The bigger the better – the well-known phrase that many of us live by, either consciously or subconsciously when making decisions every day of our lives whether that’s choosing between the 8oz or 16oz steak or which level of private medical cover to opt for. Before the recession took hold last year, people may have decided that a fully comprehensive policy was best for them with every possible situation covered. But since then, people have begun to opt out of certain aspects of their policy such as extra alternative therapies or physiotherapy, especially as premiums have begun to rise. But Stuart Scullion, spokesman for The Private Health Partnership told Health Insurance and Protection Magazine that the public’s attitude has changed to prefer cheaper, more flexible policies. ““Most consumers automatically initially think that they want a comprehensive full refund inpatient and outpatient contract but when you delve a bit deeper they quite often prefer budget policies.”

Freedom Healthnet has always offered private medical insurance policies at an extremely competitive price, with opt-outs on all levels of policies. This is something that some insurers are only just beginning to introduce as they realise that their customers are looking to cut costs in all areas of their finances, including their private health insurance. Hospital lists are one way in which costs can be cut by many health insurance providers but Freedom Healthnet has no selective lists on any of its policies. This means that no matter how much their customers pay each month, they will still have access to the same number of treatment centres across the UK. This increases the chance that a person will be able to be cared for in a place and time that is most convenient to them.

Vaccinations against a virus that causes cervical cancer will soon be given to pre-teen girls.
From September, girls aged 12-13 will be given a jab that prevents the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV). The Government hopes the programme will save 400 lives every year.
In England alone, the project could cost up to £100 million a year and a catch-up programme for girls under the age of 18 will start in 2009, costing as much as £200 million a year.
Scotland and Wales have announced similar plans to introduce a vaccination and Northern Ireland will also be carrying out a programme for 12-year olds, but is yet to finalise the plans.
It is estimated that 70 per cent of cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV. Each year, 3,000 women are diagnosed with the cancer and as many as 1,100 die from the disease. It is hoped that HPV jabs will revolutionise prevention of the disease.
The vaccine, which will cost around £300 for a full course, will be given in three injections over six months.
The HPV virus is most common amongst sexually active females aged between 18 and 28, infecting 80 per cent of women in some form by the age of 50. In the majority of cases, the infection will clear up on its own, but some will have continued infection.
Girls currently over the age of 16 will not be eligible for the programme but they will be able to have the vaccine privately. The injections will most likely be given in schools, but primary care trusts are responsible for planning how to deliver the vaccinations.
Two vaccines have been developed: Cervarix, made by GlaxoSmithKline, and Gardasil, made by Merck and Sanofi Pasteur, which has already been approved in 76 countries. The companies will now compete for the contract to provide the vaccinations, after the Government announced that only one is likely to be chosen. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has not made any recommendations over which one should be used.
Experts have said that the programme will be more expensive than other childhood immunisations and the results will not be seen for many years, but would eventually be worth the cost.
Alan Johnson, the health secretary, told the BBC: “As a society we need to do more to prevent disease and not just treat it.” “Now, more than ever before, we need to make the NHS a service that prevents ill health and prioritises keeping people well.”

Providing there is no pre-existing condition, cancers - including cervical cancer - are covered under private medical insurance policies to enable policyholders to benefit from prompt treatment at a time of their choosing in a private hospital of their choice.

What happens when you have had a serious medical condition? What happens if you have suffered from a condition for years? Or several years ago? Can you get private health insurance? These are questions that are frequently asked of health insurance companies. The simple answer is 'yes', but with conditions.

If you have a history of a serious illness then there is the possibility of a recurrence of this condition. It is probably that private medical insurance companies will not insure you against this particular condition but it is likely that they will still provide health insurance for you. How can they do this?

There are two main types of underwriting for a Freedom Health Insurance Policy:

Moratorium: this is cover for the cost of treatment of acute conditions (disease, illness or injuries that are likely to respons quickly to treatment) which arise after the start of the policy. A Moratorium policy excludes any conditions for which medication has been received, advise or treatment given or any symptons experienced whether the condition has been diagnosed or not in the five years before the start of the cover. These are known a 'pre-existing conditions'. Related conditions will also not be covered. However, if the policy holder has not had any symptoms, treatment, medication or advice for a pre-existing condition or any related condition for a continuous period of two years after the start date of your policy for a particular condition, the condition will become eligible for cover under the start of your Freedom Healthnet Insurance Policy.

