Budget cuts to the NHS are seeming more and more inevitable over the coming years as the government begins to look at where it can start paying back the huge debt the UK is currently in. Where those cuts are likely to take hold is a hot subject for politicians at the moment with Labour MPs rejecting the recommendations of one report last week. Management consultants, McKinsey and Company proposed that 137,000 clinical and admin posts should be cut, saving the health service £20bn over the next five years. But while some people believe these sorts of roles are wasteful, the government believe that job cuts are not the way forward. Health Minister Mike O’Brien told the BBC, "The government does not believe the right answer to improving the NHS now or in the future is to cut the NHS workforce. In core frontline services like maternity, nursing and primary care we need more staff rather than fewer." Even the possibility that jobs could be lost, putting the NHS under more pressure, could be one reason why some people might get a quote for private medical insurance.


Cutting jobs is not the only suggestion for saving vital money within the NHS however. A recruitment freeze was also suggested by this latest report, as well as the possibility of medical school places being cut. This could be damaging in the long term as there could be fewer trained doctors and nurses in the future. The report also believes that £3 billion could be saved through improving staff productivity. Whatever the end solution, it seems that certain aspects of the health service will have to take priority as budgets become tighter and compromises will have to be made. Some people will not want to compromise when it comes to their health and may turn to private medical insurance to ensure themselves access to high quality treatment.

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.

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.

You may be inclined to think that a private health insurance policy is a private health insurance policy, whether you buy it from Freedom Healthnet or one of its competitors. But there are many different levels of cover, and different types of policy itself, as well as minor differences which may make you think twice before you buy one health insurance policy over another.

One example of these minor differences are hospital lists, which are given by some private medical insurance providers to their customers from which they are required to choose where they would like to be treated. One provider who offers this kind of service is Norwich Union, and in order to gain access to a wider range of treatment centres, customers have to fork out for a policy with a much higher premium.  Freedom Healthnet on the other hand doesn’t have any hospital lists on all levels of cover (with the exception of some areas in London) so policy holders are free to choose either a private or NHS hospital in an area that is most suitable to their needs. Private medical insurance customers with a limited hospital list on their policy could use the money they would have spent to extend this list on topping up a Freedom Healthnet policy so that it includes more benefits. By upgrading from Freedom Gold to Freedom Platinum, you could nearly double your in-patient treatment limit from £30,000 to £50,000 and this could be from just 33 pence extra per month.

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.

Healthcare in 2009 – Part One

Another new year is on our doorsteps, undoubtedly bringing with it challenges and exciting prospects for individuals and businesses alike. The healthcare industry is no exception to this and Freedom looks ahead to just two of the issues likely to be raised in 2009, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute.

Smaller pharmaceutical companies could boom this coming year, as the overall economic downturn has meant that production in large businesses has slowed down. These big companies, also known as Big Pharma (referring to those companies with revenues of over £2 billion, such as the British GlaxoSmithKline) will be increasingly relying on the takeover and mergers of smaller pharmaceuticals to bring innovation back into the drug development industry. This could be exciting news for private health insurance customers, because more new drugs could become available on the market as a result, and with NHS top-ups now available, private medical insurance policy holders could choose to take advantage of their cover by paying the difference for these more expensive new drugs.

Preventative treatments are also likely to get a boost in the New Year from a range of health care players including drug makers. Vaccines will be at the forefront of the market and new ones are likely to emerge, like the cervical cancer vaccine that began to be delivered to teenage girls earlier in 2008. Some of these brand new preventative healthcare measures may not immediately be offered by the NHS, so a quote for private medical insurance could posibly help to ensure full access to the treatments, as and when they become available.

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. 

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.

Behind the Scenes – How Your Risk is Calculated

Quotes for private health insurance are so easy and simple to get these days. Fill in a quick form on the internet and a figure is sent back to you almost instantly. But have you ever wondered how private medical insurance companies arrive at a certain sum?

How much you pay for private health cover depends on risk factors. These obviously vary from person to person and result in a very personalised quote for every individual. Age is the main variant which affects the cost of your private health insurance policy. When a person is younger they are less likely to suffer from serious illnesses or need time in hospital for a procedure like a hip replacement, meaning that their premiums are much lower. This is the best time to take out medical insurance, because not only will you be paying less, but there is also the possibility that having had access to the sort of provision of care that creates more peace of mind, and that often has shorter waiting lists and more choice, may have reduced some of the risks you could otherwise have been exposed to.

