President Barack Obama’s plan to introduce an NHS-style healthcare system across the United Stated has taken a potentially serious setback today as the Democrats lost their control over Massachusetts. The state has been a Democrat stronghold since 1972, meaning that Scott Brown will be the first Republican senator there for over thirty five years. It is thought that Obama’s healthcare bill is one of the main reasons for the upset, and has been very controversial for the President despite the fact that many Americans do not have access to healthcare. Almost all the population of Massachusetts (98 percent) are covered by private health insurance so the new bill would not greatly benefit them. Brown told NBC, "We would have lesser care, longer lines and pay higher taxes and it makes no sense."


Criticisms of the NHS have come to the fore front in the debate over introducing universal health care into the United States and may have made people in this country consider covering themselves with a private medical insurance policy as an alternative. The huge cost of introducing it is one obstacle to begin with and many people are worried that the quality of their health services will suffer as a result. People in the UK have the option whether they would like to ‘upgrade’ their treatment with private healthcare if they are not happy with the services available and it is a popular choice for many. The NHS offers a good level of care to everyone, but it has its problems, including lengthy waiting times and issues of cleanliness and it is this that is forming the opinions of those people who oppose Obama’s plans. Brown also told NBC, "I believe everybody should have healthcare, it's just a question of how we do it." The Democrats will decide later today what should be done about the new law, but the election of Brown to the Senate means that the Republicans now have enough votes to stop the legislation passing through.

Long waiting times have traditionally been one of the main reasons that people in the UK opt for private medical insurance to be seen in a much shorter time at a private healthcare clinic. In the past few years however, the NHS has made significant improvements in cutting their average waiting times but it seems that this news has not affected some people’s attitudes towards the health service. According to one of the latest surveys, less than one in five people (18 percent) were satisfied with the waiting times for operations in the UK. The research, carried out by The Economist Intelligence Unit found that this lack of contentment was much higher in the UK than in the United States where 30 percent of people were satisfied with the waiting times.


Illness is not something you want to drag out for a long time. Once diagnosed, you want to be treated in the shortest time possible and get back to work or your normal daily activities. Even though NHS waiting times have been reduced, you may still have to wait for up to 18 weeks and this is too long for some people. One quarter of the British people who took part in this study said that they would be willing to pay to reduce these waiting times. Three quarters also said that they would like the option to choose where they want to be treated and which doctor they would like to see but over half said that they weren’t encouraged to do so. Freedom Healthnet highly values this choice and has no hospital lists unlike some private health insurance providers which means that there are even more options available.

Election debates are hotting up between the Conservatives and the current Labour government and the NHS is one of the top issues. This week, two thirds of Tories voted in favour of a tax relief on private health insurance compared to only 1 percent of the Labour Party, and 5 percent of the Liberal Democrats. But the issue has created even further problems within the Conservative party over the future of the NHS, as leader David Cameron has been a longstanding supporter of the health service. The shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley has said that the opposition party want to make sure that high quality healthcare services are available to people but it seems the Tories disagree on how this will be achieved.


A further two-thirds of the 150 Conservative MP’s who took part in the ComRes poll said they were in favour of people being treated partly on the NHS and partly privately paid for. This is something that is currently available to private health insurance customers who choose to top up their NHS treatment. If the Conservatives come into power at the next election, the income tax relief for private health insurance could encourage more people to enquire into quotes for health cover and take out policies. But this will depend on whether the Tories go for this option, rather than on Cameron’s current proposal to increase NHS spending above inflation, despite the government having to make inevitable cuts across the board as it attempts to pay off the country’s huge debts in the coming years. But Chancellor Alistair Darling told the Scotsman, "Tax breaks for private healthcare would take money away from the health service and undo the real progress we have made with the NHS over the last 12 years."

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.

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. 

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.

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.

Many of us will need a physiotherapist at some point in our lives, for a variety of reasons, such as: following an illness, an accident or as a result of ageing. 

Given that illness and accidents can be, by their very nature, unpredictable, as are the effects of aging on the body, many people will feel safer in the knowledge that they can have access to physiotherapy treatment by getting a quote for private medical insurance. 

Access to physiotherapy is covered by most private medical insurance providers, however it is often thought of as a luxury and is an add-on in many cases. This is despite the fact that the treatment is a central part of the recovery process in many hospital departments such as outpatients, intensive care, mental health, paediatrics, occupational health and orthopaedics. 

In contrast to this, Freedom Healthnet gives access to physiotherapy treatments on its most basic of private medical insurance plans. Physiotherapy is classed as an outpatient treatment and is optional on all policies, but both inpatient and outpatient care can be accessed for as little as £20.29 per month on a Gold level of cover. By upgrading your essential health care policy to cover both inpatient and outpatient care, you will also gain access to other optional outpatient treatments and services such as specialist consulations, x-rays, pathology, diagnostic tests, MRI and CT scans, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. 

