Do I need private health insurance?

Coconut_2

I've been living in the UK for 5 years and I still haven't decided if I want to get a private health insurance or not... I've heard lots of horrible stories on the NHS, but my experience so far has been good.

What really worries me is if I'm diagnosed with cancer for example, will the waiting list for the operation be too long...?? This is the only reason i would get a private insurance, but I'm not sure about it.. does it depend on where I live?

A friend was diagnosed with breast cancer in Spain and the treatment (NHS equivalent) was brillant, 2 operations in less than 2 months since the diagnostics, private room in a new hospital, good doctors and nurses... I would never consider a private insurance having that level of treatment, but is it like this in the UK...??

Bigsmak

Coconut wrote: »

I've been living in the UK for 5 years and I still haven't decided if I want to get a private health insurance or not... I've heard lots of horrible stories on the NHS, but my experience so far has been good.

What really worries me is if I'm diagnosed with cancer for example, will the waiting list for the operation be too long...?? This is the only reason i would get a private insurance, but I'm not sure about it.. does it depend on where I live?

A friend was diagnosed with breast cancer in Spain and the treatment (NHS equivalent) was brillant, 2 operations in less than 2 months since the diagnostics, private room in a new hospital, good doctors and nurses... I would never consider a private insurance having that level of treatment, but is it like this in the UK...??

Can you afford it? - Comfortably?

Coconut_2

Yes. More or less comfortably (would mean saving less a month...)

Bigsmak

Coconut wrote: »

Yes. More or less comfortably (would mean saving less a month...)

Simple fact is that the NHS is a great service but you can wait months (and months) to see a specialist. Then you can wait months (and months) to get work done. it can be the waiting for a specialist that can be the real problem.. the NHS is actually pretty good.

PMI in the UK is usually split into 3 types -

Budget - where it will pay the first part of a claim, possibly have a cap on how much treatment you can claim for and provides no aftercare.

Standard - Longer claim times, higher / no limits on what you can claim for, choice of hospitals, some aftercare

Comprehensive - You are fully covered, nurses will come to your house at a time of your choice, full aftercare, no limits...

Unsurprisingly the cost for the last option is a lot higher than the other ones.. You could get some quotes but beware, you might be tempted to take the cheapest option and end up on a budget plan which won't pay for expensive cancer drugs and you would be using the NHS for aftercare anyway. But you would still get seen quicker.

The main advantages are speed.. But not quality of operations etc as it will more than likely be done by the same doctor who works for the NHS in the morning and private in the afternoon.

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To conclude.. You would need to get some quotes from the companies (or get your IFA to give you quotes) and decide if its affordable and what level of cover you want....

Remember they won't cover you for existing conditions and they will ask about family history etc and might increase your premiums accordingly (EG -mum and dad both had heart attacks... you will be charged more)

Wutang_2

Bigsmak wrote: »

Remember they won't cover you for existing conditions and they will ask about family history etc and might increase your premiums accordingly (EG -mum and dad both had heart attacks... you will be charged more)

This is completely incorrect information. No medical history is needed from your family - and in most cases, no medical information will be needed from you either.

Whether you disclose your own medical history (fmu) or do not (moratorium), the price will (in almost all cases) remain the same.

In response to the initial question, yes, location will influence the price and also if your fear is the waiting, then PMI is for you...

Coconut_2

My initial question was more if location has an influence on the waiting list on the NHS... I had some tests done 3 years ago and it was all quick and efficient (I saw specialists and had the tests done in less than 2 months), if the NHS is always like that I wouldn't bother with the PMI, choosing hospital and having a private room is all nice, but having the correct treatment at the right time is what really matters (for me). I'm just worried that the waiting lists are longer now ...

InsideInsurance

NHS waiting lists, and even what treatment is available, does vary by location. Generally for life threatening issues like cancer you will find reasonable to great coverage. Where you'll find much more variation is over less critical care, for example my mother had some loose cartilage in her knee which caused discomfort whilst walking but not debilitating. After being bumped a few times etc she had her first consultation 18 months after the GP referral and was warned it could be that again for the operation unless she paid for private in which case it could be done in 3 days time.

Bigsmak - Its interesting you use the terms budget/ standard/ comprehensive; I note that UK Border Agency require certain classes of immigrants to hold "comprehensive health insurance" which they confirm they mean PMI but when speaking to the likes of BUPA they advise they don't know the term "comprehensive" in connection with PMI. Where are you getting your definitions from? Is there anywhere to see a mapping of products to categories?

Coconut_2

Is there a way of knowing if my location is better or worse than others...?

InsideInsurance

It tends not to be as black and white as that, it could be your area is world leading in heart surgery but refuses to prescribe/fund some significant cancer related drugs.

You can look online for statistics but these tend to be a bit too broad brush to be of use for anyone other than tabloid headlines

Bigsmak

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Bigsmak - Its interesting you use the terms budget/ standard/ comprehensive; I note that UK Border Agency require certain classes of immigrants to hold "comprehensive health insurance" which they confirm they mean PMI but when speaking to the likes of BUPA they advise they don't know the term "comprehensive" in connection with PMI. Where are you getting your definitions from? Is there anywhere to see a mapping of products to categories?

I actually took them from the Chartered Institute of Insurers R05 Financial Protection exam book - Chapter 9.1 B2

Bigsmak

Wutang wrote: »

This is completely incorrect information. No medical history is needed from your family - and in most cases, no medical information will be needed from you either.

Whether you disclose your own medical history (fmu) or do not (moratorium), the price will (in almost all cases) remain the same.

In response to the initial question, yes, location will influence the price and also if your fear is the waiting, then PMI is for you...

Sorry.. You're right here.. I have rechecked and had been thinking along the lines of life cover and income protection for this.