A quote for private medical insurance is based on many factors including age, occupation and area of residence. Some people will undoubtedly end up with a higher bill for private medical cover than others. In a time when income is being spread further than it has been in the past decade, most people will be looking for ways in which they can save – and their private medical insurance policy is one of them. By making a few simple lifestyle changes however, a person could put themselves in a significantly lower risk category than someone else. Here are just three ways in which this can be done:

The healthier you are, the less you pay. You may have been a smoker all your life, but it is never too late to change. Simply by taking a second look at your diet and participating in exercise – even something as easy as walking further than you usually would – can make a big difference to your general well-being. The private medical insurance provider will undoubtedly have to pay out for more health care treatments for someone who has a lower standard of health so this is reflected in the insurance quote.

A less hazardous occupation can reduce the cost of your private health insurance policy. There are dangers in every walk of life, but some workplaces expose their employees to more risky situations than others. Some areas of the country also mean people more likely to be susceptible to a certain condition than others – for example heart disease is known to be more prevalent in areas of the North and Scotland. You do not necessarily have to change your job or move house – but this is something to consider when you are enquiring into private health insurance.

A good credit rating can also save you money on your medical insurance premiums. This factor is becoming increasingly relevant across more areas than before, as your ability to pay also affects health insurance companies, as well as other institutions like mortgage providers. A customer with an excellent credit history will obviously be more attractive and will benefit from a reduction in price.

In the second part of Freedom’s look at 2009, we continue to look at some more of the exciting prospects and challenges for the healthcare industry in the coming year.

Genetic testing has been emerging more and more over the past decade, with the possibility of it being used in every day diagnosis becoming increasingly likely. It has not come without controversy, and ethical issues have meant that the introduction of new methods of testing has been slow and careful. But for the first time, it looks like the market for genetic testing may take off, as costs have dropped significantly, making them much more widely available particularly to those people with private medical insurance. These developments mean that people can get their entire DNA mapped out, so that genetic diseases such as Alzheimer’s can be identified on a person’s genome. Personalised medicine is something that is also in the pipeline for the coming year, meaning that side effects from drugs are much less likely. However these will be expensive, and people may get a quote for private medical insurance to allow them access to these treatments.

Technology is likely to be a big factor in the way that patients experience healthcare in 2009. The increased use of the internet, in particular social networking sites has allowed patients to interact with each other. Patient forums such as patientslikeme.com are also becoming more and more popular meaning that the way people receive medical information is changing. Blogs, like this one offered by Freedom, are also providing an alternative source of information. 

A new disease classification index known as ICD-10 will be introduced in 2009. ICD-10 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems) is a way of coding many different healthcare problems such as diseases, symptoms, social circumstances and external causes of injury or diseases as defined by the World Health Organization. This will have two impacts. Firstly, it will be a costly transition for health institutions that some with limited funds (like the NHS) may struggle with, meaning that private health care companies may come out on top. However, it will allow the tracking of new procedures and diagnoses so that there may be a better standard of healthcare and treatments available for those with private medical insurance and NHS patients alike. 

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

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

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

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.

Private medical insurance has long been perceived by many to be a luxury. With much of the UK’s population cutting back on ‘wants’ and concentrating on their ‘needs’, private health cover could be made less of a priority, but this doesn’t have to be the case. There are a few ways in which you can save money on a quote for health insurance.


First, you should make sure that you have chosen the level of cover that is most relevant to you and your family’s lifestyle. There is no point paying for a policy which has a maximum level of benefits to offer like Freedom’s Diamond Plus Comprehensive cover, when you may not be taking full advantage of it. When money is tight, a more basic policy such as Freedom Gold Medical Insurance could still provide you with the peace of mind that a more extensive level of cover with another insurer could provide, but at a fraction of the cost.*


There are other options, if you would still like to enjoy the wide range of treatments that can be made available from a good private health insurance policy. By increasing your initial excess fee you will also be able to lower your premiums. Sometimes your quote will be decreased with a no claims discount, if you haven’t claimed on your policy as of yet . If you decide to take up a healthy lifestyle, by giving up smoking for example, this can also make a difference, as well other options, such as narrowing the hospital choice open to you, and also, electing for a longer waiting time.

*Get an instant online quote and call 0800 999 2013 for comparison quotes with other providers, quoting BLOG as reference.

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.

Many GPs are not meeting their waiting time targets, according to an NHS watchdog. In its recent report, the Healthcare Commission found that over two thirds of all practices could not offer an appointment within 48 hours – the guideline that was set as part of new contracts for doctors in 2004. In the previous year, eight out of ten surgeries met the target. Primary care trusts across the country have now been instructed to launch a review in their areas to avoid losing their patients to private medical insurance.

