BUPA civil service scheme; massive increase in premium aged 65

petercsmod

I can't understand why your annual premiums are so very low. I too joined the BUPA Civil Servant scheme almost 30 years ago. I have had a massive increase in my premiums this year (2015) aged 67. The premiums for my wife and I in total are almost £10,000 a year! They've risen by over £2,000 this year ie 2015. When I spoke to BUPA they said it was because all retired Civil Servants go into the Civil Service Retired BUPA Group. And there have been lots of claims in the last few years, which has caused premiums to rocket. So how you're paying about 5% as much as I am is hard to explain. It is no longer affordable. Yet my wife is half way through breast cancer treatment and she's deeply anxious about BUPA's conduct here. We're now going to be left with no private health cover. The distress is unbelievable and I will never forgive BUPA for this. Why retired people are put into a group all on their own beggars belief.

ripplyuk

I assumed that was monthly!

I've just re-read the original post properly and its £406 for a year. I thought most older people are paying about £7000 a year with Bupa.

petercsmod

I'm a retired Civil Servant and have paid into BUPA for over 30 years, never making a claim. I'm now 66 and BUPA has just increased my premium for my wife and me to £10,000 net of tax a year. No Civil Servant can pay this. They clearly don't stand by you once you retire. This is a scandal for several reasons: You tend to stay with one health care provider for your career. You develop pre existing conditions as you age. That means, when you hit retirement, you aren't free to change providers because those other providers won't cover you for the pre existing conditions. So you're trapped with the existing provider. You also tend to make more claims so you become more reliant on your health cover. Finally, you can no longer turn to the NHS for treatment, as they have essentially written off older patients. So BUPA has abused this position by raising premiums so high that noone can afford it. Retired Civil Servants are now in a position where they have nowhere to turn, even if as with my wife, she is half way through chemo for breast cancer. The distress is amazing.

rs65

petercsmod wrote: »

even if as with my wife, she is half way through chemo for breast cancer.

My father cancelled his BUPA half way through cancer treatment. He remained under the care of the same consultant (who told him the treatment was no different - the rooms weren't as nice).

pathtofreedom

petercsmod wrote: »

I'm a retired Civil Servant and have paid into BUPA for over 30 years, never making a claim. I'm now 66 and BUPA has just increased my premium for my wife and me to £10,000 net of tax a year.

I am not in the civil service but have been with bupa since I was in my teens. I'm now 37 and pay £137 a month, and the rates go up each year. It doesn't matter how long you've paid into it though, it isn't saving a pot you can claim from or anything. You're just paying for each years cover then it is done and on to the next year. Sometimes if you're lucky and don't claim in a year they knock 20 quid off the year but that doesn't seem to happen that often. I get yearly certificates of insurance and new t's and c's etc which explain all this. Maybe the civil service version is different but I'm not sure it is, what did last years docs say for example?

I wouldn't be without it so I can imagine what a shock an increase like that is. If you're saying the 10k is tied to the civil service part can you not phone them, and ask if you can transfer to a "normal" membership and get a quote for that, you might be able to keep your preexisting conditions then and it not cost as much. I dread the day I can't work any more and can't afford my bupa, as I do rely on it due to health issues which will mean I will have to stop work way before 60. For example just this week I have suspected kidney stones so will be looking for a bupa consultant, this will probably be exactly the same person as on the nhs, but with the nhs it would be a 2 month wait or more of pain and infections, but with bupa I can see someone next week.

Blackpool_Saver

Sounds cheap to me, mine is £91 per month and that is with a whopping 500 excess