Around ten per cent of the NHS’s budget will be wasted this year, because of simple errors. The figures, which have been approximated on behalf of the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA), reveal that the amount the health service will spend on compensation to poorly treated patients will have increased by nearly a third compared to last year. One health insurance company, Health-on-line has even predicted it to be the reason why they have seen an increase in quotes for private medical cover. The company’s director Mike Dalby says, "It’s difficult to be certain but we have seen an increase in health insurance enquiries over recent months and we’re beginning to wonder whether this is due in part to the public’s increasing frustration with misdirected NHS funds."

It has been argued that the significant amount the NHS wastes as a result of their mistakes could easily be prevented with more care and attention, and the money could be much better used in other areas to improve facilities and overall patient service. Waiting lists are often a major concern, and one of the reasons that people look into taking out a private medical insurance policy in order to be treated in a much quicker time. Mike Dalby adds, "Many people will question why this compensation has to be paid in the first place. Is it down to the fact that the NHS is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain standards of cleanliness, or that the increased pressure on the health system is leading to more mistakes being made? It will only have a detrimental effect on the public’s confidence in the NHS and could be the reason for increased interest in private health insurance".

A brand new private medical practice is set to open in the Midlands, meaning that private medical insurance customers will have an even wider choice when it comes to deciding where to have their treatment. The centre will be run by The Independent General Practice (IGP), which already has three other successful clinics in Swansea, Cardiff and Newport. It will offer a range of services to patients, including general health check ups, vaccinations, and occupational healthcare, as well as GP facilities. 

The new surgery, which will be found at the Health Harmonie Centre in Edgbaston, will just be one of many private healthcare centres that are available more widely to Freedom Healthnet policy holders. In comparison to other private health insurance companies, Freedom does not have limited hospital lists of which you are expected to choose from. With the exception of some London clinics, Freedom customers are pretty much restriction-free when it comes to where they would like to receive their treatment. 

The Edgbaston healthcare centre will be based around the successful format of the IGP’s other facilities in Wales and will be headed by local practitioner Dr. Swallow. He told Wales Online, “The rapid growth of the IGP model has not gone unnoticed in professional circles and I’m pleased to have become a part of a practice which affords such a comprehensive range of both medical and cosmetic treatments.” People who live in the Midlands may find themselves enquiring into a quote for a private medical insurance policy to allow them to have an easier access to the top quality services the new centre will provide.

Despite much improvement recently in cleaning up Britain’s hospitals, only five out of fifty one acute health trusts passed a hygiene spot check by the country’s health watchdog. The Healthcare Commission undertook the inspections as part of one of the biggest investigations into cleanliness standards in recent years, and found that the majority were not meeting the required standards for NHS institutions set in the government’s Health Act in 2006. 

The Act was designed to improve the conditions which had led to a large number of superbug outbreaks such as Clostridium Difficile and MRSA, but it seems that while significant changes have been made, and most of the complaints are for minor breaches of the guidelines, many NHS trusts could still do a lot more to improve their services. More NHS patients may decide to get a quote for private medical insurance, especially as improvements don’t seem to have been as effective as first thought. It may seem a more reassuring option for some people to take advantage of a private health insurance policy, and gain access to top quality private hospitals, which are renowned for their low rate of superbugs and high levels of standards. 

Overall, the Healthcare Commission found that around 29% of all NHS Trusts across England hadn’t met one of the three main objectives of the hygiene code. But it is particularly worrying, especially for patients, that such a high number of acute clinics should be failing to keep clean in all aspects and areas. Acute clinics offer a wide range of services, including specialist care, emergency treatment and complex and lifesaving surgery, at a time when cleanliness could be more vital than ever. More peace of mind for patients is needed, and they may find themselves turning to private medical insurance to provide this psychological reassurance. Liberal Democrat Health spokesman Norman Lamb told the BBC, "Considering the horrifying death toll from superbugs, it is very disturbing that adequate systems are still not in place in very many of our acute hospitals." 

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. 

People in the UK are increasingly looking to switch their private medical insurance provider – and it’s all in the name of saving money. It is always best to shop around before you purchase anything, whether it's other types of cover, like car insurance, or whether you are investing in a new washing machine or television set, as savings can be found everywhere. No matter how small the amount is, it can make a big difference to your wallet, and with the current financial situation every penny counts especially in the run up to Christmas.