Despite claims from both the government and doctors that the information was misleading as it was based on patient surveys as well as anonymous calls to surgeries, Gary Needle from the Healthcare Commission told the BBC, “If it was only a 10% difference then you might say patients were not understanding the exact question put to them, but you can't explain away this scale of difference in that way. Patients are not getting sufficient access."

Health insurance policies allow patients to use world class private facilities, where waiting times are not an issue. It is a priority for many people to be able to have access to a doctor when they need it, not when an appointment is available. The problem may be irrelevant by the time they get to see a GP, and many people will be put off going altogether, possibly making the illness worse in the long run. With early detection of many conditions vital to a person's recovery, it is likely that these statistics will encourage people to get a quote for private medical insurance where they will be seen and treated efficiently, and in a place and time convenient to them.

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.

Figures released recently have revealed that seven in ten of all NHS trusts have been forced to ask for help from pest control experts at least fifty times in a two year period. Among the vermin found in hospitals were rats, flies, cockroaches, bedbugs and fleas, according to a report from the Conservative party. Not only were the pests discovered in wards, but there were reports of infestations in operating theatres. The worst offender was Nottingham University NHS Trust who had a total of 1,070 occurrences between January 2006 and March 2008. In the most shocking incidents, maggots were found in a pair of slippers, a swarm of flies was plaguing a children’s ward and rats were found in a maternity unit. In the light of these findings, it is no surprise that an increasing number of people are opting for private medical insurance, offering access to clean and efficient facilities.

 

The Conservative Party and patients alike have expressed their concerns over the matter. The shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley told the BBC, “Labour have said over and over that they will improve cleanliness in our hospitals, but these figures clearly show that they are failing.” The Health Protection Agency has argued that such infestations are unlikely to directly affect patients, but a spokesman from the Patients Association did not agree and said, “Such findings are truly revolting. If these hospitals were restaurants they would be closed down and out of business." 

 

Seven million people in the UK have already invested in a private medical insurance policy - with concerns over the cleanliness of NHS hospitals frequently given as a reason for making this decision. With a cash plan medical insurance policy, customers are given the choice as to where they receive their treatment, so they can ensure that the clinic they end up in has excellent standards, before they embark on receiving health care.

In recent years, the NHS has increasingly been turning to private facilities to treat its patients in an attempt to cut long waiting lists, but it seems that the Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTC’s) will now also be available to those patients with private health insurance. In fact, some private policy holders have already been using such facilities and taking advantage of some of the benefits they can offer, such as being in a convenient location as well as providing quick treatments for specific problems, access to brand new purpose-built facilities and are both friendly and personalised.

Some ITSC’s are only offering their care and equipment to NHS patients, but others like Ramsay Healthcare, which has just built eight new healthcare centres, are offering their services to private health insurance customers. The range of treatments that a private patient could receive at an ITSC like Ramsay’s is wide. Many routine surgical operations such as varicose vein treatments, hernia repairs and colonoscopies are available, along with cosmetic procedures and access to MRI and CT scanning equipment.

The Department of Health, while recognising the priority for NHS patients, has also welcomed the increased choice for private patients, saying that the new treatment centres could be available to all “should the local agreements and the capacity be available”. It is hoped that not only will ITSC’s widen the choice for people with private health insurance, with cash plan policies already giving the option of supplementing NHS care, but The Confederation of British Industries believes that the integration of private companies with the National Health Service “encourages innovation and increases efficiency more widely”. The government have also this month given the go-ahead to three more ITSC’s in Greater Manchester, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and are expected to give a decision on further proposals of schemes in Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire in November this year.

3.4 million people in the UK now have a private medical insurance policy

The number of individuals taking out private medical insurance policies has risen for the first time in ten years. Despite the relatively low increase of 1.8%, experts are describing it as an important rise. Overall, the total number of people subscribing to a private health insurance plan rose by 3.4% in 2006 to give 3.4 million people in the UK reaping the many benefits of medical cover.

The figures taken from the Ipsos MORI research also found that in all, 12% of consumers now have private medical insurance and the numbers are expected to continue to rise between 2007 and 2012. This means that private medical insurance is now the most popular type of health insurance cover, above other products like dental policies and critical illness insurance.

There has also been a predicted rise in the number of people taking out group policies in the next four years. Medical insurance for companies and employees is available and there are many advantages to policies such as these. Not only does the employer have the knowledge that their employees health and well being is being looked after, but the availability of regular health checks means that the number of staffing hours lost to sickness is reduced.