as cataract operations can make a big difference to the condition of a person’s life. This might mean that people would prefer to still have private healthcare to be treated in an even shorter time. These sorts of conditions can also keep people off work for lengthy periods, so employers could still be attracted to health insurance for their staff to help get them back to work as quick as possible, rather than having them wait for NHS care. The future also seems uncertain for some people as the increased government spending on the NHS is likely to take big cuts in the coming years. Private health insurance is a good guarantee that a patient will be treated in the shortest possible time span.

Less people are taking out private medical insurance with provider Bupa. Figures have dropped three percent in the past six months compared to the same time last year, and it is being put down to the increasing numbers of people in the UK who have become unemployed recently. Over two thirds of Bupa’s customers are covered by a company policy so with fewer employees, less people are being covered with private medical insurance. For the thirty percent of people who have an individual health insurance policy with Bupa, they may have decided to opt for a cheaper private health insurance policy when their renewal came around because of money becoming tighter within their household. Freedom Healthnet provides low cost cash plan health insurance policies that are much more affordable, especially during the recession.


Despite the fact that Bupa suffered a significant drop in the number of policy holders, the company’s profits still rose for the first half of this year. This is because the prices of premiums were raised to cover the potential losses from dropping custom. With the UK’s financial system not expected to improve until at least 2010, the British public will be looking to save money in every area so rising premiums may encourage people to consider switching their private medical cover to a cheaper option like a cash plan policy. Online quotes are a quick and easy way to find out if money can be saved, without getting rid of the peace of mind that comes alongside having access to top quality private healthcare facilities.

Increasing numbers of people are taking out private medical insurance policies – and it’s all because they are worried about the quality and condition of NHS hospitals. A survey carried out by Bupa found that cleanliness of hospitals was a major contributing factor, with 73 percent of people stating it as their reason for taking out private health cover. That is an increase of eight percent on the same survey carried out the year before, despite the number of people actually contracting hospital acquired infections like MRSA falling in a similar period of time. Two of the other main reasons that people stated for taking out private health insurance was the thought that the quality of treatment would be better in a private healthcare centre (59 percent), as well as shorter waiting lists for care (61 percent).


Private health insurance has long been thought of as a luxury, but with the price of premiums now becoming very affordable, especially with cash plan private medical insurance, it is now something that everyone can have access to. With the UK heading into recession last year, some people may have predicted that the number of people with private health insurance would have dropped but despite this, figures actually rose. This means that people are now starting to see private health cover as an important priority to themselves and their families. Bupa’s commercial director, Stephen Flanagan, told Expatriate Healthcare: "It's good to see that more people are seeing the benefits that private medical insurance offers."

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.

Services provided by cash plan private medical insurance will see a surge in demand over the next ten years. That’s just one of the predictions made by the SMF Health Project, a group which has been looking at the NHS over the past two years and making recommendations to help keep the service sustainable in the future. This expected rise in demand for private medical health insurance surrounds the move by the government to allow patients to pay to top up the level of care they receive on the NHS. This was forbidden until about a year ago, when instead patients would have to foot the full cost of treatment if they wanted to upgrade their level of care. Cash plan private health cover, like the policies offered by Freedom Healthnet are perfectly suited for people who want to pay a bit extra for their health care on the NHS. They offer a very low cost monthly premium as well as making it a lot easier for those people who wish to pay extra for their treatment. Illness is unpredictable, so while we may have enough spare income to afford such treatments at the minute, private medical insurance is a good back up in case a person’s financial situation is not the same when illness arises.

The Social Market Foundation, which has compiled the report on the NHS, has said that a lot of changes must be made. They say that whilst the NHS must remain free to access and paid for by taxation, important financial savings must be made by changing from a primarily central government controlled service to one which varies locally. This will inevitable mean that some areas will end up with more efficiently run services than others and some people may find that they wish to look into getting a private health insurance policy to guarantee them access to top quality healthcare no matter where they live or work.

The number of people claiming on private medical insurance policies has increased. The latest figures have been released in a report by employee benefits consultants Mercer. They found that 3 percent more people made a claim compared to 2007. They compared results from 250 of the largest companies in the UK to come up with the data. It’s thought that the increase came partly as a result of a rise in medical inflation. Not only this, but people are believed to have been taking advantage of their existing private medical cover as part of their job while they still had it, either because they feared losing their job or just their employee benefits.