It is possible to make savings on private medical insurance in two ways: First, by taking another look at your existing policy, you may find areas that are not relevant to you, and that another policy with slightly less benefits and of a lower premium, might be more suited to your needs. Freedom Healthnet’s Gold Essential Insurance policy still covers up to £30,000 worth of in-patient care which may be more than enough for some people. Second, it is always worthwhile comparing quotes for health insurance from different providers even if you have been with one company for a long time. By doing this on the internet, you can get a quote in a very short time and reduce the hassle and often long process of calling various companies. 

Different health insurance providers offer varying types of policy, for example, Freedom Healthnet offers cash plan private health insurance policies which are renowned for being cheaper than conventional private medical cover. On average, Freedom’s policies are half the price of similar plans offered by their competitors. By switching, rather than cancelling a policy altogether you can save money in the long term. This is because no claims discounts and other similar benefits may be lost as a result, and you will have to start again as if you were a first time buyer of private medical insurance.  

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.

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.

It is very important that you should think carefully about how to get a private medical insurance policy that suits your needs. If the time comes when you need to make a claim, you do not want to find that you are not covered for a particular type of treatment. When enquiring into a quote for private health insurance there are many questions that you should ask yourself. Here are just a few:

Am I required to undergo any health checks?

This depends on which type of underwriting you choose for your policy. If you opt for moratorium underwriting you will not have to take any tests or give any information, but for two years you won’t be covered for the treatment of any type of condition that you have had medication, advice, treatment or have experienced symptoms for, whether or not the condition has been diagnosed in the last five years. You will have to fill out a full medical questionnaire however, if you choose full medical underwriting.
Will I have to contribute anything towards the cost of my health care?

You will have to pay a £100 excess on every claim you make with Freedom Healthnet. However, if you decide to increase this cost then you could save up to a quarter off your premiums. With fully comprehensive policies such as Diamond Plus, you will be entitled to unlimited in-patient and out-patient care so you should not have to pay anything else, but you may have to pay a little bit extra if your treatment goes over the limits of your benefits.

Are dental and alternative therapies covered?

Freedom Healthnet does not contribute towards the cost of any dental treatment, but it does embrace the popularity of alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, with the possibility for Diamond Plus customers to add this on to their policies. Other options include psychiatric care and rehabilitation treatments like home nursing and specialist second opinions which are not always covered by other health insurers.

Diabetes is very common in the UK. It’s one of those “it’ll never happen to me conditions” but with new research linking diabetes to slow child development, there is even more reason why you should have regular check ups, available with some policies as a benefit of private health insurance. The study by Laval University’s School of Psychology in Canada has found that women who develop diabetes during pregnancy are twice as likely to have a child with language development problems, particularly with vocabulary and grammatical skills. The leading researcher, Ginette Dionne, told science journal ‘Pediatrics’, “As mothers are having their children at a later age and the incidence of obesity in the population is on the rise, the rate of gestational diabetes is clearly increasing.”

There is no better time then to take out a private medical insurance policy, giving you access to in-depth health check ups that could pick up on such a condition. The symptoms of diabetes can often go unmissed and are not thought unusual – for example needing to visit the toilet more regularly and feeling more thirsty. This means that many cases of diabetes are not caught and can develop into a more serious version of the condition. If caught in time, some types can be treated purely by a change in diet, avoiding the use of insulin injections altogether; a thought that is daunting for many people.

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.

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.

Three new flu strains are on their way to the UK this winter, and companies are being warned to offer vaccinations for the virus to their staff to avoid major disruptions. The new strains - A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1)-like virus, A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like virus and B/Florida/4/2006-like virus can effectively be prevented with a simple inoculation that employers can access through their corporate health insurance. Flu is often compared to the common cold, but the illness can cause major upsets in the workplace with most people taking a week off. Even when they return, the virus leaves people very weak and production will undoubtedly be reduced. Businesses in the UK already lose millions of pounds each year due to sickness and these new strains of flu will only add to this, but the vaccination, which is effective in an estimated 70 to 90 per cent of adults, could significantly improve this.

Peter Mace is the assistant medical director at BUPA Wellness. He told Easier Finance, “Flu is one of the major reasons for short-term sickness among UK workers, and we recommend that even individuals who have received flu vaccinations previously should still be given the new vaccine to ensure they are protected from the three new strains. Any previous vaccines will not be effective in protecting against the new strains." By taking out a corporate private medical insurance policy, not only will employees have access to the new vaccine, but they will also be able to receive health care at a time and place convenient to them, should they become ill and return to work as soon as possible.

Nearly 300,000 teenage girls in the UK will receive a vaccine against the virus which causes killer disease cervical cancer this autumn. The Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo, made the announcement this month, which means that girls in their final year at school will join 12 and 13 year old girls across the country taking part in the scheme in September. The vaccine protects against the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus which is thought to cause around 7 in 10 of all cervical cancer cases. The disease kills around 1,000 women every year, and the government hopes that 400 lives will be saved with the introduction of the immunisation scheme. However, some people have expressed concerns however that routine smear tests will eventually be phased out.