Full Medical Underwriting: this is the assessment of the health risk based upon the detailed medical history questionnaire from which the terms and conditions of our acceptance of the application are decided and applied to the Policy at the commencement date. It clearly states what would not be covered in the event of a claim.

Should you tell your medical insurance company about any prior treatment or conditions? If you would like to be fully informed about what medical treatment you would be entitled to and what you would not be covered for, then yes. If you take out a Moratorium policy, you do not need to disclose prior conditions but in the event of a claim you should be aware that only 'new conditions' would be covered and not those connected with a prior condition (see above).

Should you still get cover for private medical insurance if you have had a chronic illness or pre-existing condition? We believe, yes. For conditions such as asthma and diabetes, the NHS is designed to provide good care and treatment. Your private health insurance would still cover you for conditions not related to your pre-existing condition and so you could take advantage of the speed, ease and efficiency of private health treatment in the event of illness or injury.

Want to understand the insurance words and phrases? Get full definitions and understand insurance language from our glossary of medical insurance terms.

A report in The Independent today discusses how the cost of private medical insurance premiums are soaring and those who are worried about their health should take advantage of health screenings instead.
Health screenings are an excellent idea and should, in fact, be undertaken once a year. Just as you would MOT your car, you should have a thorough check-up to ensure that you are healthy - so for peace of mind - or to pick up early warning signs if you are not. Unfortunately, the NHS does not have the resources to be able to do this for all of us, and even when a checkup is undertaken financial restrictions mean that the extense of the tests are far inferior to that found in the private sector. Basic health screenings cost between £150 and £200, on average, and they will cover all of the health fundamentals in about a dozen tests. More comprehensive tests last a couple of hours and cost between £300-£500. These can include about 40 tests, with extensive blood screening. Some of the results are available there-and-then, with the rest available in a few days to a week. BMI, BUPA and Nuffield Hospitals all offer health screening packages.
The article in The Telegraph suggests this in place of private medical insurance - which is a possibility - but then the sticky point of paying for a fixed-price operation comes into play. Many people can find the money to cover basic operations but operations for more serious illnesses can be extremely costly. Screening helps to identify conditions early, so as to avoid the need for the operations but, what happens if an operation is needed and there is no funding in place to cover it?
The article recognises the importance and peace of mind that private medical insurance brings, but stated that comprehensive family medical cover for a couple in their early thirties with two children is likely to cost over £100 a month. This is not the case. Freedom Healthnet offers their top-end, comprehensive health insurance for a family of 5 with parents in their mid- 30's, including rehabilitation and outpatient cover and no voluntary excess for £85.57 a month. The most basic cover - Freedom Gold - for the same family with outpatient cover is only £60.97. This is significantly less than the £100 quoted and has all of the options included. When you consider that the replacement of a heart valve costs in the region of £18,000, a haemorrhoidectomy costs approximately £2,200 and a sports knee injury (cruciate ligament) is in the region of £4,300 - see payouts for common medical procedures, you can quickly see how private medical insurance is worthwhile if you want to be treated promptly. In fact, Freedom's Platinum Health Insurance (its mid-range policy) was highlighted recently in The Independent as the best value comprehensive medical insurance policy over BUPA, AXA and the other providers.

The Freedom medical insurance policies pay directly into your bank account upon approval of eligible inpatient claim, before the treatment takes place. This, then, enables you to approach the hospital of your choice - BMI, BUPA, Nuffield or one abroad - and get a 'self pay' fixed price quote for the cost of the treatment. A 'self pay' price is often lower than the standard price, so be sure to ask for that. Also, our clients have sometimes found that if they are slightly flexible upon treatment dates and times they can benefit from additional savings: if the hospital can conduct two similar operations on one day then there are savings for them in terms of surgeon, anaesthetist time, theatre staff, etc. Please note: this is not always the case in all hospitals, ensure that you discuss this with the hospital of your choice. It is always important to note that any savings made on the price of your hospital treatment are yours to keep, tax free.

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