Snazy

Just been thinking about it recently. As some know, I am prone to breaking, and falling apart. So thought it might be a good idea. But cost always comes into it.

Not unhappy with the NHS, but just like to keep my options open, and guess in a way I would like to pay my way, while getting the best possible treatments.

I just got a letter from the hospital saying they have a date for me for my latest operation, and im hoping this will be it for now. But in the event of anything else going wrong with me, maybe its time to have cover and get dealt with as quickly as possible.

So, I guess what im asking it. Do you have private cover, how much is it costing you, and have you had to use it at all (was it worth paying for?)
Having tried a few places, I have noticed some places stipulate they do NOT cover existing conditions. Others say "may" cover.....
Its a bloody minefield. Hence wondering who has what

Milamber

iTrader: (2)

I've got it and its a safe bet I've got more wrong with me than you (even competitive with illnesses ) and they refuse to cover any of it.

I therefore pay a fortune to only cover my right leg

That's not quite true, they will cover me if I have a breakdown or have something wrong on the "inside" and they also cover my daughter for free.

I do wonder why I pay it sometimes, it's only money can't take it with you can you

Snazy

lol im not competing, im trying to retire from being a professional injured/broken person.
They are really sheepish in the small print about what is and is not covered, regarding exisiting. Seems that they will decide each case on its merits and go from there.

Got a couple of quotes round the £30 a month mark which look ok, except the pre-existing clauses.
Had this with payment insurance, because I had been diagnosed with A condition on the same arm, it was not covered. Appealed, and decision upheld.

Just with all the other stuff, I wonder is it worth having the cover incase something else pops up, the big C etc.... or is the NHS sufficient.

All the stuff like physio etc, im assuming its all based on doctor referral.
And then there is the NHS 6 week thing.
It does not say, you will be treated if the NHS cant treat you in 6 weeks. It says you will go private if the NHS cant treat you within 6 weeks of when the treatment is DUE, not diagnosed.
All looks like careful wording to me.

Anyone have experience of claiming, and how it went?

hodgy0_2

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

insurance works on the basis of continually minimising financial exposure to both risk and claims

annoying when dealing with car insurance, really annoying when dealing with cancer etc

Wendell Potter a former head of communications at CIGNA (big US health insurer) turned whistle blower recently (after seeing charity run MASH style field hospitals in rural America) and delivered a withering critic on the US health insurance industry and the continued attempts to wriggle out of claims.

Any private health company, quite rightly, has to put the interest of its shareholders first

Milamber

iTrader: (2)

I'm with Norwich Union, no idea how much I pay I'm afraid. I did try to claim for something once. Paid the excess to see the consultant and then they said they didn't cover my condition as it cannot be cured. At least I managed to jump the queue on the NHS.

My (lenghty) experience with the NHS is that they are outstanding with serious matters, if you just need a simple operation and stay overnight then private is more comfortable.

Snazy

That sounds exactly how the small print makes it sound. Cheers.

Fair play mate, good summary.
Most of my stuff is all small stuff, minor op's on my arm/hand etc. But then on the other end of the scale watching how amazing the NHS have been with my mum and other friends cancers, I cannot fault them, so would never really worry that I would not be taken care of if such things occured.

However the wait for the small op's and the after care can be a little touch and go with the NHS, so was thinking of things like that if such a thing reoccured. I had the first op private, second NHS, and there was not much between them. Although the day of the private op was a lot less stressful, and all very nicely done.

All food for thought, cheers

Simon C

I have it, never used it. Get it through work (bonus of working for an American company).

I say I've never used it as I've only had 1 day off sick in 5 years!!!! Works is done through Axa.

njkmrs

I never used to think these were worthwhile to be honest and thought "if owt goes wrong, I will go to the hospital and they will sort me out " I mean what do I pay my tax /NI for ???.

However I then decided to join a scheme at work .It cost about £1 per day to cover the whole family,so about £365 a year and comes out of my Salary ( i think its extra Tax to pay for a Company Benefit to be honest ).I think the Company is actually paying the Fees for the cover .

It is in addition to the NHS ,which means if they wont see us before 6 weeks ,then we go Private .

