Private Health Insurance - Cancer Survivor

nm123_2

Hi all,

Not sure if this is the right place for such a question, apologies if not...

My mum had breast cancer 10 years ago when she was 49. It was caught v early and she had a lumpectomy, no radiotherapy or chemo (unless you count tamoxifen for 5 years). At the time, mum was working and got her health insurance paid for by her employer and was treated really quickly.

Since then she has become self-employed and does not have private health cover and says that she has struggled to find cover.

She's been pretty unwell recently and is going for a liver scan this week and is paying to have the scan done at a private hospital (3 weeks wait on the NHS which clashes with her holiday) and obviously we're hoping its something quick and easy to treat. However, I doubt that she'll be able to afford to keep paying for private treatment.

I think for piece of mind mum would really like to take out private health care. Can anyone recommend a policy/cover/company who could assist?

Thanks in advance.

PMISpecialist_2

nm123 wrote: »

Hi all,

Not sure if this is the right place for such a question, apologies if not...

My mum had breast cancer 10 years ago when she was 49. It was caught v early and she had a lumpectomy, no radiotherapy or chemo (unless you count tamoxifen for 5 years). At the time, mum was working and got her health insurance paid for by her employer and was treated really quickly.

Since then she has become self-employed and does not have private health cover and says that she has struggled to find cover.

She's been pretty unwell recently and is going for a liver scan this week and is paying to have the scan done at a private hospital (3 weeks wait on the NHS which clashes with her holiday) and obviously we're hoping its something quick and easy to treat. However, I doubt that she'll be able to afford to keep paying for private treatment.

I think for piece of mind mum would really like to take out private health care. Can anyone recommend a policy/cover/company who could assist?

Thanks in advance.

Yes Pruhealth have a unique form of moratorium underwritting which is:

Any medical conditon suffered in the last 5 years will not be covered for the first two years of the policy but after that will be covered in full.

So all new conditions after joining are covered straight away. After two years all conditions are covered past or present (covered subject to the terms and conditions of the policy).

With most insurers they offer moratorium underwritting too, but with most of the other insurers 60+ i.e. Bupa, axa/ppp, Norwich Union, Standard Life etc Their moratorium is not as good i.e. They go back the same five years, but this time you have to go two years advice treatment and symptom free for a two year period before the pre existing condition s covered.

Now for example advice could be a check up and treatment could be taking as little as half an asprin a day. So if you have advice treatment or symptoms the two year clock starts again. Therefore the condition(s) and all related conditions are excluded from cover. (whose to say someones high blood pressure wasn't the cause of someones heart problem?)

With Pruhealth after two years there are no arguments, no if's but's or maybe's. The condition and all related conditions ar covered no matter what happens in those first two years of membership.

There is a big thread on Pruhealth on this website:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=493150&page=68

If it can be said she works for a large ish company/organisation and they have around 20+ members who want to join or the company want to pay for them. There is MHD (Medical History Disregarded) underwritting which does exactly as it sounds: disregards past medical history so no one has any personal exclusions, but this is only for groups of 20+.

Pruhealth were working out at £73 per month, you can get 30% cashback from your first years premium with some brokers. So that would make it £51.10 per month first year.

It would of course be less in a 20+ MHD Group scheme.

There is another company called National Friendly who have fixed premiums for life £50 - £60 (monthly for your mum @ 59 years old), you get half your unclaimed premiums back + they cover everything PMI policies cover + dental and optical too. Their moratorium states any condition suffered in the last five years will not be covered until you go 2 years symptom free from the start date of the policy.

Let me know if you need any further info on any of these?

nm123_2

Thanks for your reply.

Mum works from home, on her own, so no company backing to speak of.

When it says "Any medical conditon suffered in the last 5 years" I presume if my mum was to get cover on Thursday this week (for example), her current mystery illness wouldn't be covered for the first 2 years because she's been to the doctors about it recently and has "suffered" from it, even though it's not been diagnosed (liver scan is tomorrow)?