Currently, the NHS offers smear tests to women over the age of twenty-five, every three to five years, in order to diagnose any abnormal cells developing in the cervix, but some people are worried that women will get complacent about their visits, and that doctors will not offer the test as regularly. This is concerning, especially as around a third of all cases of the cancer are not related to the virus at all. With some private medical insurance policies, women have access to full medical health checks. Alternatively, women can opt to pay for a private smear test via a private doctor and then claim on their health insurance policies to fund treatment, if needed. Even if smear tests are eventually scaled down, ther are options for those who wish to put their minds at rest.

Routine testing as it currently stands has failed some women in the UK, even before any reduction in services. At just twenty four years old, Katie Hilliard from West Sussex, has been given two years to live after being diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer. Katie was refused a smear test on the NHS twice because she was ‘too young’. Doctors and specialists are hoping that the immunisation programme may help to lessen the numbers of cases like Katie's.

September is coming round again, and many parents will be packing off their teenagers to begin their first year at university. It is a worrying time for mums and dads as they can no longer keep a watch over their youngsters. Many questions run through a parent's mind - are their children feeding themselves properly? What if they get ill? Will they know what to do? Will they get the care they need?

Moving away from home is also a big step for many young people, some of whom may have only just turned eighteen years old. They very often are unaware of how much they rely on their parents for providing meals, clean clothes and comfort when things don’t go quite as expected. Freedom Healthnet offers a specially designed health insurance policy for students which can provide that extra assurance, for both parents and teenagers, that protection is there if something unexpected does happen.

Fresher’s flu is one of the first illnesses that a student can expect to come across this autumn. Symptoms include fever, headaches and a sore throat, arising perhaps from a mixture of alcohol, the stress and excitement of moving away from home, and various types of bacteria coming together, possibly from from all over the world, to which some people will not have immunity.

Although most students should not need to seek private medical care for this cold-like illness, there are other more serious conditions, like meningitis, which can crop up. Having a student medical insurance policy will ensure that healthcare is available if an emergency occurs, or if treatment is required for a more long term condition. With the choice offered by Freedom Healthnet, students have the choice as to whether they would like to visit a clinic close to home or to university, and if their parents are covered by a family health insurance policy they will even be able to claim treatment until they are 25 years old, if they are still in full time education.

Read the latest about NHS Top Ups.

Independent nurses' think-tank, Nurses for Reform (NFR), have said this week that they fully support the government’s decision to allow top-up fees in the NHS. Previously, if a patient wished to cash in a private health insurance policy to help pay towards the price of treatment that the NHS refused to pay, they would be given a bill for the full cost of the healthcare. Professor Mike Richards, the Department of Health’s National Cancer Director, has now been given the go ahead by ministers to update the regulations regarding top ups despite Health Secretary Alan Johnson’s recent claim that they would breach the principles of the health service. When it was established in 1948, the NHS promised to provide “all medical, dental and nursing care.” There are now concerns that it may come to an end as more and more people choose to pay to ensure the quality and efficiency of private healthcare.

Over seven million people in the UK are now covered by a private medical insurance policy and that number continues to increase all the time. By allowing patients to contribute, the NHS will now provide access to more expensive and possibly more effective treatment like controversial cancer drugs for example. NFR spokeswoman and Director, Dr Helen Evans said, “Allowing private top-ups for medicines and treatment means that government is finally attempting to catch up with what the public have already come to endorse.”

There has never been a better time to take out a private medical insurance policy. The number of state of the art private medical facilities is increasing all the time, and there have been two high profile cases just this month. Welsh private medical company, The Independent General Practice, Wales’ first private practice, will open a ‘super-surgery’ at the end of March in Cardiff Gate. The centre will offer a wide range of services including various vaccinations, occupational health procedures and physiotherapy as well as routine GP care for up to 5,000 patients at a time. On top of this, discussions are taking place to offer minor plastic surgery to complement the anti-ageing treatments that are already available like Botox and collagen fillers.

BUPA has recently bought the well known Cromwell Hospital in London for £90 million. It is all part of a project to create a centre of excellence for private patients as they plan to invest a further £30 million into the facility. It is already renowned for pioneering medical equipment and cancer services, with late footballer George Best being one of its previous patients.

Is it any wonder then that an increasing number of people are getting quotes for private health insurance with access to such high standards of medical care? Other major companies for example Virgin, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco have all produced plans of ‘polyclinics’, which the local primary care trusts lack the money to fund. Virgin has a vision of a practice offering laser eye treatment, dental care, pharmacies, beauty facilities and alternative therapies amongst others. They have predicted that by 2050, private healthcare will take an equal proportion of the gross national product as the NHS.

