Private Health insurance - is it worth it?

[bizzylizzy]

Hubby and I have been forking up for health insurance with one of the major providers for 25 years now. We've claimed once and that was a minor claim. I shudder to think what we must have paid out over the years.

But now we're very tight on money and have pared the premium down. No outpatient coverage for example. I'm beginning to wonder what treatment we would get now.

The health provider we're with has got pretty bad reviews when it comes to paying out for treatments. So should we just cancel or would another provider take us on? Now we're both in our 50s I acknowledge it will probably be difficult to start again. But you always have in the back of your mind that as soon as you cancel, you'll get some awful illness or other and need treatment. I suppose that's how they hang onto their policy holders.

Any opinons?

By the way, before anyone has a pop at me. We're not rich, in fact quite the opposite, but we've done without other things in order to pay for this policy. But enough is enough, the premiums are pretty much unaffordable to us now. But I've heard so many awful stories about people getting ill in hospital. Going in for ops and catching awful stomach bugs etc.

Any feedback would be very helpful. Thank you.

[Sqad]

Well.............I have personal experience of both......as a patient and as a provider of health care in the NHS and in Private Practice.

If your are an emergency, heart attack or stroke for example then the NHS scores over Private medicine in general

If it is routine health care...hernia or investigation of abdominal pain then private medicine scores in that personal care and a private room will be provided.

You will get good and bad posts of NHS and of Private Health Care.

If you can afford to keep on with your Private Health Insurance, then do so.

[China Doll]

Only if you're particularly interested in doing things to a set time scale etc... Most of the doctors I know in the private practice (quite a few) also have NHS practices. Unless you specifically want the option of seeing the consultant always and having things done to a particular time scale then I wouldn't bother with a private scheme. In terms of truly awful illnesses, if it's life threatening (such as cancer say), then the NHS has particular time scales it has to work to anyway so it's not like you'd be on a long waiting list.

[LoftyLottie]

But even some private hospitals are going down hill these days. BUPA have now no hospitals of their own and have contracted out and the experience a friend had in a a BUPA hospital was not good. She had been paying in a lot of money for years and has now pulled out.

As sqad says, for emergencies and other serious illnesses you can't beat the National Health.

[LoftyLottie]

Our BUPA hospital is now

http://www.spirehealt...tm_term=bupa+hospital

[Jemisa]

Mmmm! you're in your 50s now? expensive. Wait til you get to your 60s I'm sure it will be crippleing then & as an OAP will you be able to afford it?

Those ins co's love people like you who will pay pay pay.& give little back.

jem

[McMouse]

Private health care funded and expedited a vast amount of diagnostic testing that has brought me to the point of major cardiac surgery taking place this month within the NHS. Although similar tests are available on the NHS, the cycle of hospital referral, consultant clinic, test, review - repeated for each test or scan may lead to an elapsed year of more before surgery or other intervention is proposed. Private health often reduces this to a few weeks.

[LoftyLottie]

In a friend's case though McMouse he received the same amount of care quickly on the NHS as soon as symptoms were displayed. He was whipped through the system.
It depends I suppose on the Health Authority concerned.

I have paid to see a private consultant and have got into a NHS hospital quicker on a couple of occasions.


The cost of the private consultations has been cheaper than paying an very hefty monthy insurance.

[shaneystar2]

We had private health care for years .It was a perk of my husbands job and when he retired we kept it up .Mega money a month but we thought it was worth it .
Fast forward to last summer and my husband is diagnosed with anal cancer .
He got a siegmoidology (sp),exploratory thing on Bupa and then they informed us we had gone overbudget for surgery for that year and we ended up paying them part of the treatment after bunging them two hundred odd notes a months for ages !

So we went to the NHS .Thank goodness we did and I told Bupa where to shove their insurance .

[smudge]

Both my husband & me had the perks of Bupa private health cover when at work.

It came in very handy for me at times (he's never needed it, thank goodness) - but then I had a gyny op some years ago & the surgeon 'accidentally' cut my urethra clean in half - obviously wee peeing out! Whilst I was under anaesthetic, a urologist was called in do mico-surgery to 'sew' it together again before they could carry on with the op'. I was in theatre for four hours instead of an hour. My husband & daughters were frantic with worry, but I was eventually ok.

My friend on the other hand, had exactly the same operation, but successfully, at our local NHS hospital & recoverd much quicker than I did.

I'm quite happy to be treated at our NHS hospital now & would never want to go back to that particluar private one.

[smudge]

I had to look twice at mine & shaney's avatar then - similar colours.

[Dee Sa]

I had private health insurance for "peace of mind" I only had one claim in ten years, after I became 60 the premiums went sky high and I could no longer afford it. Twelve years on I have never had a stay in hospital I am glad to say, so think of how much I saved in premiums ! Going private doesnt mean you wont catch bugs !

[Sqad]

smudge......that was indeed careless of the surgeon........did you take legal advice?

That was nothing to do with Private Medicine it was to do with surgical malpractice and could easily have occurred in the NHS.

Most, but not all Private Consultants, work in the NHS.

[boxtops]

Really hard decision - we cancelled our BUPA insurance when the premiums got far too high, as they do - the older you get the more it costs, and the NHS is fine for acute illness or accident. We've just cancelled our dental insurance too - we still had to pay half the costs and in the end the cost of the premium just isn't worth it, we'll pay as we go.

[boxtops]

Gee smudge, that is awful - as sqad suggests, I hope you claimed....

[Arundhatikher]

You can check health insurance plans from Tata AIG, they have health plans for individuals, family, employees etc. You can check their plans and select the one that suits your requirements.
I feel their Maharaksha plan would be best suitable for you, have a look at it here http://www.tataaiginsurance.in/personal-insurance/maharaksha.html.

[KennethReynolds]

Hi bizzylizzy,

It sounds like a difficult decision to make and I think one of the main things you need to consider first and foremost is where cover is on your list of financial/health priorities. If you’re barely able to pay your rent/mortgage, utilities, and other basic needs, then maybe having cover isn’t the right thing for you. I’m not sure what expenses you’ve cut out of your budget in order to afford to pay for your cover, but if they are things that are higher on your list of needs then it might be best to terminate your plan and see how you get on without it.

The next important thing you need to look at is how much you’re actually using your plan and if you foresee needing it in the near future. It’s kind of a catch-22 situation because few of us actually plan to get sick or hurt, but it does happen and if you’re already struggling, how will you pay for the care you need? It all really depends on individual circumstances.

[bizzylizzy]

thank you for your response Kenneth Reynolds - but this question was posted over 4 years ago! on 7/3/2011 so this is all done and dusted now and has been for a very long time. But thank you anyway.