Private health insurance - worth?

[Clefable]

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.

Ive got bupa, claimed a couple of times, never had any problem. Great ongoing support too.

My dad has bupa and needed an op that had just as long a waiting list as it did on the nhs. Plus they were almost impossible to get into contact with to sort anything out. Also my grandma paid for an op privately and had an awful time, was literally traumatised by the appalling levels of care she got - a very intimidating nurse made her cry (very out of character - the most stoic person i knew) and then after we complained she forced her to give her a hug which she very much didn't want to do but was obviously feeling very vulnerable. She died in 2021 and it still makes me angry because she was the sweetest lady who ever lived. But I digress.

I would advise you to research. A LOT. It's so much money and often you get the same doctors performing the same ops at the same NHS hospitals. Just read the (non sponsored) reviews x

I have AXA through work, and pay for DS to be covered on it. I've been having weekly therapy for 18 months through it, and also just had an op too. I wouldn't be without it now?

Strangely, I’ve been with Bupa for over 15 years. I’ve had several claims in that time. I’ve always found call handlers to be friendly and helpful. Another poster said that some hospitals won’t deal with them. I haven’t found that either and they have settled claims quickly and efficiently.

I recommend it and important to do before you have preexisting conditions. I have it through my partner's work and for both time sensitive and less time sensitive issues, it allows you to get seen quickly. Same quality of care as nhs just faster. Never paid attention to it until I needed it and was glad my partner had had the foresight to put all of us on his workplace policy.

Id love this but we are both late 50s and dont get it through work, am wondering how much it would cost

Also is it better to go through a broker?

I got a variety of quotes on MoneySuperMarket just to get a feel for the range of stuff. Might give you an idea.

I’m 64 and have Bupa’s ‘Hospital Care’ policy. It does not include outpatient appointments, but includes all tests, scans etc a Consultant orders from the outpatient appointment and the follow-up appointment to give/discuss results and the way forward. It then covers all day-patient and inpatient treatment, including all proven drugs for cancer, even those not yet approved by NICE. I pay £138 a month for that. It increases every year with age and was much cheaper at your age.

@AnnieSnap Just because you have had any issues with them doesn’t mean other people haven’t. I work in a private hospital and Bupa are known to be the worst to deal with by far. Unfortunately they were the only insurer who would cover DD (and we’re now stuck with them due to pre-existing conditions) or else I’d be switching.

I previously had a corporate policy with Bupa and they were excellent when I needed some stomach issues investigated and also with physio for back problems. We’re now with Vitality, I have never had to claim from them but the perks are great.

Myself and our 2 children, and DH are with Bupa through my DH’s work plan. I gave birth privately with Bupa and we are now all on it to have access to a GP. In the past we have unfortunately had to we call our local NHS GP surgery 70 times non-stop at 8am to then not get an appointment many times.

So far, it’s been good. I think it’s £300 a month. No problems getting through on the phone but nearest appointments are 40 mins away. Pros and cons.

Absolutely, I didn’t suggest otherwise. Just giving my different experience.

Many thanks, all! We sat down last night and looked through everything and decided to go with Axa for £82 a month for the four of us with full cancer cover included. By the time the premiums get high due to age, we should be in a fairly comfortable financial position to afford them, hopefully, but at least for now I feel some peace of mind.

That's really good money. Honestly I'm a Protection Adviser (specialise in this area) and that monthly payment is worth its weight in gold.

£82 for 4 is brilliant

We've had ours since our 30's, now late 50's, it definitely hasn't gone up by thousands!

Agree that Vitality are brilliant.

We're with Bupa, I'm paying £170 per month for myself and the two DC who've been on it since birth. I'm late 40s and the DC are 9 and 11.

I don’t have private health insurance because I can’t afford it but I do often pay privately for consultants for a couple of health issues that I have. One thing I notice with my local private hospital is just how much busier they have become since Covid times. Pre Covid I could get an appointment the same week but now I have to wait quite some time. Although this is obviously still much better than the NHS, I am currently on a 10 month waiting list for an issue I have following a botched gynae procedure yet they are still making me wait, can’t imagine this happening privately!
If you can afford it then I would say 100% go for it, at the end of the day it could be life saving looking at the state of the NHS right now, far too many people are going too long with worrying symptoms.