Private/healthcare consultation - feeling desperate!

rigby44

Hello all,

I'm hoping one of you wise folk can help me, with a fear of utter dread I have.

I've been suffering with a health issue recently, and my employer provides private healthcare in the form of Westfield Health. This is a cash plan where you pay for the treatment up front, and claim it back afterwards.

I booked a consultation with a physician at a Spire hospital, after being quoted £200. I have an annual 'budget' of £300 through Westfield that I can claim back against consultations.

During the consultation, the doctor used a couple of diagnostic instruments to further assist him in helping with the problem. I told him that I was covered for this £200 consultation, but any further treatment (depending on the outcome) would likely need to be flipped back to the NHS.

I haven't had an invoice through yet, but I got a feeling of dread this morning when it dawned on that any use of equipment/diagnostic tools would be added as a separate line to the invoice and that my Westfield budget wont cover that.

I'm really not in a position to be picking up the tab between what Westfield will cover and any remaining invoice balance. I went in with good conscience that I was signing up for a £200 consultation.

I suppose my question is. Has anyone experienced anything similar, and ultimately - do you think use of an equipment will form part of the £200 consultation or would be billed separately? I was only with the doctor for a maximum of 25 minutes.

Many, many thanks in advance.

Bradden

In my experience when I went for an endoscopy it was billed additionally.. but as they hadn't told me up front I argued and they agreed to drop the charge. My argument was that I felt to £200 shoulod include the use of equipment. It would be like being charged by a garge for the tools they use to fix your car IMHO.

rigby44

Bradden said:

In my experience when I went for an endoscopy it was billed additionally.. but as they hadn't told me up front I argued and they agreed to drop the charge. My argument was that I felt to £200 shoulod include the use of equipment. It would be like being charged by a garge for the tools they use to fix your car IMHO.

As coincidence would have it Bradden, this was a camera type situation in the back passage. It was only done on a standard bed, so I don't think it was a full endoscopy. It only took two minutes.

Do you mind me asking what they tried to charge you?

Many thanks