My mum died of metastatic breast cancer recently, and it's focused my thoughts a little on our own family's health. My husband and I are 37 and have only one living parent between us, having lost our mums to cancer at the age of 49 and 69 and DH's dad to various medical conditions at the age of 50, which obviously makes me a bit nervous about our future health.
I've also got a couple of friends around my age recently who have been diagnosed with cancer and have faced a real struggle to get diagnosed and spent months fighting with GPs or on waiting lists before being able to access the treatments they need.
We are about to end a monthly financial commitment and I've been toying with the idea of using that money for private health insurance. I've only had one experience with private health care and it was excellent - I had a lump in my breast (benign thankfully) when I was 37 weeks pregnant, and given the time constraints, I opted to get seen privately rather than waiting for the NHS appointment and was in and out next day within an hour having seen consultant, had an ultrasound, cyst drained, and back to consultant again. DH and I were a bit staggered by the efficiency!
I should add that my experience of NHS in terms of actual treatment has been very good. My mum was treated very once diagnosed, and I had occasion to use the NHS breast clinic last year (abscess from mastitis) and felt well taken care of.
We can get coverage with AXA, which seems to be the most suitable package I can find, for around £90 a month for DH and I and our two young DC, which includes full cancer coverage. Obviously this will go up as we and they age, which I have accounted for in my budgeting.
I wondered if anyone who has health insurance themselves finds it worth doing or has been in a similar situation.