Private medical insurance is available at a very low monthly premium, especially with cash plan private health cover. Freedom Healthnet offers a good basic policy costing as little as £10.44 per month so even if people are expecting to lose their health insurance as part of their job there is no need for them to lose the peace of mind that comes alongside it. A company may also want to consider switching their current corporate health insurance policy to cash plan private medical cover to save themselves much needed funds in this economic climate rather than cancelling the policy altogether. Employee health insurance is a good way to attract top quality staff to a vacancy, which could improve performance and efficiency. A better general state of health for a workforce also means that less money should be lost due to staff sickness, which is a major cost to most businesses.

Last year was a good year for private medical insurance, cash plan policies in particular. Despite the UK heading into a recession, the number of people taking out private health cover actually rose and it seems that businesses weren’t put off by the financial situation either. The latest statistics released by Employee Benefits / Simplyhealth Healthcare Research 2009 suggest that the number of companies taking out private health insurance for their staff in the form of cash plan private medical insurance shot up by 180 percent in the past year. One reason for this huge increase in the number of companies holding employee health cover could be because they have decided to switch from a traditional private medical insurance policy to the more cost efficient cash plan policy, of which Freedom Healthnet is one supplier.


The research also found that small businesses (with a workforce of 100 or less) were the most likely to have a cash plan private medical insurance policy for its staff. Over a quarter of small businesses in the UK now hold one and this could be because they are one of the most affordable ways to provide private health cover, which is considered to be one of the top employee benefits a company can provide. In the past 12 months alone, the number of companies who have recognised the importance of providing good benefits for their workforce in the UK has risen from 5 percent to 14 percent. The recession may seem like a time when unnecessary expenses should be avoided but private medical insurance has defied this, showing that it is widely upheld in the view of bosses who recognise the importance of investing in the health of their staff.

The NHS can expect to have a shortfall of £15 billion over the space of five years according to the NHS confederation. The shortfall is likely to come following 2011 when the era of big spending will come to a sudden end. The problem has arisen from the culmination of a number of factors, including the recession, lower increases in budgets as well as rising costs. Top health service managers have warned this week in a report at the annual NHS confederation conference in Liverpool that action needs to be taken now to prevent bosses having to make major cuts when the shortfall comes into effect. Steve Barnett, the confederation's Chief Executive told The Telegraph, "Shortages in funding will translate to the kind of across the board cuts which could see waiting lists lengthen, standards fall and dissatisfaction with the service grow among patients and staff." This could cause even greater worry for those people who feel they need extra peace of mind by purchasing a private medical insurance policy.


The report, 'Dealing with the downturn: the NHS's greatest ever leadership challenge' said that if extra money isn't put into the NHS in the year 2011/2012, it may not be able to continue being free at the point of service. If this happens, people may have to take out private medical insurance to help cover the added costs. A cash plan private medical insurance policy like those offered by Freedom may be ideal because they already allow their customers to use the cash lump sum they recieve to subsidise the cost of NHS treatment. Even if costs aren't put in for the NHS, which the government will work very hard to avoid, quality of treatment may suffer if bosses like Steve Barnett's fears are confirmed. People who would like to be treated in a clinic where quality is guaranteed may like to take out a quote for private medical insurance to allow them access to private hospitals who are not affected by budget cuts in such a way as the NHS.

The number of people who are paying for their own private medical treatment within private hospitals is decreasing, according to the company who own BMI Healthcare which run over 50 private health care centres in the UK. More people are taking out private medical insurance to cover to cost of surgical procedures in private hospitals, such as BMI. This number increased last year despite a recession, and it clearly demonstrates that that this is the most popular option to cover private healthcare costs. Asking the hospital for a self pay package is a way to have access to top quality private treatment on a pay-as-you-go basis. You get a self-pay price from the hospital (which you can then often negotiate down) and then you can compare private hospital services and costs. A self-pay arrangement is useful because of the unpredictable nature of falling ill, but at the same time could end up costing huge amounts of money if a major operation is needed. Private medical insurance, whether traditional or bespoke, is a way to avoid this huge cost, by just paying a small monthly premium.

