To think it’s wrong my Dh can’t have his op done under his private health insurance because it’s completely contracted out to the NHS

[L0calSecret]

My Dh is in pain. He has private health insurance, he still can’t have his op or any appointments as everything is contracted out to the NHS due to Covid.

What is the point of his private cover and surely firms and private individuals paying premiums should be given complete refunds for services they’re not getting?

Go to London. You can get in. My DS recently had an op at the Portland.

But will his insurance pay for it?

Private operations have restarted in my town - I'm in the north.

Speak to your insurer and ask them what’s available. In my experience insurers are doing everything they can (so letting people go to hospitals that they wouldn’t normally be covered for etc) but the reality is that there will be restricted availability so people with urgent needs will get seen sooner. Most consultants are doing video appointments and then can go through the options.

I’m sorry your DH is in pain, but YABVU. Do you honestly believe that the staff and facilities being used to provide essential services during a pandemic should have been reserved for elective procedures?

So they should be refunding then. He has been waiting ages. What is the point of the insurance? At this rate he’ll get it quicker on the NHS.

What is the point of his private cover and surely firms and private individuals paying premiums should be given complete refunds for services they’re not getting?

Of course they should, and anyone with the money to afford private health insurance has the money to be able to afford lawyers, so carry on, start enforcing your contract?

No Spur I now expect services for what we are paying for or a refund.

This is an interesting read after the thread about how private insurance basically gets you nicer sandwiches.

Lots of people can’t get ops now unfortunately. What kind is it?

Private healthcare is a lot cheaper than lawyers. Why should we shell out silly money for something we’re already paying for and not getting?

Yanbu at all. Especially now... we're hardly flooded with cases are we?

We’re not in a pandemic anymore are we? There’s barely anyone in hospital, despite case increase hospital admissions and deaths, mercifully, are low. Why are they contracted to the NHS still? Makes no sense when there isn’t the demand or need.

@MillyMollyFarmer

We’re not in a pandemic anymore are we? There’s barely anyone in hospital, despite case increase hospital admissions and deaths, mercifully, are low. Why are they contracted to the NHS still? Makes no sense when there isn’t the demand or need.

Well yes we are, but hospitals aren’t as busy now.

I suspect they’re clearing the backlog. Fine but refund the money taken for services not provided.

They're contracted to the nhs as they were commandeered for a certain amount of time and that time is winding down

I too have had a privately funded operation delayed plus multiple private procedures - basically I'm a physical wreck after 6 months

Well then ask for a refund, but surely you can see that the situation at the moment isn’t usual?

Oh that was a genuine question as I believe that it depends on case and hospital numbers, and I thought I saw that we are below the official pandemic line. Hospitals haven’t been busy for a long long time now.

Phone your insurer and find out if you’ve got London cover and if not then find out which hospitals are released from Covid cover in other areas such as the north etc. Your DH may have to travel but you can get it down.

You should get the service you’re paying for as the NHS does not need all the private space as the pandemic is at the mo declining.

Good luck.

I’m with BUPA and had no problem authorising an operation.

Has he asked to be referred to a hospital that is now doing private work? Whether he can or not depends on your policy.

@MillyMollyFarmer

Oh that was a genuine question as I believe that it depends on case and hospital numbers, and I thought I saw that we are below the official pandemic line. Hospitals haven’t been busy for a long long time now.

I can assure you that although the number of cases is relatively low at the moment, hospitals are still extremely busy.

@sirfredfredgeorge

What is the point of his private cover and surely firms and private individuals paying premiums should be given complete refunds for services they’re not getting?

Of course they should, and anyone with the money to afford private health insurance has the money to be able to afford lawyers, so carry on, start enforcing your contract?

Bullshit. I have private medical insurance through my husbands employer. It does not cost him a penny for either of us. And yes, I have taken advantage of it in the past and I fully expect that I may need to again soon.

No didn’t realise you could do that, will get onto it. He has been fobbed off every time he has rung up.

Morally YABVU. This thread will be read by people who have been waiting months for life saving treatment in pain.

In terms of money paid/service received YANBU. You should receive money back.

I'm in Ireland and some (all?) health insurers gave refunds (mine amounted to about 25% of last year's premium) because private hospitals were taken over by the HSE (our NHS) for a period of time during the pandemic and so were not available for private healthcare.