How does insurance work with A&e?

[doadeer]

If you have medical insurance, does it provide any support in an emergency / a&e situation?

Just wondering based on the recent threads about long wait times, will more people get insurance or is nothing covered?

Not usually covered. PMI is for secondary care, so usually when you’ve been referred on after seeking primary care by a GP etc. You might get cover for private GP appointments though.

Some private healthcare providers offer video gp appointments so you can potentially see someone sooner but obviously no use in an emergency. I’ve not heard of private emergency care but private healthcare where I live is fairly limited. Worth noting though if you do use the NHS and end up in hospital overnight (after the first 24 hours) some private healthcare providers will pay £x/day for each night you spend in hospital. Still no use in an emergency but worth knowing.

Worth noting though if you do use the NHS and end up in hospital overnight (after the first 24 hours) some private healthcare providers will pay £x/day for each night you spend in hospital.

yes a relative got this.

Private hospitals /clinics don't offer A and E services. They have neither the expertise or experience to provide it.

PMI has zero clout/effect in NHS A and E departments

IME they won't touch emergency care but you can get private GP who could refer you urgently to a specialist, which is more than A&E can do (not a diss). From many of the threads on here recently there seems to be exacerbations offexisting conditions, so potentially having your condition treated properly would lead to fewer complications

Totally agree, and long may the 0 clout in a and e continue, or we will end up with people “queue jumping” for relatively minor conditions because they can pay/can afford insurance whilst the poor people die waiting.

Some posters have claimed on here there are private A&Es?

OK I may be a bit out of date as haven't worked in the field of Private medical insurance (PMI) for a while. However it didn't cover A&E care. A&E departments are not set up in the UK for private patients.

Most consultants require referrals from a GP so you would need an appointment there first anyway. The vast majority of private hospitals simply are not set up to receive road traffic accidents, broken bones, patients with chest pain, strokes, breathlessness etc. Although London and other major cities may have private walk in centres for simple emergencies.

Many many years ago I remember a very irate mother phoning the private hospital I worked in, wanting to know why we couldn't see her child who had a broken leg. She asked what I would do if she just turned up - I had to tell her I'd call an ambulance.

Don't know if it's still the case but PMI used to offer cash if you stayed in an NHS bed, eg £150 per night.

This is one of the major problems about moving to a private medical insurance model, as things currently stand we would still need NHS A&E, ICU, cardiac units, maternity services, even paediatrics - the private hospital we have simply don't offer these services other than in major cities and even then not to the level of provision required

long may the 0 clout in a and e continue, or we will end up with people “queue jumping” for relatively minor conditions because they can pay/can afford insurance whilst the poor people die waiting. hell yes!!

Very few private hospitals are geared up to provide an emergency service or even intensive care when things go awry. DH had a payout from Bupa for his nhs stay.

Having private medical can mean that you’re
less likely to need to show up at A&E in some cases - there’s a current thread from a poster who keeps going to A&E for pain meds, and she has ongoing pain because the waiting list to be seen by a specialist is over a year long. Whereas I can go to my GP and be immediately referred to a private consultant and seen usually within a week or so. That’s the real value for me.

Private hospitals don’t have A&E but some of them do have urgent care centres now. Mainly the London ones, the Princess Grace and Hospital of St. John & St Elizabeth I think. But that sort of treatment still isn’t usually covered by the insurance.