Never used it, touch wood, but for the cost it seemed a good idea .!!!

Snazy

We have a very basic BUPA one, but even with additional premiums it never becomes decent cover.

I on the other hand have had 11 months in the past 2 years off.


Sounds good, worth seeing what you are covered for. I realised that one we used to have as an option at work was "cash back" I dont want frickin cash back, I want to be treated !! lol

That NHS thing is something that im not sure about.
Previously I was referred private by the NHS. Treated in a BMI, paid for by the NHS.
But the way they are wording the 6 week thing confuses me, as I have not found enough written about it.

What does this statement actually mean...

a/ If treatment is not available on the NHS within 6 weeks of diagnosis and decision to treat, you will go private

b/ If treatment is not available until 6 weeks after the latest date set for treatment on the NHS, you will go private. (in non life threatening cases there is no latest date)

c/ If treatment is not available until at least 6 weeks after the NHS Trust guideline maximum waiting time, you will go private.

d/ something completely different.

hope that makes sense lol

nik52wrx

The comapny i work for have provided it for me for twenty years and touch wood, i've never needed to use it

Snazy

I just thought of a better way of wording the question based on that summary...

The acceptable waiting time for CTR (carpal tunnel release) is 8 weeks.
If I had private would I be sent private if the date was set for 8 weeks time, or only if the date was set for 14+ weeks time.

David Lock

I took out a family plan with Norwich Union when our kids turned up. Mostly for them but also to cut the waiting list for their mother and myself if anything serious cropped up. It didn't thank goodness. And I liked the idea of a clean room and facilities.

But premiums rise steeply as you get older and I didn't have the funds to carry on. I think the NHS has got better as well. I moaned about the increased premium and they offered me a very similar, but slightly more restricted cover, but at half the cost. So keep you eye on them. And of course the younger you are the cheaper it will be and your medical history should be OK. I believe that they excluded any condition that had needed consultation in the previous 2 years.

So I would say consider it for your family if you can afford it but remember the NHS do pretty well.

I would be very interested to know how the cost of decent private cover in UK compares with similar cover in USA in view of all the **** flying around in USA about UK health treatment.

dl

Snazy

I think a friend in the USA said he pays $1000 a year comprehensive health insurance.
Considering I have just been quoted £60 a month for comprehensive, I would say it seems on par.
Difference is they dont pay monthly out of their wages for the NHS too lol

rob878

A few years ago i would have said, don't bother, however after having the third operation on my right knee in 18 months i wouldn't be with out it. The first operations where done by people more used to putting new hips in the elderly, as compared the last op that was undertaken by a guy that does Rangers, Celtic and the SRU's knee operations, my rehab will now continue with the SRUs former Physiotherapist, he kind of know his stuff after over 100 tests as well as the 2005 Lions tour.

With out the insurance, yes i would have been able to see these people, but i certainly couldn't have afforded the lengthy amount of treatment i am receiving from them.

Colds sniffles, minor stuff, i will still use the NHS, however anything protracted and i will use my insurance again

SJ_Skyline

My company covers me (and my family) and thankfully I was able to use this for the operation on my knee last year.

hodgy0_2

its just such an odd system to want supplying healthcare


if you need it -- i.e. high risk, your premiums go thru the roof until they price you out of it altogether -- bit like 17 year old drivers, they dont actually want the "business"

but if you are young fit and healthy, then fine, you dont need it, so cover is cheap until you get develope a chronic disease, in which case you will either fall foul of the "pre existing condition" clause, or your premuims increase to levels you can't afford

just seems odd to me -- maybe i'm missing something

Snazy

Keep the comments coming guys

Looking at some of the plans out there it is truly a minefield

SJ/Rob who is your cover with ?

Simon K

I have BUPA. I wish I lived in a society where it isnt need, but hey thats life. I paid £2500 a year, for me, my girlfriend and my son. Ive been with BUPA all my life, my parents had me covered when I was born. I get 10% off for being a life member, and 15/20% for being part of David Lloyd gyms.

Ive used it about 6 years ago for a back problem which resulted in a few operations. I suppose if I calculated what Ive paid on subscriptions, I could of paid for the operations and have money spare.

