Should I ditch my Bupa health insurance due to cost?

pimento

cherylsurrey wrote: »

Have you thought of going to an insurance broker and finding out how much a health insurance plan would be for you to pay yourself, which is what I did. They searched all the plans and found the best one for me. The amount your employer is paying sounds way over the odds.

Health insurance for me and my husband has literally been a lifesaver, we pay £185 a month for the two of us (very comprehensive plan with good coverage) and would not want to give it up.

The amount you pay in tax on the benefit provided by your employer would cost the OP nowhere near £185 a month. Besides, you buy cheap and you might not get full cover when you need it. My cover is the all singing, all dancing full cancer cover for central London and I pay nowhere near £185 a month and that's for me, my husband and our son. What the employer pays isn't what you pay.

Our family scheme (with Pru health) costs my employer £3395 for a year. I'm not sure how to work out how much it costs me but it isn't £185 a month.

franklally

I would personally keep it for peace of mind.

I had bupa for 14 years and each year it was going up considerably although we were not claiming on it. When I spoke to them about the cost they could only offer to increase the excess yet further.

I went through the comparison checkers and in the end went through a broker - usay- who I got the equivalent package I had with bupa for half the price - pruhealth was the healthcare I went with.

I should have changed from bupa long ago - but it's not nice thinking about your own mortality talking about cancer care etc.:(

picklekin

These things always seem like a waste of money... until you need them. We had me added to my husbands health plan last year and after fighting for nearly two years with NHS to get them to even LOOK at my back we gave up and went private, they were wonderful, no queues, they took me seriously and listened to me, they operated on my spine and I had my own room (and a TV and lovely meals) but I had complications and ended up seeing more doctors and staying in hospital for far longer than expect, in all I think it would have cost us at least £25000

While I was recovered I joined the scoliosis forums and saw so many people struggling to get treated, then waiting years to get an operation. My £30 a month bought us a LOT. You never know when you'll need it.

ellay864

Where I work we automatically have deductions made for private health cover, and can pay more to cover family members. I went ages without using it other than for my health check every 2 years, which in itself is great. But in the last few years I have had numerous courses of physio, had investigations for throat problems and more recently underwent hip surgery. In each case I had no problem going to the hospital of choice and was able to get treatment much more quickly. A couple of months back I had to have a cystoscopy and CT scan which I had on the NHS due to being able to get those at a more suitable time than privately but I now need further procedure and will probably go privately for that as I know the waiting list otherwise is horrendous.
I'd say to keep it as you don't know when you will need it, and if you do need it, it really becomes worth it

tillycat123

I have just tried to claim for 2 visits to the Chiropractor. We have an all singing and dancing BUPA policy through OH's work but still costs us a fortune.

I have visited this Chiropractor before and BUPA have settled her £75 bills direct before no trouble. However on these visits she has asked that I pay her directly and send BUPA the receipts to be reimbursed as BUPA now do not reimburse her in full.

I'm now having trouble getting reimbursed for my 2 X £75 visits despite me having an annual allowance of £250. They seem to have a cap for each visit of £30!!!! Have you ever heard of a Chiropractor charging as little as £30.

Having googled this, it seems professionals are leaving them in droves as they will only pay them peanuts.

I'm going to look elsewhere when its up for renewal.

specialistpmi

fantasyvn wrote: »

Could you pls advise?

I have a Bupa health insurance package, which covers my wife, my son and me.

Apparently my employer pay £5000 per year while I pay another £2,000 in tax.

Since I got it two years ago, I only used it twice.

So I was wondering whether I should continue or not. Will I be better off by directly paying for private doctors only when I need it?

Thank you.

£7k for medical insurance is high. You would do best to look at the market yourself. A very good way to save money on healthcare is to remove the outpatient cover, you say you have been healthy, minor claims etc subject to an excess i expect.

If you ditch the outpatient cover, self fund small diagnostics like blood tests/xrays etc and consultants, you can then just have a PMI policy to cover the surgery, In & Day treatment, joint replacement, heart/cancer treatment etc. the big bits people worry about.

mcfisco

tillycat123 wrote: »

I have just tried to claim for 2 visits to the Chiropractor. We have an all singing and dancing BUPA policy through OH's work but still costs us a fortune.

I have visited this Chiropractor before and BUPA have settled her £75 bills direct before no trouble. However on these visits she has asked that I pay her directly and send BUPA the receipts to be reimbursed as BUPA now do not reimburse her in full.

I'm now having trouble getting reimbursed for my 2 X £75 visits despite me having an annual allowance of £250. They seem to have a cap for each visit of £30!!!! Have you ever heard of a Chiropractor charging as little as £30.

Having googled this, it seems professionals are leaving them in droves as they will only pay them peanuts.

I'm going to look elsewhere when its up for renewal.

Wouldn't you stand a much better chance of BUPA being more forthcoming if you used someone medically trained rather than something as unscientific as chiropracty?

Perhaps a physio could help?

I'm not trying to be rude, I just see chiropracty as little more than quackery and I'm not surprised BUPA severely limit how much they'll pay one.
A belief that most diseases are caused by pressure on the nerves because of faulty alignment of the bones has no place in modern medicine IMO.

spacey2012

Well I do know someone who had spent months at doctors with a mystery growth in their stomach, the doctors refused to refer her to hospital so she took herself.
The Hospital contacted the doctor and refused to go beyond the doctors diagnosis.
She joined a private health scheme at work and went along to see the private doctor who agreed to start with a clean slate.
Within 6 hours she was in emergency theatre with an ovarian cyst the size of a grapefruit that the surgeon said was imminently fatal and well over borrowed time for bursting.
I am of absolute doubt, they saved her life.

Whats that worth ?

**professor~yaffle**

spacey2012 wrote: »

Well I do know someone who had spent months at doctors with a mystery growth in their stomach, the doctors refused to refer her to hospital so she took herself.
The Hospital contacted the doctor and refused to go beyond the doctors diagnosis.
She joined a private health scheme at work and went along to see the private doctor who agreed to start with a clean slate.
Within 6 hours she was in emergency theatre with an ovarian cyst the size of a grapefruit that the surgeon said was imminently fatal and well over borrowed time for bursting.
I am of absolute doubt, they saved her life.

Whats that worth ?

the nhs doctor and hospital were negligent in that case.

ca55ie

Well here's my tuppence worth. The insurance cover offered on a corporate scheme covers far more than taking out cover privately. We used to have private medical insurance through our employers and were all quite healthy - so we thought.
Over the years it paid for various operations and other treatments for my son's ears. When I "sprained wrist" I was offered emergency physio at my surgery - in 2 weeks time!! So off I went privately. Physio said wrist is broken, so good old health insurance paid for bone graft etc
I could go on - we can't afford it now but wouldn't turn it down if offered through employment