Search engine Google has also started to report an increase in the number of people searching for private medical insurance on the internet after a decline in 2008 and the beginning of this year. This could be for a number of reasons:

• Firstly it could be people who are looking for a cheaper alternative to their existing private medical insurance policies. Freedom Healthnet could offer a solution to this problem as its cash plan style health insurance is one of the lowest cost ways of having access to this top quality level of medical care.
• Secondly, it could be people who are looking for a quote for private medical insurance. Quotes can be gained quickly on easily online on company websites such as Freedom Healthnet.

The NHS celebrated its 60th birthday last year and has long been celebrated as a successful healthcare system, widely respected by other countries across the world, especially those that can’t or don’t provide free healthcare to their people. So why should people in the UK consider private health insurance then? The fact is that 7 million people in the UK are now covered by some level of private medical insurance, may be caused by the fact that the NHS sometimes struggles to meet with demand particularly because of increased pressure from government targets. The answer for many people is to turn to the alternative.


Private health insurance allows its customers to have access to hospitals with a lower rate of superbugs like MRSA, and have facilities with the latest technology that some NHS hospitals cannot afford to provide. But they have their limitations in that emergency treatment is something they don’t have facilities for and this is where the NHS has a strong position. The ideal situation is for private medical insurance to supplement the work of the NHS which is where cash plan private medical insurance is the perfect option. It gives policy holders the option as to whether they would like to be treated in a NHS or private hospital, or even if they would like to travel abroad for their healthcare. The money they receive to help towards the cost of the treatment can then be used for travel expenses or to cover the cost of time lost off work if the patient chooses to be treated in an NHS hospital.

Private medical insurance is one of the hardest things to cut back on during the recession. That’s according to the director of Bupa UK Health Insurance. Fiona Harris told the Yorkshire Post that people find it the most difficult to cut back on their private health cover, even over other items such as holidays, eating out and pensions and long term savings. This may be because they don’t want to lose the peace of mind that comes with a private health insurance policy, knowing that top quality healthcare is available as and when they need it. Poor health is not something that can be predicted, particularly as a result of an accident so a lot of people are reassured by this.


Money is tight for most people at the minute and everyone is cutting back in some way or another. Private medical insurance is long thought of as a luxury, and this is the obvious area to re-prioritise for the majority of people, but these figures just prove that private health cover is no longer considered a luxury item. Cash plan medical insurance has gone a long way to change this stigma, reducing monthly premiums significantly. People may wish to consider swapping to a cash plan private medical insurance policy. In doing so, costs can be greatly reduced but the peace of mind that is associated with a traditional private health insurance policy can be kept intact. Additionally, cash plan private medical insurance gives the patient the freedom to choose whether they wish to be treated in a private hospital or an NHS clinic, thereby using the money that would have been used to pay for private treatment to be used to cover other costs incurred by the illness, such as travel.

The number of people covered by a private medical insurance policy in 2008 increased by 2.7 percent from the previous year, despite the UK heading into the recession. That means that the total number of people now covered by either a personal or corporate policy is now 7,335,000 according to the figures released by the Association of British Insurers. Nick Starling from the organisation told moneyhighstreet.com, “The continued rise in the number of people covered by PMI is good news. PMI gives people the peace of mind that they are able to get access to the treatment they need, at the time they need it, where they need it.”


The recession has meant that many people have had to cut back on the luxury items and activities that they once enjoyed before they may have lost their job, been laid off or had their hours cut down for example. Private medical insurance has long been thought of as a luxury and for some this may seem like an option to cut back on. But with cash plan private medical insurance, health cover is no longer the luxury that it used to be as it is now more affordable for the majority of people with premiums starting as little as £10.88 per month. Health is an area that many people consider a high priority and cutting back on healthcare is something that people don’t wish to do, and still want to have the option to be treated in a short space of time in a place that is convenient to them and where they are sure they can expect to receive top quality treatment that can come as a result of private medical insurance. These people might want to get a quote for cash plan private medical insurance to see how much money they can save and consider switching rather than cancelling altogether. These latest figures show that people are not looking to cancel anytime soon.