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.

Many people with a private health insurance policy, or who take advantage of employee medical cover, decide to have a general health assessment at one of the country’s private medical centres. Despite claims published in a report ‘Making Sense of Testing’ by the charity Sense about Science, that such routine testing can make people more anxious about their health, 97% of people feel more reassured after the tests. The report says that although tests are not designed for people with a previously good general health, but it seems that many customers feel satisfied once their minds are put at rest.

The general health assessment examines many areas, for example the heart and lungs with tests on blood pressure and pulse measurement, an electrocardiogram, a general lung function examination which gives an overall cardiovascular risk assessment score, telling the patient how likely they are to become subject to conditions such as heart disease. Other tests include obesity indicators like body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage and a dietary assessment which, if dangerous levels are detected early, could prevent illnesses like diabetes and some cancers. Bowel cancer is screened for if a patient is over the age of 45 and hearing and sight are also tested, amongst other areas. Around a third of people with private health insurance who undergo an assessment discover a condition or illness that they were not previously aware of, meaning that they can get the care and treatment they need which may prevent it becoming life threatening or any worse than it should be.

Dr Andrew Vallance-Owen, Medical Director at BUPA, told the Health Insurance and Protection Magazine that medical assessments “provide people with plenty of time with a doctor to talk through test results and health concerns and discuss how to make positive lifestyle changes – in fact, three quarters of then actually do so. The role of a health assessment should be to help individuals feel positive about their health – not to make them worry about being ill.”

Cleanliness in NHS hospitals is the reason two thirds of people buy private medical insurance.

A new study published by BUPA this week says that cleanliness of NHS hospitals is a major concern for the British public, along with the reputation of individual facilities and lengthy waiting times. People are more likely to want to receive their treatment in a private hospital where the rates of superbugs like MRSA and C Difficile are much smaller, mainly because they care for a reduced number of patients. The research also found that the reputation of the hospital is just as important to the 1,001 people who took part in the survey as the reputation of the consultant carrying out the medical procedure.

Dr Paula Franklin, deputy medical director at BUPA UK Health Insurance, told The Press Association: "Clean hospitals have become so important to the British public that they now represent the biggest reason why people buy health insurance, with two out of three people taking out medical cover because they want to make sure they are treated in a clean hospital.

The survey, which was carried out by research agency TNS by interviewing the public online at the end of March, reported that 80% of people think hospital managers are to blame for the spread of infections, a rate of ten times higher than cleaners. It comes as the government has completed its ‘deep clean’ of NHS hospitals in an attempt to half the number of MRSA cases. Also this week, Patient Choice, an attempt to allow patients to choose where they receive their treatment including private hospitals receiving NHS funding, is launched across the country. But despite this, the research says that people will be unwilling to travel more than 20 miles for medical care. Many more people may decide to get a private medical insurance quote to ensure cleanliness and the choice that is already promised to them.

The cost of private medical insurance has decreased in recent years, meaning that it is now more accessible and affordable to the British public. With increasing numbers of people wishing to take out health insurance policies, and with a wide range of cover available, it can become confusing. Private medical insurance itself goes by many different names, but the terms hospital plan, health plan, health insurance and cash plan all essentially have the same purpose in assisting you with the cost of private healthcare.

Over 3.4 million people in the UK have decided to take out a health insurance policy and this has been for many reasons. Long NHS waiting lists and a lack of choice over when and where someone can receive their treatment are two major causes for concern. A private medical insurance policy gives the freedom and peace of mind in knowing that care is available in the space of a few days if it becomes necessary.

An even higher level of freedom is given if someone decides to take out a cash plan policy, where the insurance provider will pay the customer money towards the cost of treatment rather than paying it directly like regular health insurance. This gives the patient the increased choice of whether to use the money to supplement care from the NHS or whether to use it to pay for private treatment. Cash plans are often a more affordable way of ensuring that the best facilities are available to you in case you need them, but fully comprehensive policies are available which may also cover the cost of alternative treatments such as acupuncture and reflexology, as well as physiotherapy and chiropractic care.

