[asphodelia]

Can anyone offer advice on Private Health Insurance? I'll be leaving my job next week and will lose my BUPA cover, which my employer paid for entirely and even forked out for the £100 excess. In the new job, for the first 2342 years of my employement I'd have to pay for it myself, 'at a discount'.

So I've been looking at options to see if I can afford to pay for it myself. A broker I've spoken with (who contributes a lot to the Moneysavingexpert.com forum) advised me to choose the Healthcare Deposit Account from National Deposit. Has anyone heard of this product?

Should I just not bother and cross my fingers? The only time I've ever been in hospital overnight was in a private hospital so the thought of ending up in a ward with complete strangers fills me with horror...
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OFFICE TROLL

[mortalcoils]

As someone young and healthy, you'd be mad to spend money on private health insurance. And if anything goes seriously wrong (touching wood here) then you're probably better off in the NHS. Private, from my experience, is ideal if you've got something annoying but non life threatening, because you'll get it sorted out straight away, rather than hanging around with your veruca (or whatever) bugging you.
I think you're better off sticking some money each moth in an ISA, and viewing that as your emergency health fund.

[SAughton]

I couldn’t agree more. You’re certainly better off in the NHS, for many reasons that a trawl through Google should reveal.
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[krisjones2]

So far as I can see, private health insurance is only really useful if you are pregnant or need elective surgery. Even so, it won't cover elective surgery for pre-existing conditions before the policy is taken out. In any emergency situation, you'll be treated by the NHS anyway.

Income protection insurance would probably be of more use to many.
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KRIS
Intel iMac 1.83Ghz Core2Duo. Snow Leopard

[JJW009]

I have private medical insurance from work, and I pay about £500 a year in tax for the privilege of potentially costing the NHS thousands of pounds less - but politics aside; here's my experience.

I've been generally quite fit in the 10 years or more that I've been taxed on this "benefit" and not been treated once - so it's been a complete waste of money.

However; the one time I presented my GP with a condition he couldn't diagnose (persistent dicky tummy) he said "Nuffin' I can do for ya gov."

I then said "I have insurance" and he said "I'll write you a letter of recommendation to see a specialist, my good sir". I still have the letter. It's really funny, because it starts:

"I have known this honourable gentleman for many years, who in otherwise good health has presented with certain troubles..."

As it happened, work commitments meant I simply couldn't take the time off to see the specialist. The point is, Bupa will see you if the NHS dump you. I may well be testing this soon, due to a related complaint. I shall be blogging about my colon if anyone is really interested in the gritty details... details in the sig as always.
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[axtron2005]

BUPA work on risk potential of their client and I think that is the way you should think about taking on private health insurance. You are healthy but what if..... Let me give you an example.

I have never had anything seriously wrong with me until at the gym a personal trainer made a mistake and my right wrist was extremely (!!) painful. After attending A&E in the morning and then over a couple of months my GP several times, I had only been told that I had soft tissue damage and it takes time to heal. Speaking with the GP the last time I was referred to a consultant surgeon. 2 weeks and I'd seen him; a few weeks later he'd done an arthroscope on my wrist; diagnosed with ruptured ligament. Was then able to choose when I had the surgery to repair it.....I was healthy but then an accident happened and BUPA were brilliant.

In contrast my mother is under the same consultant on the NHS. She waits months to see his deputy (I wish we had the money to pay for her to go private).

So you have to decide on what level of risk you want to take on for you. NHS are brilliant. You cannot fail them for their response in the event of an emergency but there are delays in the provision of subsequent treatment due to the numbers needing help. You therefore wait. BUPA removes the waiting.

[HeatherKay]

I took out a health plan with Standard Life some years ago. It seemed sensible for a self-employed person at the time. Fifty squids (and rising) a month, and they wouldn't cover me for pre-existing issues.

For some obscure reason I failed to uncover, they refused to cover the costs of my bone density scans and allied treatments. So, back in July I gave them the finger, reasoning I could well do with that £600+ staying in my bank account - perhaps even investing it in my pension scheme instead.

The times I've needed treatment in the past few years, including emergency surgery once, I've been dealt with quickly and efficiently by the NHS. Best Beloved is finding the same with his recent diabetes diagnosis. I actually "self-fund" my annual bone scan and osteoporosis specialist, which works at at less than £200 per year. You can work out how much cheaper it is than paying out for the insurance...


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[tombolt]

My parents have private healthcare and the only times they've needed it in the last 20 years, it's been such an emergency it's all been dealt with by the NHS (and brilliantly so).
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[davrosG5]

In my personal or rather my families personal experience the NHS has been absolutely fantastic. My mum was diagnosed with some adnormal cells that could potentially have been cancerous during a routine scan and was treated on the NHS in about a fortnight.
My Dad had both hips 'resurfaced' and again was treated very quickly on the NHS.

The only thing I would say is that it can take a while for the ball to start rolling on the NHS but once they get moving the speed they work at is phenomenal.