Private health insurance has traditionally been seen as a luxury, particularly for those with a lower income. The introduction of cash plan medical insurance policies made the privilege available to a large number of people who couldn’t afford access to convenient and high quality healthcare in previous years. But with money becoming tight for everyone and sacrifices being made, there was speculation about whether private medical insurance might no longer be seen as a priority. This doesn’t appear to have happened though, with people preferring to find ways of saving money on their private health insurance policy, rather than cancelling it altogether.

There are many ways in which people can cut costs on their private medical insurance – firstly by switching to a cash plan provider like Freedom Healthnet. This type of policy offers a much more competitive rate than traditional levels of cover and yet still has many benefits to offer, including the choice as to whether a person would like to receive their treatment in a private health clinic, in a healthcare centre abroad, or whether they would prefer to get help towards any costs incurred as a result of NHS treatment. 

Mike Dalby, director of Health-on-Line says, “We are seeing evidence that health insurance customers are taking a longer term view on their private medical insurance and now consider it a necessity when it comes to protecting the welfare of their families." People have been put off completely ending their policies for a number of reasons. Firstly, someone could lose cover for a medical condition that has developed in the time they have had a private medical insurance policy. They could also lose money in the long term by no longer being subject to their no claims discount which may have built up over many years. Overall, it could make better sense to keep up a health policy, but to look for providers who offer great value.

Increasing numbers of businesses are turning to corporate cash plan health insurance policies in order to save money, as the costs of traditional private medical insurance become too expensive for many in times of recession. Nearly one in four businesses has said that the main reason for not using traditional private health insurance policies is that the rising costs of healthcare is pushing up the cost of premiums. According to a survey by HSA, this means that more and more companies are looking at cheaper options, like cash plan private medical cover. 

“It is hardly surprising that companies are increasingly choosing budget health plans for their workforce, and health cash plans are a simple and affordable option,” HSA’s Abby Bowman told Health Insurance and Protection Magazine.

Despite their growing popularity, some confusion seems to be arising among employees surrounding the health benefits provided by their employers, and it’s all because they simply aren’t giving them enough information. The success of a corporate health insurance policy depends on the level of communication between the private medical insurance provider and the employer, in order for the employer to pass on the information to their workforce. 

Freedom Healthnet provides easy to read information about all its policies, helping the third of employees who are currently unsatisfied with the amount of advice they are given about their health to feel happier and more at ease. Corporate cash plan health insurance is also an important way for companies, “to cover their duty of care and health and safety obligations,” said sales and marketing director Russ Piper, when also speaking to Health Insurance and Protection Magazine.

Cash plan private medical insurance providers like Freedom Healthnet are helping to address criticisms that have been levelled at other health insurance companies.

Recently there have been complaints that some private health insurance providers make their policies unclear and confusing for their customers, and that companies offering this unique type of private health insurance do not offer enough information on the levels of benefits that are available. Freedom Healthnet has a wide range of information sources, including leaflets and an easy to follow and simple website, where existing and prospective customers can find all the information they need.

Concern has been expressed that the range of benefits offered by private health insurance policies is being reduced in order to offer access to services such as optical and dental treatments. Freedom Healthnet has decided not to offer these treatments to ensure that their policy holders have access to the widest range of treatments and benefits available, and especially to make sure that both inpatient and outpatient care can be provided.

One marketing director, Stephen Duff, told Health Insurance and Protection Magazine, “People’s expectations might be diminished when they find out that hospital benefits are not covered.” Freedom Healthnet’s customers will not suffer this disappointment because most hospital treatments are included, up to the cost of £30,000, even on the most basic of policies. He also added that customers should get all the benefits and exclusions explained to them, which Freedom clearly spells out in a leaflet which is also available on its website.

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. 

Many people across the UK may be digging into their hard-earned savings, or even choosing to get into debt, in order to pay for private healthcare treatment. A recent survey by BCWA has found that a total of 83 per cent of people would rather go down this route than take out private medical insurance. Of those, 44 per cent would rather use their savings, and 39 per cent would borrow money. In a time when money is getting tight for most families, and often wages do not completely cover outgoing bills, savings can be all the more vital to see people through this current economic phase. A private medical insurance policy could help, and for as little as £10.88 per month it could be a good investment to make and also save you a lot of money and stress if the time came when you needed treating in a private clinic.