I get PruHealth through work too, but need to elect to have it and pay myself (can only do this in September for a 1 October start) but think I will do it for my and my boyfrined. Can I add anyone else to that do you think?

PMISpecialist_2

nm123 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply.

Mum works from home, on her own, so no company backing to speak of.

When it says "Any medical conditon suffered in the last 5 years" I presume if my mum was to get cover on Thursday this week (for example), her current mystery illness wouldn't be covered for the first 2 years because she's been to the doctors about it recently and has "suffered" from it, even though it's not been diagnosed (liver scan is tomorrow)?

I get PruHealth through work too, but need to elect to have it and pay myself (can only do this in September for a 1 October start) but think I will do it for my and my boyfrined. Can I add anyone else to that do you think?

Yes you can add her as a dependent to company Pruhealth schemes via your work.

It is very unusual to this (most add kids) but it is possible to do this as long as your group administrator (the person in your company who deals with the PMI/Pruhealth policy) says its ok by him or her.

Your group administrator may not even be aware that this is possible but just say you have been advised by a PMI specialising broker (me ) that this is the case and he she should check it out with Pruhealth.

Choices of Underwritting


If you manage to get MHD underwritting then you have cracked it, she will be covered and can claim from day one for any condition pre existing or not. MHD tends to be more expensive and for larger groups 20+ so don't be too surprised if they don't offer this (although maybe try and push for it, if possible).

If you can't get MHD then specify you want New Moratorium underwritting for the reasons given in post above.

Avoid like the plague FMU underwritting (Full medical underwritting) as her pre existing conditions (and related conditions) may never ever be covered.

I would be shocked if you company tried to make you join via FMU.

nm123_2

Does it work out better value for money for her to be added through work? If it's no difference it might be best for her to take out her own policy in case I leave etc...

Thanks for the PM too - muchly appreciated.

PMISpecialist_2

nm123 wrote: »

Does it work out better value for money for her to be added through work? If it's no difference it might be best for her to take out her own policy in case I leave etc...

Yes if you leave the company that could put her back to square one and cause her big problems (i.e. leave her without cover).

I have no idea what sort of deal your company gets via Pru there may well be nothing in it, but company schemes do tend to be slightly cheaper in the main, than individual schemes.

However her own individual policy would be better unless you are confident of staying with your company (and your company with Pruhealth possibly).

My mum had cancer too by the way. Had a mastectomy.

Quentin

nm123 wrote: »

Thanks for the PM too - muchly appreciated.

Won't be too hard to work out why this serial rule breaker/business touter/advertiser (PMISpecialist) has been pm'ing this prospect!

lisyloo

At least he's helping rather than spending his days carping at others.
Carry on bumping his threads up though........you're doing a grand job at that :T

nm123_2

OK, I'm not a regular here, so not too sure what the politics are and what PMI's background is all about

I'm only interested in what's best for my mother, if that info comes from a tout, I don't really care - as long as it's the right info.

Does anyone have any other guidance/info for me?

Quentin

lisyloo wrote: »

At least he's helping rather than spending his days carping at others

You are entitled to support him and his rule breaking behaviour. But if you join up, and accept the rules, (the no touting/no advertising/no abusing the pm system is for everyone's benefit), before joining it seems a little pointless to then go to such lengths to break them.

But whenever you do post in his support, you always seem to want to try to cause trouble by adding an unnecessary personal attack.

lisyloo

Firstly you should stop filling up another persons thread who is genuinely trying to find a solution to a loved ones cancer.
If you have issues then take them up through the proper channels and stop abusing the posts of others.

But whenever you do post in his support, you always seem to want to try to cause trouble by adding an unnecessary personal attack.

You are the one that started the attack.
He has done a lot to help.
You do the OP (and others) a great dis-service if you think they are so entirely thick they don't realise people get paid for doing work.

You are posting your own agenda on other people's threads.
You have no support from the OP or from many others on this site.
People despise the MPs who behaviour is despicable but "within the rules".
Others are able to differentiate between helpful and despicable for themselves.
Don't treat everyone like a complete thicko.

So if you have nothing nice, useful or helpful to say then go away.