Health Insurance advice

PMISpecialist_2

middlepuss wrote: »

That thread seems to be about gyms and loopholes so I am posting my conclusions here:

I have spoken to Pruhealth and had a good look at their website. My conclusion? Pruhealth is not for me.

If:

1. I was prepared to wear a device for counting footsteps whenever I mow the lawn or go for a walk, and then hook it up to my computer to load the data to the Pruhealth site to earn points, and

2. Use a gym regularly, and

3. Get regular medical checkups either with my doctor or at a Pruhealth approved location, and

4. Interact with the Pruhealth website to earn points by reading articles, making meal plans or whatever, and

5. Be so well organised that every year ad infinitum I enter the requisite data onto the Purhealth website to prove I have earned the requisite points, and

6. I do not have the misfortune to get ill and have to make a claim

then the Pruhealth plan would be really very good indeed.

But since I do not want to go to a gym, wear a gadget to prove I exercise, get my blood pressure checked every 6 months and generally become a slave to the Pruhealth plan - not just for one year but for ever - it is not for me.

Lol it certainly isn't for everyone. Its really not quite as hard as your making out. But yes you do have to prove your leading a healthy lifestyle to get your premium under a fiver a month and free gym membership & the rest ect. For example the 'fitbug pedometer' takes about 5 seconds to download once a week!

Were you actively looking for health insurance policies?

Some people are not at all interested in scoring the points and if i wasn't with Pru i'd personally be with National deposit. With National deposit premiums start from as little as £20 per month they will never ever put your premiums up regardless of age or claims and you get 50% of all your unclaimed premiums back should you wish to. Bills are paid direct to the hospitals, no excess to pay, no 6 week options, no hospital list to adhere to (you can use any registered private hospital/clinic in the UK) they cover everything most pmi schemes cover with the exception of psychiatric care. They also cover dental and optical which is over and above most what most pmi covers

You really need to speak to an independent pmi specialist broker as your past and current state of health may well be an issue if you have been/are ill. They can talk you through everything, ask the necessary questions and give you best advice from there.

middlepuss

Thanks for your advice. I'll give National Deposit a call tomorrow.

middlepuss

middlepuss wrote: »

Thanks for your advice. I'll give National Deposit a call tomorrow.

Or rather I won't call them tomorrow.

Just looked at their website. They fail at the first two hurdles. One, I've never heard of them and two, the contact page of their website doesn't work. Neither inspires confidence.

It is a mix of health insurance and a savings scheme:

"Quite simply, you pay a set contribution which suits your budget, half of this is used to provide valuable health insurance and the other half is held in an interest bearing savings account, in your name and always accessible by you (with no penalty).
While you are paying in your regular contributions, your personal ‘fund’ is growing and eventually this will be used to pay an element of any eligible claims should they be required."

Having my money on deposit with an organisation I have never heard of...?

Not what I am looking for.

petshopgirlemma

I've been sent a leaflet by my employer re Bupa healthcare at a specially reduced rate for lecturers - what kind of discount would this afford me?

Wutang_2

middlepuss wrote: »

Or rather I won't call them tomorrow.

Just looked at their website. They fail at the first two hurdles. One, I've never heard of them and two, the contact page of their website doesn't work. Neither inspires confidence.

It is a mix of health insurance and a savings scheme:

"Quite simply, you pay a set contribution which suits your budget, half of this is used to provide valuable health insurance and the other half is held in an interest bearing savings account, in your name and always accessible by you (with no penalty).
While you are paying in your regular contributions, your personal ‘fund’ is growing and eventually this will be used to pay an element of any eligible claims should they be required."

Having my money on deposit with an organisation I have never heard of...?

Not what I am looking for.

I didnt think people these days had a problem with the less-heard-of-companies?? Bupa love this mentality and yet provide a consistently poor service.

You are wrong but its your decision!!

Wutang_2

petshopgirlemma wrote: »

I've been sent a leaflet by my employer re Bupa healthcare at a specially reduced rate for lecturers - what kind of discount would this afford me?

I am sure if you called them they would tell you!

petshopgirlemma

Wutang wrote: »

I am sure if you called them they would tell you!

Yes but I don't want to have to go through the rigmarole of giving my details and being on their database forever if it's just going to be £10 off a year! Hence question asking if anyone was already with them via this scheme and could ball park percentage it me.

PMISpecialist_2

middlepuss wrote: »

Or rather I won't call them tomorrow.

Just looked at their website. They fail at the first two hurdles. One, I've never heard of them and two, the contact page of their website doesn't work. Neither inspires confidence.

It is a mix of health insurance and a savings scheme:

"Quite simply, you pay a set contribution which suits your budget, half of this is used to provide valuable health insurance and the other half is held in an interest bearing savings account, in your name and always accessible by you (with no penalty).
While you are paying in your regular contributions, your personal ‘fund’ is growing and eventually this will be used to pay an element of any eligible claims should they be required."

Having my money on deposit with an organisation I have never heard of...?

Not what I am looking for.

You don't happen to work on a direct basis for one of the big traditional pmi providers do you?

Just tried the National deposit website and it seems to work fine. Its not as if you have to place your life savings with them, just the amount that you want to pay for PMI.

Yes they are not a big name (yet), they are a friendly society, no shareholders, no massive advertising campaigns, not lots of fat cat executives i'm afraid and very secure i.e.They work on a business model where they do not need to borrow or lend money, if everyone wanted their money out tomorrow they could pay and if everyone claimed the maximum they could also pay out. They have also been around since 1868 so not a fly by night operation.

If a big well known name is what you are after then by all means look at the traditional providers Bupa, AXA/PPP, Norwich Union, Standard Life ect ect.

Their policies can be very good if you pick the right one for you as can arguably be their service . Its the ever rising costs that many get annoyed by

i.e They go up with

1. Around 8-10% every year with age and medical inflation alone
2. If you claim they can go up 20-40% on top of that.

However they work very well for some people. Especially tose who have used the insurance. I know of some in their 70's paying £7000 - £8000 per year in premiums.

SueMaggie

petshopgirlemma wrote: »

Yes but I don't want to have to go through the rigmarole of giving my details and being on their database forever if it's just going to be £10 off a year! Hence question asking if anyone was already with them via this scheme and could ball park percentage it me.

My husband got a leaflet about this offer when he was lecturing a few years ago, I think it was around 10% off the annual premium - may have been higher - but certainly no higher than 20% off.

Baldur

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