Of those people who said they would borrow money, 18 per cent said they would do this through a bank or building society and 21 per cent said they would borrow from a family member or a friend. However, banks and building societies are increasingly less willing to loan money as freely as they used to, while borrowing from family and friends has its difficulties too. It may at first seem like a safer option for most people, with no interest rates and no time limit to pay back within. But this can often create pressure to pay someone back in the quickest time possible. This is stress that you can do without when you are ill, and can be avoided with private medical insurance.

 Another 22 per cent of people surveyed said they would use the money to receive treatment overseas. Cash plan medical insurance policies like those offered by Freedom give customers the option of deciding whether they would like their treatment in a private clinic at home or abroad, or even in an NHS hospital if they wish. This means that even those patients who can see the benefits of getting cheaper treatment through travelling further, are serviced through taking out a policy.

Cash plan private medical insurance policies have a reputation for being the most competitive in the market. Freedom’s policies in particular, can be, on average, half the price of similar levels of cover offered by its rivals in the health insurance market. But have you ever wondered how it is possible to offer such a good level of cover, with benefits starting from £30,000 worth of treatment on the most basic of policies, for significantly less than other health insurance companies?

Freedom maintains its low premiums by paying cash directly to you instead of the hospital. If you can go to a private healthcare centre with a cash lump sum they will more often than not offer the treatment at a lower price than they would to someone who has a traditional private medical insurance policy where the company pays directly to the hospital for the cost of the healthcare. This allows Freedom to pass on the savings to you as customers with much lower monthly premiums.

Freedom as a company has not spent as much on marketing and advertising as its counterparts in the private health insurance market. Television advertising can be very costly to a company and Freedom has decided to stick with more cost effective forms of marketing like print advertising to allow it to pass on the savings again to its customers. Some people might argue that Freedom is not as well known as, for example, BUPA for this reason, but Freedom's customers can be satisfied by the fact that they have a robust private medical insurance policy, but for sufficiently less money.

When taking out any sort of insurance policy – whether it is for your car or private health cover – it is always best to shop around to find the best deal for you, especially as money has become increasingly tight. The easiest way to do this is by taking out an online quote with a personalised quote coming back to you in a very short amount of time. You could potentially halve the amount you pay for a private health insurance policy, even just by looking at a different type of health insurance.

Cash plan health insurance policies are different to traditional private health cover plans because they pay you a cash lump sum, rather than paying directly to a health care clinic for the cost of your treatment. This not only allows you to have access to top quality hospitals with short waiting lists and the best facilities in the country, but also gives you the option to stay on the NHS if you wish and use the money to help with the costs incurred as a result of your illness. This is becoming increasingly important as many people are struggling to continue paying their hefty bills when they are forced to take time off work.

Cash plan insurance policies like those offered by Freedom are on average the most competitive in price. They can be half the price of the rest of the policies offered in the private health insurance market. So not only can you take advantage of the exclusive benefits of this unique health insurance policy, but you can save money at the same time, giving you more to spend elsewhere.

With the announcement this month from the Department of Health, allowing us to top-up NHS treatment, private health insurance companies across the UK are looking for ways to address this new market. The move means that patients may now be able to put money towards the cost of their healthcare if the NHS refuses to pay for all of it, for example where a particularly expensive drug might be concerned, previously subject to approval by NICE. Before, if a patient wanted to contribute, they would have had to fork out for the cost of the entire treatment; something that would have been too expensive for most people. But, while the majority of insurers are working to develop a private medical insurance policy to help people out in this situation, Freedom has a ready made NHS top-up solution that you can access straight away.

As a health insurance provider that offers cash upon approval of inpatient claim, Freedom’s policies work slightly differently to traditional health insurance. Instead of paying directly to the private hospital or facility where you received your surgery, Freedom gives you a cash lump sum which then enables you to use the money as you see fit. So, if you wanted to be treated in a private clinic then you could, but you could also choose to be treated by the NHS and use the money to top up the treatment that you would have received on the NHS. Freedom’s Gold Essential health insurance policy would be ideal, if you just wanted to be covered for this eventuality. Premiums start at just £10.88 per month and give you access to up to £30,000 of in-patient cover.

More information about health insurance & NHS Tops Ups.

Breaking the Mould - Why Not Try Health Insurance?