My work offers discounted BUPAcare but I can't say I've ever been tempted.
Yes, there are some horror stories surrounding the NHS and especially waiting lists but given the number of people the system treats that's hardly surprising. You just don't normally hear about the thousands, even millions of people treated very well by the NHS because that's what it's supposed to do.
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[big_D]

I would say, your father was very lucky.

My mother had both hips diagnosed as needing replacement, urgently. The first took over 2 years, then 18 months wait for the second.

The same with her knees. After 2 years of agony and hobbling round with a stick (the right knee was so bent (sideways) that it rubbed against her left knee when she walked, and kept refusing to hold her weight), she finally had the other knee done a fortnight ago...

When they actually got around to doing it, the service was excellent, but 6 years of not being able to sleep soundly, or walk to the shops, because of the pain isn't a good advert for the NHS - she now has to go back on the waiting list for the other knee...

The stupid thing is, only one hip was bad, but due to the way she was walking crooked for 2 years, before they did the first one, meant the second one was in a bad state by the time the first operation came around...

When I was younger, I was diagnosed with a slipped hip emphases. My mother's job at the time gave family BUPA/PPP cover. I was rushed to London the same day and held in traction for a week, before the surgeon could see me. The rest of the operations (to gradually remove the pins as the hips healed) were done in the Churchill Clinic in London.

Likewise, I had a birthmark removed, because it had become infested with warts and the chemical burning hadn't helped. That was done quickly and efficiently by PPP in the Queen Victoria in East Grinstead.

A painful case of plimbosis was also quickly taken care of in a private hospital.

When I got to a position in my old company to have private insurance, I jumped at it, but I never used it in the 15 years at the company...

When I moved to Germany, I had to have private medical, because I wasn't employed. That had a €250 excess and if I didn't claim, I would get a "no claims discount" back - works like car insurance, but you pay up front and get 10% per year of no claims back. But the private here covers normal doctors visits as well as hospital treatment, which meant that I was paying out of my own pocket for the doctor's visits for my gout and injections in my knee after a fall, because it didn't cover the €700 odd that was the excess + rebate... It was excellent in the first year though, where one of my teeth shattered, they covered the first €1,500 of dental bills.

I am now employed and have to be in the Krankenkasse, the equivalent of the NHS, but you have to be employed to be in it (it carries on afterwards, if you go on the dole), and I couldn't elect to stay private... But I must say, the level of service is almost identical to private over here - I just don't have to pay the money up front and claim it back from the insurance company...

I guess the NHS treatment can also come down to catchment area?

I really don't know what I would do, in your case, to be honest. After the treatment I received privately as a kid and the treatment my mother got on the NHS over the last decade, I would probably be very tempted to go private - although if you manage to find a good doctor / live in the right area, then Davros has a good point...
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[krisjones2]

Waiting times for elective surgery have fallen considerably in the last 10 years. When I needed surgery after a diagnosis in September 1996, I waited till July 1998 for the operation. Presently I'd expect a six month wait.
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KRIS
Intel iMac 1.83Ghz Core2Duo. Snow Leopard

[asphodelia]

Well thanks a lot for your contributions guys. Interesting views there!
After reading your views, I don't think I'll do anything yet - the broker I'm in touch with is still warning me that the 'traditional' insurers will put the premium up by 8% every year, gradually making in unaffordable.

The one he was recommending, National Deposit is interesting. The idea is that you put a fixed amount in every month, building a sort of savings account. Half of it goes to run the scheme and half of it stays in your account, building a deposit. When you need to claim, they top up 90% of the cost and you put up the rest from your deposit. The theory is good but - and that's a big 'but' - although it's a Friendly Society with no shareholders so probably not too much at risk, do I really want to put money in a financial product that is pretty new and untested? Probably not for the time being at least.

I'm starting my new job next week so I'll see how much the premium would be at their 'discounted' rate for new employees. If that's not viable I'll probably cross my fingers for another few months
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OFFICE TROLL

[krisjones2]

You might want to look at HSA as an alternative to the scheme recommended to you. It is well established.
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KRIS
Intel iMac 1.83Ghz Core2Duo. Snow Leopard

[asphodelia]

Thanks Kris, I'm definitely going to have a look
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[thedoke]

Hi Guys

I work for an insurance broker called Chase Templeton Ltd who specialise in private medical insurance for individuals and company.

I have noticed that a couple of people are having troubles having pre-existing medical conditions covered and I don't feel the direct sales force at an insurance company explain fully the underwriting options that are available and one of the options can at times be very confusing.

Asphodelia can you contact me to discuss your continuation of cover from your previous company paid scheme as some insurance providers will not accept you on switch terms and also if you have made claims to the value of £300 and more the last year could cause a problem. I see that HSA have been recommended by another forum member and would advise that you stay away from them as they will only be able to fully underwrite you which will mean any conditions or treatment you have received in the previous 5 years will be excluded.

You have also mentioned that a broker you are dealing with is looking at National Deposit. National Deposit are very good insurance company, they were around before BUPA and there underwriting is fairly flexible and with a fixed premium but I'm a little worried he isn't looking at other providers like Pru Health who will reward you for being healthy.