However, my father had cancer and BUPA paid thousands depsite eventually loosing his life too it. My mother had cancer of the lung which was removed. Her total spend is around £40K and counting.

So, I hope I never use it, but my son, my lady and I are covered in the event of anything nasty. When you told you have cancer, the expensive car outside doesnt seem important and being told you will have to wait 10 weeks until your operation on the NHS. So, BUPA for me.



SBK

Snazy

Cheers for sharing that Simon, always got to take into account any possibilities. Sorry your father lost the battle.

I sold my scooby when I found out my mum had cancer, just incase the cash could do anything sensible. So I totally agree with what you say.

I shall have to look into it a little futher. No price on health I guess.
I wonder, is shared cover cheaper?

Just hate the phone quotes you have to do, but hey.

davyboy

Get BUPA through work. not used it for over 8 years.

Used it a lot this year. ACL reconstuction and lots of physio.

Simon 69

I dont have a deal to add, beyond the advice to shop around. The difference between direct purchase and work benefit rates is massive, abd cover can be purchased for work benefit rates, if you buy shrewdly.

Deep Singh

1) I have cover through my wifes work. Have never used it. Just been lucky so far.

2) I would avoid schemes that have the 6 week rule. The most important reason for insurance is to be able to choose your specialist.
This won't happen if you end up having it in the NHS. You wouldn't pick a builder randomly out of the yellow pages and ask him to build you a house.
In the same way, I want to choose the person who treats me. I want the very best especially for complicated dangerous stuff.

3) This is what I advice young, healthy people. Be disciplined and set up an account. Put a proportion of your income into it every month and don't touch it.
You could easily get from age 20 to age 50 and never need to use, in which case by that time you have a huge pot of money to be able to self pay for treatment.

If you get something nasty like poor Simon's mum that needs £40ks worth of treatment, well the nhs does that well. However, the money in the pot will have paid for you to get the initial diagnoses quickly.
Ie; paying to see a specialist privately costs about £150-£250 per visit. You can have all blood tests, xrays, mri and CT scan for about £3k total (done quickly) and then off to the nhs for the expensive treatment.

You may find you are lucky and never need to use it, ie you never get an illness that you aren't happy having treated in the nhs. In which case there is a large pot of money to pass onto your children

Sonic'

I dont have it, im one of theose people who have priced themselves out of the market

having had the big C twice (many years ago) most insurers wont touch me with a bargepole

I think at the time my chemo treatment cost (14 years ago) approx 15 grand, but it was all on nhs

Snazy

Cheers yet again guys
More food for thought.

DS, I could never do that mate, I really dont have that kind of money control lol.. Paying a premium will almost be like paying a holiday off over the year. By the end of the year it will be getting made the most of. Im that predictable to break!

I will have to see if the plan we have at work counts for anything and if it can be used as leverage to get a decent policy cheaper.

As for the 6 week thing. Its usually an option (to lower the premium) but im still not 100% sure on how it really applies.

njkmrs

Deep ,how are we able to choose the best surgeon ??

If /when the time comes for needing one most of us will not have a clue who is good /bad / incompetant .

I have to say when I broke my femur years ago ,the NHS did a great job ,and when the NHS repaired a perferated ear drum years ago ,they did a great job then also .

I think the 6 week thing is basically the company saying get it done on the NHS but if they cant do it quick enough to get you back to work asap then we will pay Private to get you back to work as quick as possible ,thus saving them money in that respect .

My only strong opinion on the NHS is the fact it is abused by people who are NOT entitled to use it !!!!

rob878

Mine is through AXA PPP Snazy

Snazy

Cheers mate. Thats who I got the £60 a month quote from, for comprehensive cover. If I can get some clarification on the 6 week thing, the price comes down a fair bit.

Sonic'

I got quoted 140 quid a month and that was quite a few years ago now too

Snazy

Holy hell!
Im looking forward to see what BUPA come up with after the medical questions lol

Sonic'

The daft thing was, even with that quote of 140 quid a month, they wouldnt cover any serious illnesses or any kind of death, so was completly pointless and that was the cheapest one too !!