Research into the health insurance market has revealed that certain characteristics make a person more likely to be covered by a private medical insurance policy than others. The study, carried out by Besley, Hall and Preston, found that the typical policy holder is approximately middle aged, reasonably wealthy and a supporter of the Conservative party. But with cash plan medical insurance policies dropping traditional premiums by a significant amount, more people across the UK population should consider taking out a quote.

Many different factors were taken into account in the study including age, gender, occupational status, educational level and area of residence. The research found noticeable differences across the age spectrum. In 2001, only 2.7 per cent of the UK’s 16 to 24 year olds had private medical insurance in comparison to nearly eight per cent of 55 to 64 year olds – over triple the amount. Very competitive student health insurance is available for as little as £9.87 per month so this trend could easily change. Men are almost three times as likely to buy a health insurance policy than women, and double the amount of men than women are covered by employee health insurance as revealed in a study of BHPS statistics between 1996 and 2002. Despite this, women made up three quarters of those family members covered by an extended policy.

Other studies found that over four in ten of the richest members of society had private health cover compared to only 3.7 per cent of the poorest people. Education also made a difference. Those who had been through further education such as university were more likely to be policy-holders than those who had left school at sixteen. The percentage of the population with PMI also varied across the UK, with one in five of people in the south-east of the country having some sort of cover compared with only 6 per cent living in the north-east.

In the UK, the government is working hard to try to reduce the number of Road Traffic Accidents that occur each year. The latest data from the Office for National Statistics show that there were around 247,780 accidents in 2007, 4 per cent fewer than in 2006. ‘Looked but failed to see’ (LBFTS) accidents contribute to around 35 per cent of all reported accidents, and four out of the five most frequently reported factors involve driver or rider error or reaction. Younger and older drivers are most likely to be involved in accidents than drivers aged 25-69. Younger male drivers are more likely to have factors related to speed and behaviour, whereas older drivers are more likely to have factors related to vision and judgement. There is much psychological and perceptual research taking place that aims to reduce these sorts of incidents, but the fact remains that when they do take place, having private health insurance cover can really help to smooth the way to recovery.

Accident and emergency treatment via the NHS will almost certainly return you to a good level of health, but with access to private health care, waiting lists can be avoided for treatment, and alternative therapies such as acupuncture are available if required. Private medical insurance could also cover costs incurred by staying in an NHS hospital, for example, if parents are forced into an overnight stay if their child becomes ill. This is a common feature of cash plan health insurance, whereby customers have the option as to whether they would like to receive their treatment in an NHS hospital, private clinic or a centre overseas. Policy holders may also have access to telephone helplines to give advice to road traffic accident victims after their traumatic experience.

Money has become tight for many people in the UK over the past six months, with increasing food, gas and electricity bills causing problems for some. Experts are giving advice here, there and everywhere on how to decrease spending, whether through buying supermarket own brand products, or using energy-saving light bulbs. Now it seems that there are ways that you can save on your private medical insurance too, by being part of a corporate health insurance policy.

If your company already offers private health cover as a benefit to its employees, you should be able to get a much more competitive quote as an individual. The bigger your company is, the better, as the overall cost is dependant upon how many people are covered by the policy. It is worth researching into a company before you commit to working for them as a job is not always just about the wage packet.

Another way to make your quote for private medical insurance cheaper is by taking it out when you are young and more healthy. This way, you are not only less likely to have to make a claim but with access to top quality healthcare and check-ups you may be less prone to serious illness as you get older. Cash plan private health insurance can also save you money, as well as giving you the option to choose where and when you undertake your treatment, choosing a time and place that is convenient to you.

Cancer patients in Ireland have resorted to taking out loans to help with costs incurred as a result of illness, a new study has shown. The research, carried out by the National Cancer Registry of Ireland, found that sufferers were having to pay for childcare, domestic help and wigs, as well as routine household bills and transport costs, which became a struggle with the lack of a regular wage during recovery. Getting to and from clinics was also likely to become even more of a burden, as cancer treatments in the country are being transferred to just eight clinics. Some of the twenty-one patients that participated in the investigation had even reported eating into savings and being left asking friends and family to help out with added costs.

