Pricate Healthcare Cover for Existing Conditions

jasmin10

I am trying to find a private healthcare company that covers existing conditions.

Basically I have already had NHS MRI's and seen a consultant whom I disagree with. I know they are professionals thus having more knowledge than myself however I truly believe that his diagnosis is incorrect.

The Private schemes I have checked so far say they cover existing conditions but I would be unable to claim for them in the first two years (these being Bupa, AXA and HSA).

I would really appreciate any ideas people have so I can get a second opinion. (I have already gone back to my GP who is backing the consultant).

Thank you in advance.
x

Toothsmith

Why not just pay?

Insurance companies are there to make a profit, so there's no way they are going to take someone on at a premium of £X if that person is then going to go out and claim £X+ the very next week.

The only way they could do it would be if the premium was £X++ to start with.

Seeing a consultant privately as a one off, particularly if he/she has access to previous tests will not cost a fortune, and will give you the peace of mind you're looking for (hopefully)

jasmin10

As I haven't been given an actual diagnosis just suspected, it would cost a fortune if I just paid out to have investigative work done - the bill would soon mount up. If I was to find a policy I could take out and have this done I can just pay the annual fee.

Toothsmith

If it's just suspected, then surely it's not a pre-existing condition?

Nicki

Toothsmith wrote: »

If it's just suspected, then surely it's not a pre-existing condition?

Any medical insurance application forms I've ever had to complete have asked what I've consulted my GP about in the last couple of years, and then either excluded anything relating to that (whether full diagnosis or not) or covered them after a long qualifying period.

OP, is it not possible to have the tests on the NHS (whether or not you think the provisional diagnosis is correct). Presumably this will either rule in or rule out what the consultant suspects, and if it is ruled out they'll look for another cause for your symptoms. Or are those tests very invasive/have long waiting lists? You could always get a private second opinion once all the NHS test results are in.

jasmin10

Thanks Nicki,
I have tried to push this with my GP to get further testing and opinions etc but from the reactions I receive I feel that I am being a bind to him (wrong word but I can't think of the right one at the moment:)
He has said that I will just have to wait for treatment and see what happens. Treatment being a steriod epidural and physio. I have severe lower back pain - so much so that I can't stand, sit, walk or drive the car for 20 mins whithout collapsing in pain. I can't lift basic things such as a kettle now - it's getting me down. The MRI says that my L5 disc has degenerated (which they can't do anything about as there is still a bit there) and arthritis down my spine. (I'm only 34). They have said the epidural will just take out the inflamation and that it will probably come back who knows when but I will just have to have another. I just can't accept that I will have to live with being so dibilitated and that there is nothing they can do.

Nicki

The MRI should be available for a consultant to look at, as should any x rays. I'm not sure what other expensive tests you think would be ordered though? I would expect a consultant to be able to give a second opinion privately just by looking at the cd of the mri and the prints of the x rays, as he wouldn't after all do a new mri or x ray personally, but would get a radiographer to do it for him.

I've had a similar problem recently (also degenerative damage to L5) and all I had by way of investigation (as well as hands-on examination and observation of my range of movement) was mri, x ray and some blood tests which didn't cost much. The cost of the consultant (private) was only a few hundred pounds. The physio helped surprisingly quite a lot - it didn't take away the pain completely but has made it much more manageable.

hth

Kasha

jasmin I am almost sure that as an NHS patient you can ask for a second opinion? try googling NHS patient rights.........maybe a way forward?

LCK73

In my experience a lot of GPs are pretty useless and good at making you feel like you are asking for the earth when you only want someone to take you seriously - taken to extremes GP are in my opinion are GUs - Generally Useless, they know very little about very little. I've had 3 different diagnosis of 3 different conditions from 3 different GPs.

Rant over and the point being, you be strong and dictate to your GP that you want and are entitled to that second opinion. They have to give it to you.

To speed things up and if you can afford it, get a private consultation (like others on here have suggested), to get anothers specialist view on it is useful and any subsequent treatment can be done on NHS - it doesn't all have to be private.

A good friend of mine was suffering terribly with lower back pain to the point of only being capable of lying on the floor at home (and she lived alone). Her GP and first 'specialist' were totally culpible of misconduct in her case and she decided to go private to get another specialist opinion (she even arranged an extension on her mortgage to pay for what she thought would be an expensive prolapsed disc op). Turns out, the 2nd private specialist was so horrifed by what he saw that he offered to operate on her, via NHS, the very next week. She is now much better but because of what her GP and local 'rural' specialist told her (i.e. just take pain killers and get on with it) her condition was left too long and she is now left with some permanant damage.

I tell you this not to scare you but to get you to stick to your resolve and demand your rights - it is your health after all.

I hope it works out for you.

All the best