To get private health insurance?

[MoiraRoseIsMyQueen]

I do have mild health anxiety, so I’m not sure if this is skewing my view! But is private health insurance worth it? It would be for me, DH, and DS(4). We could afford it - we’ve finished paying for our kitchen so could replace that with £100ish a month for health insurance. I’m concerned that it’s going to take a very long time for the NHS to recover from Covid, and also I feel like it’s worth the money to not have to worry about waiting lists etc.

Wouldn't live without my insurance. but £100 for three people sounds very low. make sure of what it actually covers

Depends on your priorities and how likely you think you are going to use it. Private Insurance is good for chronic but non life threatening illnesses - for example sport injuries that require surgery or therapy. You can spend longer with the specialists and schedule appointments (and surgery) for when it suits you. And it means little or no waiting lists

If you get run over by a bus the NHS will still be there to glue you back together

@Bells3032 I just did a quick quote on a comparison site. Can I ask what you would expect to pay? And what makes you say you wouldn’t live without it - what are the benefits for you?

@FarTooSkinny yep, we’re lucky to live near good hospitals and we’ve had positive experiences with their A&E in the past. My concern really is cancer and other such illnesses - serious, needs seen urgently kind of things. Not sure we’d get seen in decent time with the current waiting lists, and I worry this isn’t going to improve.

It’s amazing. I’ve had a lump investigated and removed and biopsy back all within a week. Another leg issue operated in within a week and it’s nice to be able to go straight to bloods, to x ray , to scan without massive waits.

It would depend if you live in London - that tends to be the killer. If you include London clinics it tends to be much more expensive but if you live in a subs (esp for kids) they will only see you in London.

As for why not sadly we've had a lot of use of it over the years including my mums cancer treatment which she got much faster and a lot more of using private.

For me I broke my rib and it wouldn't repair but wasn't doing any active damage bar pain so wouldn't of been able to have it repaired on NHS or at least woild have had to wait years for it.

I like the control of being able to arrange appointments when I like and know I am in good hands that won't keep cancelling on me. I like to know I can access what I need when I need it.

Depends on your priorities and how likely you think you are going to use it. Private Insurance is good for chronic but non life threatening illnesses
^this

I've had private health cover for many years for my whole family through my work. Early on I was told (by someone in the NHS) that it doesn't really benefit children since they tend to be treated as urgent anyway, and I've found that to be true. Also, it's been used by DH and me a fair bit, but for the very urgent/lie-threatening things we've had (emergency heart surgery, brain surgery etc) the insurance company have just laughed at us and told us that the best place for us us with the NHS where they have the best specialists and resources.

However, the main benefit is getting referrals from the GP and essentially jumping the waiting lists - that's been massively helpful.

(I don't know what mine costs per month, but yours is sounding very cheap...)

@MoiraRoseIsMyQueen - not my experience, but a (male) friend of mine. Had an annual health check (through work) which picked up anomalies in the PSA score (prostate) - as he had private insurance then had multiple follows ups/scans/biopsy all within a couple of weeks. Needed surgery, through the insurance had a choice of which specialist he went with. Pre and post surgery appointments lengthy and spent time going through all the options. Surgery scheduled within a month or so of original diagnosis. Swift treatment saved his life

Just one experience, but he would say it was worth it!

(and I realise this contradicts my 'chronic but non life threatening post!)

@Gumbo it’s definitely about £100 a month, BUPA (just done a direct quote) is £110. We’re mid-30’s, I know if goes up with age so maybe it just starts cheap!

If that's the case I'd say it's worth it

We were very fortunate to have had a very comprehensive plan on Bupa covered mostly through dh work.
For me it was the speed at which you could get something attended to. Dh has a Chronic condition so we benefited so much from having private.
I also went through very good pre and post natal care.
I also liked that because you were paying for it, you felt listened to and treated well as opposed to being a number in the queue. (This is just a personal opinion and I wouldn't use this to decide).

We’ve had private health insurance in the past

We’re 60’s now

But what you can do to bring the price down is
Either a
6 week wait( ie if nhs don’t see you, then private)
Pay quarterly- every three months
No cancer cover
Pay a bigger excess, will bring price down, but remember every time you use it you pay that amount. Wether it’s 1 or 6 times a year.
Also forget what’s it’s called
But using the smaller London private hospitals, there’s still loads on the lists

Check them all , but with exactly the things you want covering
Otherwise it won’t be comparison

Try
Aviva
Saga
CS healthcare
Vitality
Or even a broker, they will have more

Our got to £110 mth for individual full cover, £100 excess

Oh meant to say if you take meds for your anxiety
Your not covered for any treatment related to that illness

Have a look at Benenden OP, cheaper than private insurance. We have been members for years. Claimed many times unfortunately, wouldn’t be without it.

I say it’s absolutely worth it. If you have private GPs usually willing you refer you private - nhs referrals not so much. My son kept getting massive bruising and GP put it down to kids play but agreed to refer us privately to put my mind at rest. Private dr discover he has a bruising issue and referred him back to nhs and now he has life long meds to take if he’s injured to avoid serious bruising.

DH and have private health cover through work. It's been great as we've both been seen and treated quickly for knee and foot problems.

I saw a consultant back in March for a gynae issue. Ultrasound scan arranged super quick. Follow up was swift too. But then due to the lockdown the private hospital I was being treated at has been given over to the NHS theatre lists. I am still awaiting surgery and the hospital seem pretty vague about when they can offer theatre time back.

100% worth it. Immediate access to the doctor of your choice, always seen by them and not one of their team ensuring continuity of care. Quick tests and investigations and if you have full cancer cover often access to proven treatments not covered by the NHS due to cost. I wouldn’t be without it. Excellent for kids too, no being fobbed off by Gp’s or health visitors and ability to deal with a paediatrician or specialist of your choice with no wait.

If I could go back in time to before I received a diagnosis that means I am entirely uninsurable - yes.

By the time something happens to you and you realise why you need private health insurance it's too damn late. Get it now.

I don't mean for speed of treatment, I mean for being treated like a human being. That's the difference between private and NHS. Private healthcare treats everyone as human beings, NHS treats you worse than cattle and expects you to be grateful.

So private healthcare means you can survive the experience without being traumatised and/or left feeling dehumanised and disposable.

Absolutely worth it. Couple in our 50s- cost is approx £200 per month, comprehensive. Meant instant referral for a swelling which turned out to be malignant and very Very nasty. Waiting time would have been 12 weeks ( in Scotland).
Don’t think I could have managed the wait.

No point surviving cancer if you're too traumatised by the treatment to live.

@Dreamersandwishers sorry to hear you’ve been poorly, but this is exactly how I feel - I genuinely think the stress of a waiting list would kill me! Glad you got sorted.

If you want a cup of tea in a china cup or cosmetic surgery, go private. If you want life or death treatment or treatment by a cancer specialist, NHS all the way.

@Doggybiccys but the same specialists work for the NHS and private often? Also, paying privately doesn’t preclude using the NHS if the treatment requires it. Doesn’t it just allow the best of both worlds? Without having to sit on 6 or 12-week waiting lists going slowly mad

I had covid in March and needed lots of investigation into my heart and lungs after. The NHS didn't want to know. I wasn't dead, so I should be grateful and that was that basically!

Thank God we've got Bupa through my husband's work. Even private has a wait now, albeit much less than the NHS. My consultants (cardiology, respiratory and rheumatology!) said they are overrun with post covid patients.

Keep it. I think times are going to be tough for the NHS over the next few months.