Age is not the only risk factor. Your quote will also be based upon gender, occupational status and whether or not you smoke. Men and women differ in the types of conditions they are prone to and this is reflected in the price of your policy. Some areas of work are also more likely to cause injury than others, for example, manual labour occupations would pose more of a danger than a secretarial position. The area of the UK in which you live can also provide variance on your health insurance quote because of issues such as the size of the local population, the waiting times at your nearby NHS facilities, the ratio of people to NHS services and the cost of private healthcare in your area.

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.

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.

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.

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.

If you are looking to take out a health insurance policy for your family, an insurance plan which pays out cash upon approval of inpatient claim could be just what you are looking for. They are one of the more affordable ways to provide extra security, and just like paying for any other type of medical cover, a cash plan policy allows you to pay simple monthly payments to your provider. The difference between the two occurs when a member of your family needs medical treatment. Instead of your insurance company paying the private company to carry out the care required, you are given money directly to supplement the cost of any medical help.

Cash plans overall are cheaper, with standard premiums that are not affected by your general health. This is because these policies do not require an assessment of your previous health, or a detailed physical examination unlike other private medical insurance policies.

Another difference between a cash plan policy and a regular health insurance policy is that the former gives much more freedom in choosing whether you wish to receive your medical care with a private health provider like BUPA, or simply help towards the cost of NHS treatment, such as buying prescription glasses. They prefer people to use their cover to pay for routine medical care and screenings which may help prevent illness occurring in the first place and to keep you in good general health. A private health insurance policy only gives you the option to receive your treatment in a private hospital in order to avoid NHS waiting lists, which could restrict your options, especially if you would prefer to stay in your normal medical routine.

More men in the UK could be getting quotes for private medical insurance as the government advises its doctors not to offer a routine test which could lead to the diagnosis of diseases such as prostate cancer. The illness is the second biggest cause of a cancer related death in men in this country, and the likelihood of developing it can be detected with the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test which is currently only available to private health care customers. Some insurers offer the test as part of their "well man" examinations or individuals can pay a nominal amoung privately for peace of mind. But the NHS says that it can be unreliable and men who do not have any symptoms and have a life expectancy of less than 10 years will not get the opportunity to be tested.

The problems discussed by the NHS include the fact that a raised PSA level does not necessarily mean that a man will have prostate cancer, nor will a normal result mean that a man does not have the disease. Despite this, the test can also diagnose other illnesses such as a benign prostate growth or a urine infection. Consultant urologist at London's University College, Mr Neil O'Donoghue, told a website for erectile dysfunction "Ignorance is not always bliss in relation to PSA. It's always better to have information. You don't have to do anything about it."

Men who have private medical insurance cover are benefiting from the choice to use their policies to cover the cost of private health treatment, if applicable, as well as follow up tests and treatment. A third of men found to have a raised PSA level will also have cancer cells present in their prostate, and they will be able to get the care they need before it is too late.

More patients are turning to private medical care to avoid waiting times.

Recently it seems that the NHS may be suffering from financial difficulties and with an average waiting time of 49 days according to figures in 2007, it is no wonder that many people are deciding to receive their treatment at a private healthcare centre. But for those patients who cannot afford to use their savings to pay for the vital operation they cannot wait for, health insurance policies seem to be a perfect alternative. There are many different levels of cover, allowing people to choose how much they want to spend to ensure that they have top quality medical treatment. A cheap essential health cover plan could cover up to £30,000 worth of medical costs, or if someone would like to really put their minds at ease, policies are available which provide in-patient and out-patient cover as well as other treatments such as alternative therapies, psychiatric care and rehabilitation.

There are many advantages to getting a medical insurance quotation and taking out a private policy. Not only does the patient avoid huge waiting lists, which in 2007 could still see some people waiting for up to six months to receive medical care, but they very often get their own hospital room rather than sharing a ward. Some policies may also allow them to choose when they have an operation to fit in with their schedule and they could even have their treatment abroad if they wish. It is worth bearing in mind that not all conditions are covered by medical insurance policies, such as chronic conditions, pre-existing medical conditions and any self inflicted illnesses like alcohol and drug abuse, but it is always worth looking after your health and making sure that the best facilities are available.