Should I ditch my Bupa health insurance due to cost?

somethingcorporate

Like all kinds of insurance it is a waste of money if you don't use it but a god-send if you need to.

Personally, I've had private cover for a number of years and have claimed on it quite a few times. It's well worth the forty or so a month it costs in tax.

sweaty_betty

I have BUPA cover via work but for many years paid into a scheme with Benenden https://www.benenden.co.uk/. It's not quite as good as private health, but it funded my private MRI scan, plus private physio appointments (up to a set amount). It would also pay for an initial private appointment with a consultant to get a foot in the door as it were.

It was definitely more affordable than BUPA at the time and worth considering as an option.

boots_babe

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.

£75 is mad for a chiropractic session. I've seen various ones over the years and none have cost that, even when I lived in London.

My current one put up prices last year to £28 (previously £26).

I think you need to find a new one :eek:

boots_babe

mcfisco wrote: »

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.

I'm sorry but you are clearly misinformed. A chiropractor has to undergo years of training, and as long as you use one which is registered with the GCC then you know you are using an expert.

I started using them when I was little - about 8 years old. I fell down the stairs and was in agony, such intense pain. Visits to the doctors got me nowhere as they said nothing was wrong.

As soon as my parents took me to the chiropractor, after just a couple of sessions I saw a huge improvement.

Ever since then, whenever I have back/neck issues a trip the chiropractor works wonders, and has a very immediate effect.

Clearly the many people that use them wouldn't continue if there was no benefit. All that I can say is the awful debilitating headaches I used to get due to issues with my neck/shoulders have gone away since using a chiropractor when nothing else would help.

lostinrates

boots_babe wrote: »

£75 is mad for a chiropractic session. I've seen various ones over the years and none have cost that, even when I lived in London.

My current one put up prices last year to £28 (previously £26).

I think you need to find a new one :eek:

There is a particular osteo in London who is excellent and used by sportspeople who charges £100 for very quick sessions. Or did ten years ago. I know because he saw me as a favour to my 'benefactor' and charged me half price, so I was paying fifty pounds for about ten minutes after the first longer session of history taking and assessment.


interestingly he warned me against having 'too much' osteo or chiro treatment then and in the future.

mcfisco

boots_babe wrote: »

I'm sorry but you are clearly misinformed. A chiropractor has to undergo years of training, and as long as you use one which is registered with the GCC then you know you are using an expert.

I started using them when I was little - about 8 years old. I fell down the stairs and was in agony, such intense pain. Visits to the doctors got me nowhere as they said nothing was wrong.

As soon as my parents took me to the chiropractor, after just a couple of sessions I saw a huge improvement.

Ever since then, whenever I have back/neck issues a trip the chiropractor works wonders, and has a very immediate effect.

Clearly the many people that use them wouldn't continue if there was no benefit. All that I can say is the awful debilitating headaches I used to get due to issues with my neck/shoulders have gone away since using a chiropractor when nothing else would help.

Sorry, I'm misinformed about what?
I take it my GP will refer me to one if needed then?

Many people believe faith healers work too and keep going back for more. I'm glad it you think it heals you though.
I'll stick with science, thanks

boots_babe

mcfisco wrote: »

Sorry, I'm misinformed about what?
I take it my GP will refer me to one if needed then?

Many people believe faith healers work too and keep going back for more. I'm glad it you think it heals you though.
I'll stick with science, thanks

Misinformed regarding chiropractic treatment being 'quackery'. It clearly isn't, as many people benefit from it, and indeed often find other treatments don't help.

I'm not saying it will work for everyone, as of course everyone is different. Some will find physiotherapy, osteopathy, or other treatments more effective for their own personal problems.

But I just wanted to clear up the very sweeping statement you made as it is inaccurate, and I wouldn't want others to be put off trying it because of you.

Yes your GP will refer you if needed; I had to be referred when I changed my health cover so a visit to my GP was necessary. However if no health insurance is involved, nothing to stop you from directly approaching a chiropractor for an initial assessment.

For the record, I more than 'think' it heals me. If you had a debilitating pain - so bad that it made you feel sick and as though you wanted to bang your head against the wall to make it go away, such that you couldn't think straight, didn't want to eat, and generally couldn't manage.

Then I think you would notice if it went away. If it were a coincidence that a treatment visit resolves my pain, then I've clearly been very lucky over the years :rotfl:

mcfisco

Oh right thanks, there must be loads of empirical research articles available to read, I'll keep looking but I don't seem to be able to find any at the moment.

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1098.aspx?categoryid=68&subcategoryid=154

lostinrates

mcfisco wrote: »

Oh right thanks, there must be loads of empirical research articles available to read, I'll keep looking but I don't seem to be able to find any at the moment.

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1098.aspx?categoryid=68&subcategoryid=154

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chiropractic/Pages/Introduction.aspx

On this page ' there is good evidence......effective treatment for lower back pain'

Just because the NHS does refer to it always doesn't mean it doesn't work. Just as inversly when a GP resignedly doles out antibiotics for a virus they won't work.

I was referred to the expensive private osteopath in
London by a private GP who was not being paid to treat me ( I was a pro bono case for the GP) .


On the wider subject....my husband has bupa through work. He hasn't used it I don't think. Sadly I have a bit. Including yesterday. It's invaluable. I am on the waiting list for scan on NHs too, and the difference is just so apparent it's depressing. . I should have put in every thing on bupa but felt a bit guilty. I have to do some stuff NHs as not all my referrals can be done under private provision...e.g. The private eye guy just referred me back to NHs for eye clinic because he needs the full range of equipment there. But the difference privately?


I saw the referral guy last Monday, within a week after referral...and they were chasing up my GP to be quicker. I had an investigative colonoscopy yesterday (it was way better than I thought, every one should have one!) and I'm seeing him for the next step next week. The NHs referral for a very basic ultra spund was done the week before and I still haven't even had a letter about that.

Tessie_Balloon_Juice

I'm also considering ditching my Bupa cover or dropping to a less comprehensive plan.

At the moment I pay about £70 per month for the top rate cover. I was thinking about changing it so that I'm covered for treatment only, not diagnosis, but then i read someone's comment above about an 11 week NHS waiting list so now i'm not so sure.

I think I might try a broker as some have suggested but I've never used one before. Does anyone know how you pay them? Is it a flat fee? A percentage of the premium? Any advice would be helpful!