There are many aspects of being ill that can put pressure on people. Anything from the common cold to more serious bouts of illness can cause someone to take time off from work. Private health insurance could help patients by making it easier to access health care more quickly than on the NHS, with its long waiting lists, and by enabling patients to choose where they receive treatment. Cash plans mean that patients can choose to get treatment privately, or alternatively use the money to help with childcare costs for example, and wait for NHS treatment.

Travelling abroad for private medical care is becoming increasingly popular, with over one million people worldwide now opting to make the most of state of the art facilities overseas. With the freedom of cash plan medical insurance policies, patients can receive their treatment wherever they like, whether via their local hospital, or in brand new clinics in places such as Thailand, Hong Kong or across Europe. Despite the many benefits of making a trip across the border, the prospect of being in a strange country at a time when you may need reassurance can be daunting and a number of questions may spring to mind.

How safe is it?
There are risks attached to any kind of medical treatment, whether carried out in UK, or abroad, but you could visit some of the world’s best clinics, by taking advantage of just one of the benefits of private medical insurance and going abroad. There are bodies that accredit health centres so it is worth investigating the checks they carry out, before stepping on a plane, but with success rates as high as 98.5 percent in some areas of Asia, for complicated cardiac procedures, there should be no need to worry.

Does quality drop alongside cost?
It’s true that the cost of private medical care abroad is much cheaper, however this does not necessarily affect the quality of treatment. Lower wages for doctors, more modest living standards and less expensive costs of private health care are the dominant factors.

What happens if complications arise?
Normally, patients will stay in the country for long enough that staff can ensure that the treatment was successful and that any follow up care and therapies are being undertaken correctly. This means it is very unlikely that complications will occur in the first place. However, on the off chance that something unexpected should happen, a private medical insurance policy should help to cover any further care whether you chose to have it at home or in the original clinic.

Over 100,000 operations have been cancelled in the past year by the National Health Service, nearly double the number initially reported by the government. The Department of Health stated that 57,000 patients had to have their procedures rescheduled but this only includes those that were informed with less than 24 hours' notice. Many people even suffered from more than one cancellation. It is no wonder then that the number of people taking out a cash plan private medical insurance policy rose by at least three per cent in last year, meaning the total number of people benefitting from health cover reached almost three million in the UK.

Operation cancellations can be deeply troubling for patients, particularly those who are nervously anticipating their stay in hospital. Mark Martin from Health On-Line said, "Often these procedures are of a major or complex nature and one cancellation, let alone multiple cancellations, only adds to the anxieties and stress experienced by the patient and their family. Private medical insurance can go some way towards alleviating these stresses by allowing the patient to choose when and where their procedure is undertaken." Cash plan private medical insurance policies like those from Freedom Healthnet do just this.

Among the many choices available to you are: a private clinic that is in a suitable location, whether it is close to home, or further away, if you don’t mind a longer journey. If you would like to travel out of the country, you can also opt to receive your treatment abroad, or if you want to visit your local NHS hospital, your private medical insurance policy can supplement any costs incurred. Either way, you can avoid long waiting lists and have your operation without the fear that it will be cancelled.

The amount of British pets covered by a private health insurance policy is nearly double that of their owners. According to a new study by Tesco Finance, 23 per cent of domestic animals in the UK have health cover in comparison to only 12.2 per cent of their human counterparts. It is well known that Britain is a nation of animal lovers, and there are many benefits of having an insurance policy that protects our furry friends. Ewan Mc Neil, former president of the society of practicing veterinary surgeons told yourmoneyhaven.com, “I'm not surprised that pet insurance is becoming so popular - people will do everything they can to ensure the best for their pets.” But despite this, should we be looking after number one?

With the credit crunch, money is much tighter and a decision may have to be made as to whether it’s yourself or the dog that gets the private health cover. It is true that vet bills can be an unnecessary and costly expense for pet owners, however having access to top quality health care for yourself could end up being ruled out if your animal wins the battle for the health insurance policy. Patients may be subject to long NHS waiting lists and a limited choice of facilities and appointment times because they cannot afford the fees for private treatment, but this could easily be avoided with the small cost of a cash plan private health insurance policy like those offered by Freedom Healthnet. If a dilemma arises, pet owners may have to consider the cost of a vet bill in comparison to private health care for themselves.