Private Health Insurance, like everything else, is now accessible online 24/7. With increasing numbers of individuals requiring this valuable medical cover, it is vital that health insurance providers give excellent access to clients. Customers want to learn about the different types of health insurance policies available to them: this is vital as they need to decide which policy is right for them and their loved ones. Is a family policy better? An individual one? One for child only? or for a student? Is it a group insurance, like corporate / company health insurance? What type of health insurance is best for me? is a question often asked: budget health insurance, core health insurance? comprehensive health insurance? With outpatient care? With Alternative therapies? Also, when considering private medical insurance, it is important to identify which hospitals your treatment could be in, should you fall ill. Some companies are restricted to one group of hospitals, some via an area. In the case of Freedom Healthnet, upon approval of inpatient claim, funds are transferred directly to the account of the client to allow the client to decide where they would like to be treated: in a UK private hospital, an NHS hospital or a private hospital abroad.
All this information should be clearly displayed on medical insurance company's web sites so that the user can weigh up the benefits of each option and make an informed decision.

It is essential to understand exactly what you are covered for and what medical exclusions are on your policy and some people choose to do this via the company's web site whilst others prefer to talk to an insurance specialist with the company. Health insurance companies are finding, increasingly, that individuals are not only getting an online quote but also they are deciding to buy health insurance online, direct from the provider.
For those looking to compare health insurance / medical insurance prices, an online quick quote facility is excellent to get an overview of the cost of health insurance. With minimal information to input, a 30 second online quote for medical insurance is possible.

Health & Medical Insurance are increasingly being taken up within the UK but, as a quality Health & Medical Insurer, Freedom customer service representatives find that there are some questions that arise repeatedly from our potential clients.

A health insurance policy is a contract that is created between the medical insurer and the client or a group (like a company). Within this contract is the promise by the health insurer to provide specified health insurance at an agreed price - the premium that the client pays. With Freedom policies, the health insurance premium can be paid either in full or in installments, but not all insurance providers operate in this way.

As with any contract, the insurer has to provide information about exclusions and the terms and conditions of insurance. The client (or insuree) provides information about their prior health either at the time of taking out the policy or, as in the case of Freedom Insurance, in the event of a claim. The terms and conditions of the medical insurance policy will probably exclude chronic (long term) existing conditions and specify that conditions reoccurring within a specified time before the policy will not be covered. For instance, if you suffer from recurring condition such as asthma, diabetes or eczema these would not be covered under a health policy. However, an acute condition such as a hernia which had been corrected and the person had been symptom free for a period of time (i.e. 2 years / 5 years, dependent upon the policy) then a different hernia formed, this could be covered. This is why it is so important for people to read the policy carefully and to ask questions of the insurer to ensure that they understand fully what they are and are not covered for.

Upon approval of claim, Health / Medical insurance provides either a direct payment to the claimant or to the hospital. With private health insurance from Freedom, payment is made directly to the client upon approval of inpatient claim, to spend on treatment in the UK or abroad.

The costs and the range of protection provided by health insurance varies from company to company and varies based upon the type of policy taken out, which is why it is important to read what is covered carefully and speak to an advisor from the company for further advice.

Want to know how much health insurance costs? Get an instant online quotation for private health insurance from Freedom and learn how little you have to pay for good quality cover.

Women with breast cancer have faced staggering travel insurance premiums for years, often leaving them unable to take a well-earned break or forcing them to travel without insurance.

Every year, over 44,600 women are diagnosed with the condition in the UK and on average, one in nine women will develop the disease at some point in their lives, say breastcancercare.

But insurance companies often charge massive premiums for sufferers wishing to travel abroad and, according to Macmillan Cancer Support, many women also feel the insurers ask insensitive questions when calculating their premium.

However, a new travel policy from Equity Insurance, called insurepink could mean an end to crippling travel costs for sufferers. It has been developed by Fiona MacRae, 45, a woman with a first-hand experience of living with the cancer and promises to be more understanding than the main insurers.

Mainstream premiums are often high as insurers classify cancer patients as high risk. They consider pre-exisiting medical conditions as evidence that a claim for medical care will be more likely when travelling.

But insurepink promises to reflect the true risks of holiday travel, not the perceived risk of travelling with a severe condition.

Insurepink are also targeting people who do not have the condition but want to support the cause and will be donating £1 to the Pink Ribbon Foundation for every travel policy sold and £10 for every car or home insurance policy sold before October 1st 2008.

Ms MacRae, told the Times she designed the new policy after being quoted a premium of more than than £300 to cover a week’s holiday in France with her family, months after receiving treatment. She said: “Even if you have been out of treatment for five years, you can still get whacked on premiums. They say that cancer is high risk for travel insurance but it is not really, not like life cover. You are just going on holiday.”

“At the moment, insurers have a broad-brush approach. But cancer is an umbrella term for 200 diseases that all react differently. Insurers need to assess risk more specifically, and price accordingly.”

Ms MacRae also believes that the questions mainstream insurers ask are not appropriate for accurately determining a person’s risk. For example, most insurers will ask how many times a person has visited the doctor in the past year to determine how likely they are to need medical attention whilst travelling.

