Does anyone have BUPA or similar? Is it any good?

[MrsTumbletap]

Thinking of getting it so if I or my DH and DS were to ever find something suspicious we could get a quick diagnosis.

Does any of you have BUPA or similar? Have you used it? Is it good?

Yes
Yes
And yes
If you can afford it, do it before anything crops up

Aviva seem to be the best priced these days

I'm with the Exeter and it seems good - also includes private GP appointments by Skype and physio if you need it. Works out pretty well priced and not as much as I was expecting (£144 for a family of three).

Freckled that is a good price!

Would something like Aviva be as good as BUPA? What's the difference in the different companies?

Is it like pet insurance in that once you have an issue the monthly payments go up, or is like life insurance, get it before you have any issues and the price stays the same for your life?

BUPA is bloody expensive but I wouldn't be without it after I watched how my father was treated in hospital. I have had other policies in the past but returned to BUPA as the policy is much better.

Lack of diagnosis seems to be a real problem in the NHS, and some areas have no consultant-level specialists for certain conditions. I've also had 2 very bad experiences with our local hospital which was put into special measures.

The price goes up each year depending upon your age and your scale of cover. Pre-existing conditions are usually excluded. Some conditions are covered on a discretionary case-by-case basis (e.g. some mental health conditions). Some conditions have a limit as to how much they will pay and length of treatment (e.g. some chronic conditions that don't respond to treatment).

I have always found them excellent. We keep our premiums down by volunteering to pay a high excess.

@Sicario that's what scares me, the long waiting lists on the NHS and lack of diagnosis

So people that are in their 70s are paying really high prices for BUPA and people in their 30s get it cheaper? It goes up every year?

Almost the opposite for car insurance.

I get it through work and now I wouldn't be without it. The doctors/consultants often work for the NHS too but BUPA means bypassing very long NHS queues and finding an appointment time that suits you within a few days. I love it and paid to upgrade the cover to include the DC and DH. DH had to see an ENT specialist and his NHS appointment was 9 months away, he was seen at 8pm the next day (to suit his work schedule) once we rang Bupa.

The service levels from BUPA are outstanding. I was offered a range of specialists to choose from, appointment with one of the top people in the country a week later. Could pick and choose my ongoing appointment times, bloods taken by nursing team on the spot rather than having to come back. Results in record time. And when I needed a minor procedure, the hospital was like a fancy hotel and I had a dedicated nurse allocated to me the whole time. It’s worth it for the peace of mind alone that should anything happen to you, there is virtually no waiting time to get it sorted.

@Fantasisa that's amazing, just what I needed to hear

@TheFlis12345 when you went in for the procedure was it near where you lived, or did you have to travel a long way to the nearest hospital?

It was very close by for me, but I live in London and that’s where my consultant was based so it was always going to be fairly local. Not sure if it is the same if you’re not in a major city.

BUPA are great, and we now get it through DH work so very lucky.

In the past though, we have had our own policy with AXA where we paid for consultants fees only, and that reduced the premium quite a bit.

We have also, in the past, gone the "self pay" route for consultants appointments, and then transferred to NHS care if needed, and that works if you are fairly healthy, but want quick access to diagnostics.

We also self pay for private GP's, well worth the £70 fee.

Self pay can be cheaper in the long run, when your premiums start to go up.

My aged Mum stopped with AXA when her premium went up to over a £1k per month , but she was 85!

Yes, yes, yes. Expensive but very worth it

I have BUPA as a company benefit and I pay a contribution to have my DH and DCs covered too. It's a godsend as my DH is currently receiving excellent treatment for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. He's seen a consultant, received diagnosis and begun treatment very quickly, and the treatment itself is exemplary.

Benenden Health is another one to consider. It used to be exclusive for Civil Servants but now anyone can purchase it and it's quite affordable.

Have you considered Benenden Health Care, cheaper than BUPA, but the diagnosis service is actually operated by BUPA. We have been members for years, it is really good, we have used our family cover loads unfortunately over the years. It compliments the NHS.

How much is Bupa roughly for a 50 year old? I have no idea how much it costs

So I have just rung BUPA and got a quote, only £92 for a family of 3, I was quite surprised, I thought it would be double that. (Haven't done the health questions part yet that would be the next stage)

But didn't really get one of my questions answered, it think the young guy was in training so didn't really understand what I was asking.

There are three options regarding the hospitals - you can essentially get the cheap list, the middle list, or the expensive list which covers all hospitals.

So does that mean if you end up with some rare cancer in a few years but you only have the smaller (cheaper) list of hospitals you won't be covered or treated?

Does anyone know the answer? Do you all have the expensive list?

@Yogagirl123 I have actually heard of that before, you have just reminded me, I remember looking and basic cover was under £50.

I'm going to ring them now, and compare.

Yes yes yes and yes.

We aren’t with BUPA but with another provider and it is completely worth it. Not only for bypassing NHS waiting lists and getting treatment for things the NHS is reluctant to cover (tonsils/adenoids/back surgery) but also for cancer treatment which will generally give access to far more options than available on the NHS.

@MrsTumbletap as far as I recall you would always be treated but you might not get to choose your hospital. I had the ‘any hospital’ cover so was free to choose the hospital my consultant recommended (a small, fancy exclusive private one) but you might just have to go where they send you if you have the cheaper cover.

I am with Vitality and I haven't had to claim. It is £68 a month (I am 47) - that is just for me.

Until 2 years ago, my family were included on my now ex husband's work scheme with AXA PPP. It was fantastic as your premium doesn't increase with claims, being a company scheme

After divorce AXA transferred me to my own private scheme. I am in my mid 50s and the cost is approximately £220 a month. I get covered for everything. However if I claim - from consultant appointment to open heart surgery (doesn't matter), my premium will increase by at least 20%.

I am having treatment now on NHS or should I say on a waiting list because I can't afford the premium increase. I am saving for any major problems I might have in future.

For me it's a dilemma whether to pay these premiums or save the money for future medical needs.

The dearer hospitals are usually just the London rich postcode area ones. Not necessarily better
Just make sure you can access nhs teaching hospitals privately. Like The Marsden is England’s top cancer hospital and The Royal Brompton is chest I think.
The consultants are all proper consultants but perhaps to be honest the cheaper list will
Get you slightly less experienced ones - but the difference is that under the nhs it’s the consultants team who see
You. So yesterday I had a fracture clinic appointment on the nhs and it was the registrar. If I’d gone private (which I would have depending on result of examination) I’d have seen THE consultant. Private also means THE consultants do your op. Nhs again means it’s the consultants team
You can mix and match now to a degree, so nhs cancer op could be super quick anyway but have cancer drugs privately or chemo privately and after care
It’s honestly worth the money just don’t make small claims for a one off consultation etc

@LesLavandes do you have existing conditions (other than what you’re using nhs for?) as that’s dear. They’ve taken you on one a cpme basis which you pay more for by the sounds of it.
You can get that way cheaper if you can re start medically with someone else