To consider private health insurance

[Whatafustercluck]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately and wanted some views, particularly from those who pay for private health insurance for themselves and/ or their families. Firstly, we are very fortunate in that we could afford it by cutting back a bit on other things, so that isn't my primary consideration. Secondly, I am a huge advocate of the NHS (and not a Tory voter) and I can't deny that the current state of the NHS is a factor for me. While i oppose a two tier health system, part of me wonders whether if more people who could afford to, paid for it, it would alleviate pressures and ensure it was there for those who need it, when they need it. One of my fears is the long A&E waiting times meaning that critical emergency care won't be available when we need it. But private healthcare doesn't cover emergencies anyway i don't think, so it wouldn't gain us anything in this respect. I also actually think that for life threatening and critical care, the NHS is second to none. It has always been great when we've needed it (appreciating this is not everyone's experience, and it has been rough around the edges), particularly where children are concerned. I am not sure that private healthcare will gain us anything there either. It's a minefield of information I've never had to consider before, so I'm trying to understand what the benefits of it might be to a reasonably fit and healthy family of four. One option I'm considering is insuring dh and I, as the ones at higher risk of developing long term conditions due to age, but not the children, who already fare well under the NHS (except for mental health services and neurodiverse conditions). I'm not sold on the ideology of private healthcare, particularly one where those who can afford it get served first, and better. But i am concerned about the NHS today and genuinely believe it's closer to collapse than ever before. I'm genuinely interested in other perspectives of private healthcare, good and bad.

We spend a lot of money on Private health insurance for our family of 4. I have also gone privately for a few things not covered by health insurance (but only because my GP surgery didn't have anyone available to treat me.)

We have very comprehensive cover, including full cancer cover allowing experimental drugs. I think with current waiting times in the NHS, it makes sense to have private health care if you can afford it. Just today, I am having a private online GP appointment with a GP of my choosing, because my GP surgery cannot offer any appointments.

One benefit is that I've never been refused a referal. Any reason to think further tests are warranted or a more senior opinion and we get a referal letter within hours, and can book the follow up via health insurance the same day. When we relied on the NHS I had to wait 2 years for a referal.

The standard of care has been much better too. I've been able to choose female doctors and appointment times which suit. I had a coil fitted and was given a local anaesthetic and an ultrasound before and after to check it was correctly located. When I went via the NHS, I was given no pain relief and no ultrasound. Instead I was told "it's hard to see what I'm doing as you have a tilted cervix."

The NHS is often very good, but it's been shocking in my experience too. My DH was once asked to sleep on the floor beside my hospital bed as I needed to be closely monitored and they were too short staffed to do it. This was 10 years ago, so can't even blame it on Covid.

If you can afford to go private, I think it helps everyone, you, and those relying on the overstretched NHS.

As for being ideologically opposed, I think everyone will end up being asked to pay for GP appointments at some point in the future anyway. From there I imagine other charges would follow, so does it really make a difference?

There are few private alternatives to NHS A and E or Critical Care. You might want to check your local provision.

In the big picture, the trouble with private health insurance is that it's taking staff away from the NHS. Most senior doctors work privately as well as for the NHS, so it will be the same doctor you see, regardless of whether you pay to see her/him or not. If there was less private work, they'd have more time to spend seeing NHS patients.

'part of me wonders whether if more people who could afford to, paid for it, it would alleviate pressures and ensure it was there for those who need it, when they need it'

This is untrue as the majority of the health care staff that work in the private sector are the same people that work in the NHS. Increased use of the private sector will cause the NHS to degrade further as more doctors will move over to better pay and conditions available privately.

Well if you don't agree with it, then don't use it. But I have it and am so glad. I am pro privatisation for many reasons. I want the best possible care money can buy for my family (who wouldn't). I appreciate the NHS does the best it can, but unfortunately that's not good enough (especially right now). I'm healthy, but if I'm not in the future, I'm not going to be put on a 2 week wait for a cancer scan when I can get it the next day with insurance. You don't have to feel bad for putting your family first! I suspect private hospitals will row, and in time, so will urgent care services, similar to the US model.

The NHS consultants we've met work privately in evenings or weekends, around NHS workload.

If there was less private work, they'd have more time to spend seeing NHS patients.
that’s not how it works though.

www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/private-practice/working-in-private-practice/consultants-and-private-practice

Me and my husband have had it for a couple of years. Full comprehensive cover and we pay £175 a mibth for the two of us. Worth every penny

We have cover for the whole family through DH's job however if we didn't we would definitely pay for it. It has been invaluable to get seen by a consultant within days of seeing the GP and then, in DS's case, surgery a few weeks later. If you could afford to get private health cover then why not. It will help to reduce the burden on the NHS.

I’m lucky enough to have it provided through work, so only incur the tax charge (currently c £35 a month). However, I also cover DH and this is about £60 a month.

Over the 20 years I’ve had it, I’ve had one MRI and a phone physio appointment. DH has had two operations on his back. Without those operations we’d be thousands of pounds down on the deal, even at “cheap” rates.

If I ended up not getting it through work, I wouldn’t pay for insurance monthly, but I would use private care ad hoc if the NHS wasn’t able to deal with it quickly enough and just pay as I go (taking a loan if necessary & using the lack of monthly premium to repay it).

I don’t object to anyone using private healthcare. Everybody wants to be able to access the best facilities. It’s just a shame that for many of us our only choice is the NHS. Due to my pre-existing conditions there’s no point in having insurance as I wouldn’t be covered for anything.

I feel the same way, OP. Just finding it tricky to figure out who to go with for private health insurance. (I am a moderate earner, <30k, so it would be a sacrifice.) I hope some folks will offer suggestions on which insurance companies worked for them.

I am not against private insurance on top of the NHS but you are misleading about what is really going on in the States. People die or become bankrupt even if they pay high rate health insurance. Under the NHS when you have cancer they will treat you not once but as many times as you need. Under any private insurance there is a limit! So you either die of your cancer when it comes back or are in debt for life as your insurance will have financial threshold that you can't pass. Treating mental health is in an awful state in the States due to their capitalist healthcare system. It's fine and well when you know you have the NHS to fall back on. But privatisation of the whole healthcare system is not only not feasible, it's morally wrong.