“Of course they have been to the doctor,” she told the Times. “Going to the doctor a lot could mean they are less likely to need care on holiday, because they are actively being looked after.” Insurepink has dropped questions that it believes are unhelpful in determining risk and has introduced new ones based on a patients medication.

The Equity Insurance Group is also gathering more statistical data to develop policies for sufferers of other cancers, such as men with prostate cancer. Neil Utley, the group’s chief executive, told the Times: “We are investigating areas of the market poorly served by fair pricing.”

According to Jonathan French, from the Association of British Insurers, the insurance industry as a whole is trying to improve cover for patients with preexisiting medical conditions. In an interview with the Times he said: “When applying for travel insurance, people are obliged to disclose preexisting conditions, or the policy is invalid. We are trying to make things better... but it is important to note that people can get cover. There are plenty of specialist providers. The difficulty has been people not knowing their options.”

He added that cancer charities, such as Macmillan Cancer Support, often have information about which insurers specialise in cover for cancer patients.

For more information on breast cancer, visit: www.insurepink.co.uk.

Medical insurance can cover breast cancer and other cancers, subject to the usual medical policy exclusions - such as if the condition was pre-existing or subject to a qualifying period. With so much controvosy about the postcode lottery when it comes to breast and other cancer treatments, many individuals are turning to private medical insurance to ensure that they are covered in the unfortunate circumstance of succumbing the disease.

Hot on the heels of recent stories of dirty hospitals raising the death toll, newspapers are reporting how vercrowded, filthy wards, shortages of nurses and financial difficulties led to 1,176 people contracting Clostridium difficile, according to the Healthcare Commission.
Over two and a half years, the infection outbreak at three Kent hospitals contributed to the deaths of 331 patients. The Healthcare Commission said that the infection – a severe form of infectious diarrhoea - probably or definitely caused the deaths of 90 patients and it was a contributing factor in the deaths of a further 241.
The number of deaths turned out to be far higher than originally declared to the media as the commission found cases where patients were probably killed by the superbug, but it was not reported on their death certificates.
A report by the commission said that some patients should have fully recovered from their initial illness but they caught the C Diff bug and died.
The report said there had been “significant failings” in infection control at the hospitals, causing the worst outbreak of a lethal superbug ever recorded in the NHS.
Dirty bathrooms and overflowing commodes were found at the Kent and Sussex, Pembury and Maidstone hospitals. Nurses were also too busy to clean their hands and equipment properly and infected patients were frequently moved in an attempt to meet waiting time targets.
The commission also said that managers at the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust were too preoccupied with hitting Government targets and had been cutting nursing staff and closing beds to help balance the books.
In May 2004, the trust’s chief executive, Rose Gibb – who has recently resigned - told the BBC she had known about the problems with cleanliness for six months, according to The Telegraph.
The report has now been sent to the Health and Safety Executive and Kent Police, who will decide if there are grounds for criminal charges.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson has also told the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust to withhold payments to Ms Gibb, pending legal advice.

Again, another story hits the national papers on the subject of the increasing risk of superbugs in hospitals. prompting individuals and families to take up health insurance and ensure that they are able to use a private hospital in the unfortunate situation of having to have medical treatment.

A recent investigation from the Healthcare Commission revealed appalling standards of hygiene at three hospitals in Kent, which allowed the killer bug Clostridium Difficile to directly cause the deaths of 90 patients.
Between 2004 and 2006, the bug infected more than 1,100 patients in hospitals run by the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, contributing to the deaths of 331 of them.
The commission found the standards of service were akin to those in the Third World, including dirty, understaffed wards and beds crammed together. Patients with severe diarrhea were even told to “go in the bed” as nurses were too busy to take them to the lavatory, according to the Independent.
Sadly, this is not an isolated case. In June, 99 NHS Trusts admitted to the Healthcare Commission that they were failing to meet hygiene standards and, according to the News of the World, many hospitals in England have twice as many cases of the killer C Diff bug as the Kent group, reports the News of the World.
The superbug is estimated to kill around 4,000 patients every year, yet some hospitals are able to control the spread. The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch hospitals scored the lowest in the ranking for C Diff infection, thanks to their “clean your hands” campaign.
Many people think doctors may be to blame for the increase of superbugs, as they believe hospital staff have dismissed the problem as an inevitable complication of medical care.
Hospital targets may also be the cause of the problem. According to a report by the Government’s chief economist, Professor Barry McCormick, the most crowded hospitals had MRSA rates 42 per cent higher than average.
Proper cleaning however, is not enough to solve the problem of superbugs. C Difficile, for example, is mainly caused by over use of antibiotics. The treatment kills the ‘healthy’ bacteria in the gut, allowing the C Difficile bacteria, which are normally controlled in the body, to spread. Unfortunately increased cases of MRSA have resulted in increased prescriptions of antibiotics.
Last week the health department announced screenings of all patients for MRSA, which will mean those carrying the infection will be isolated on admission, but these measures will not provide the complete solution.
Only when hospitals monitor antibiotics prescriptions, increase hygiene standards and ensure all staff wash their hands between patients, can the problem of superbugs be eliminated.
The occurrence in private hospitals of these super bugs is substantially less than in public hospitals, which is part of the reason that individuals choose to use private hospitals for their medical treatment. Many families are planning for such eventualities by taking out private medical insurance to ensure that they get their treatment promptly and that they are treated in a private hospital to minimise the risk of contracting MRSA or C Difficile, for example.

