Private Health Insurance

[Loz]

Since I'm starting to get to an age where, frankly, the old body is starting to creak a bit and need more in the way of fixing, I've been wondering about getting private health insurance.

Has anyone got it? Do they recommend/unrecommend any providers? Any tips/dangers/gotchas?

[Seabag]

I'm looking for the same Loz, as I don't like sharing the waiting room with other 'sick/skiving' people

Is there one that shows Top Gear and the football in the waiting room, instead of that dreadful 'what would happen if you' TV that seems to be on loop in our surgery

Mind you I always turn it off as soon as I HAVE to sit and wait, I just broadcast 'I'm a technician, that TV's on the blink' as I do so. I also informed the silly receptionist that 'sitting around watching TV is known to be unhealthy' when she tried to tick me off

[jacks09]

Have it through work.......really helped with a slipped disc i suffered from..... Have had both Axa and Pru with different employers. Axa seemed to be more comprehensive but just could be as the company paid more?

[Jeremy]

The main advantage is that you get seen a lot quicker for minor/moderate complaints, and better accommodation if you need to stay in hospital.

Main problem I've had with insurers is that they often want you to go to their choice of location. BUPA, for instance, informed me that they don't cover MRI scans at Kings, I'd need to go to Lewisham.

And obviously you're still stuck with the NHS GP and A&E services... frankly I'm not sure I'd bother.

[LondonMix]

I have it through work. It is good for being seen quicker for injuries that aren't life threatening. With that said, one of my friends father's was refused testing on the NHS based on symptoms he was having. He then went private (I think he had to pay for a private GP referral but then insurance kicked in but could be wrong). Turns out he had pancreatic cancer. It would have gone undetected much longer if he hadn't been able to use his insurance. That might simply be a fluke though even for non life threatening stuff like slipped discs, quick and early treatment can make a big long term difference. Again, another friend without private insurance had a pretty bad slip and kept being mis-referred, lost appointments etc for over a year. In the end, what could have been initially a simple treatment plan ended up requiring surgery. She's complaining the health Ombudsman.

In general though, everyone I know who uses the NHS is happy and fine. Those are just the two horror stories I know personally.

[miga]

I've had it on and off through work (choosing cash instead of insurance along the way if possible). Makes seeing specialists a much quicker process, but you still have to go through GP. Private GP services not covered, IME. Pregnancy or pregnancy related stuff not covered (missus had to argue about physio treatment following birth), IME. But - I've also had to wait for 3 months to see a man about a dodgy ankle on the NHS, whereas privately it would have been a week. I'd take it if it was gratis, not sure if it's worth a few grand a year for the whole family otherwise.

[LondonMix]

Pregnancy stuff depends. My insurance covers pregnancy complications and IVF but not routine birth. All plans are different though and the better the coverage the more expensive it tends to be.

[miga]

Definitely - as do pre-existing conditions, certain illnesses, treatments etc.

[bobbsy]

I had very similar with ruptured discs. I couldn't get an NHS referral to see a consultant or have an MRI scan as the local GP kept deferring me with pain medication - they seem very reluctant to schedule an MRI scan and was told the NHS waiting list was 6-12 months (may or may not have been true I don't know).

I had BUPA with work - called them and straight to Lewisham to see consultant and have MRI, within the week if I remember correctly. Saved me months of pain.

[Jeremy]

Hmm. Normally if you just tell your GP you have insurance, they'll write you an open referral...

[LondonMix]

I've had a slip disc. I went to my gp for a referral to physio. She initially tried to dissuade me but once I informed her I had private health insurance she quickly changed tune and wrote me a referral both for an MRI scan and physio treatment. I was shocked by the abrupt about face as it was like, 'oh okay great, here you go'. Clearly GPs recommended treatment is influenced by if you have insurance or not.

[Loz]

Seabag Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm looking for the same Loz, as I don't like

> sharing the waiting room with other 'sick/skiving' people

Won't work for you Seabag. You still have to front up to the GP. It just cuts that 12-18 week waiting time for the consultant to a week or so.

Anyone here with BUPA or Aviva? They seem to be the main two coming up. Anyone with some other company?

[titch juicy]

Have BUPA through work, including GP services and it's proved very useful on several occasions.

BUPA seem good, but i've nothing to compare them against.

[miga]

titch juicy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> including GP services

Now that would be a very useful level of cover.

[LondonMix]

Yes, private GP cover would be amazing given how long it can take to get an NHS GP appointment sometimes.

I have Vitality which is Pru's new name. I find their customer support fairly useless but the level of coverage my company has paid for is quite good.

[Alan Medic]

Loz Wrote:

> Anyone here with BUPA or Aviva? They seem to be

> the main two coming up. Anyone with some other

> company?

Yes, Aviva through work. It's an ignore pre-existing conditions policy which I put my OH on some months ago for about ?50 pm. This was a good decision as she has used them recently and the costs are up to ?1,500 so far.

I've dealt directly with the insurers and found them good. Just need to keep them informed of any additional consultations/tests you may be referred for.

[Pugwash]

I have a semi private insurance Benenden. Hubby used it when with chronic back pain- waiting list for Kings was 6 months but via Benenden a couple of weeks. I had to see a dermatologist - waiting time to receive a letter for an appointment at Kings 6 - 8 weeks, appointment date another 6 - 8 weeks, GP gave me name of consultant at Kings - Seen at the London Hospital by same consultant within 3 weeks, now under consultant at Kings for all follow ups.

[Loz]

I looked at Benenden. It's a bit strange. It basically is a health fund where you apply for funding when you get ill and they might give it to you. Very cheap, though.

Not quite sure what to make of it. Didn't seem to be reliable enough.

[Pugwash]

As long as you initially try NHS for treatment or consultation first and if there is a long waiting list, your GP can give a letter of referral to the Benenden who will find a consultant for you. It also uses BUPA facilities- the consultant claims fees directly from the Benenden. You can also get in patient treatment at one of their private hospitals ( For London the hospital is in Tenterden).

[Pugwash]

Just to say that I became a member in 1996, my husband, daughter and grand daughter are also covered

[Seabag]

My GP has essentially become a 'how can't I help you' place

I want out of that, and I'm luckily in good health

I don't mind paying, but I want to sidestep all the crap

I'll check out BUPA

[ratty]

Is there anything wrong with a two tier health service where the most advantaged in society get seen quicker because they have money? If this was paying for private health care then I say go for it, but the jist seems to be that it is NHS resources that are used and paid for by insurance. Is this correct? Or is the argument that this helps put capital in the NHS so that other resources are not stretched? I've never been sure how this works?

Years ago my father had to go private to get proper treatment for prostate cancer, but this was in a BUPA hospital, with, I think BUPA consultAnts. Speeded up the process by months. He still died so not the best example I guess.

[ratty]

Also, in our dicrepit years, wouldn't it be prohibitively expensive to give adequate cover?

[uncleglen]

I worked for a time in a large London teaching hospital and one of the doctors was relentlessly ribbed when he went off to do his private work....