Despite recent headlines claiming that flu jabs are failing to save the elderly, if you are wise, you will still have your vaccination.
A recently published paper from the Health Protection Agency suggested that flu vaccinations for the elderly had no effect on the number of hospital admissions due to respiratory conditions such as bronchitis, emphysema and pneumonia, the telegraph reports.
Yet the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that the vaccinations reduce the risk of serious complications and/or death by up to 85 per cent.
The problem lies in the science of developing flu vaccines. The seasonal jabs protect against strains of the virus judged by the WHO to be the most likely strains to be in circulation that winter. However, this prediction is often made an entire year before, so if a strain changes, or a new one appears, the vaccine will not protect against them.
Another problem with the vaccine is that older people’s immune systems are less responsive than those in younger people, so the vaccine works in them less well. This is due to a phenomenon called immunosenescence, where the body’s immune system weakens with age.
But some people do respond to the vaccines very well. A spokesman for the Department of Health told the Telegraph: “Although vaccination may not protect all elderly people, experts advise that the majority of them benefit by at least having a less severe illness.”
The Health Protection Agency researchers are in fact insisting that ministers should not abandon vaccination, yet they are urging them to consider public health measures such as improved housing, smoking clinics and research into other illnesses associated with winter colds and flu.
More research is also being done into vaccines that protect, even if a flu strain has changed a little. Meanwhile, if you’re aged over 65, or in one of the groups most at risk from flu, a flu jab could still save your life this winter.
It is important to note that acute conditions such as Bronchitis and Pneumonia are covered by private medical insurance, subject to whether these are pre-existing conditions, and that you can claim on your health insurance policy for treatment in a private hospital, in your own room.

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.

Get an instant online quote for medical insurance from Freedom.

When people leave companies or retire, their health insurance plans often stop and they have to get a new policy for private health insurance. Many find that they have to go with a new insurer to keep the costs down as their premiums could double or triple with some providers when coming out of a group insurance scheme into a private one. The reason for a disparity between employee and private medical plans is that with company health insurance there is a substantial discount given for a group of people being covered. Additionally, the PMI cover could be paid by your employer, leaving you to only pay the insurance premium tax (IPT). With Freedom, our company medical schemes start from 3 individuals + so a family business or start-up business can be covered by a private health plan. We also offer family health insurance as well as individual. With our family medical policy, it covers all of your children (to age 25 whilst in full time education) for the same cost as one child, hence giving you savings there immediately.

Also, some insurance providers do not want to continue with the client when they leave the company and make them 'restart' their policy - so that the client has to take a policy with a 2 year moritorium on cover for conditions treated in the past 5 years, or similar. With Freedom Healthnet, you can switch from your Freedom company policy to a Freedom individual policy without having to go through this.

With Freedom Health Insurance, we have a switching system which provides for individuals who retire or who leave their employer but who wish to carry on with their private medical insurance. Contact the Freedom team for details 08703 50 40 30.

Alternatively, our instant quick quote for medical insurance will show you how little your premium could be with Freedom Healthnet - quoted in The Independent as the most competitive comprehensive insurance policy over the likes of Bupa and AxaPPP.

The Association of British Insurers, the ABI, published guidelines this month which updates the glossary of terms used in all private medical insurance policy documents. A number of organisation types have been consulted in the generation of this definitions of medical terms including the PMI industry, the ABI and the cancer charity, Cancerbackup.
The objective of this is to ensure clarity for consumers to ensure that customers fully understand the terminology used in their insurance policies and so they have a better understanding of what is and what is not covered, particulary when it comes to health insurance cover for cancer. Freedom has always tried to ensure clarity on its policy documents and our glossary of insurance and medical terms on the website supplements our comprehensive definitions in our brochures, which are sent out to clients upon request.
With about 6 million people covered by private medical insurance in the UK, it is important that we work towards clearer definitions and helping our clients to be fully informed about their health insurance cover.