To ask if you have private health insurance?

[CherryValley5]

Do you have it? Would you get it?

Having just received DD’s (eye watering) PHI renewal it struck me that 10 years ago it would not have even entered my mind to insure a teenager, nowadays it would feel like borderline neglect if I cancelled her policy and instead made her sit on endless NHS waiting lists. I am insured too through work and would never take another job that didn’t offer it. Just sitting here in disbelief that something I would’ve called a luxury not too long ago now feels like an essential for quality of life. It’s so depressing!

Yes I do.

My mum has it through her pension scheme and they pay a small supplement to add on me and my siblings. I pay £15/month to add my DH onto me onto my mum.

He wasn’t happy about it because he is against private healthcare on principle but acknowledges that the NHS just isn’t meeting need any more and that having the security of private healthcare is just sensible if you can afford it.

We also pay monthly for the dentist.

Yes I am, and pay £90 a month for my daughter too. It’s too late for both of us at any rate because of separate acts negligence from two hospitals both my daughter and I have disabilities that were totally avoidable thanks to the shit heap that is the NHS.

I also have it through work and it’s been a
godsend! I had surgery about 3 weeks before lockdown which I’d probably have been waiting 2 years or more for on the NHS. Ditto dental cover, although I pay for that through work Bupa but it’s cheaper than you can get it personally. Ridiculous that it’s now the only way to guarantee treatment when you need it. ----

Yup, it’s not a luxury in my opinion.

Yes through work. Wouldn't want to be without it tbh

We all have it through DH’s work.

Not needed to use it but it’s peace of mind

Yes all of us are insured via my company. I wouldn’t take any job now that didn’t cover me & the family.

Yes through work with DH and DC added on. Considered a job move recently but medical insurance wasn't an option and it was one reason for not taking the job, which felt very American sadly. With a child with a heap of medical issues I'm not risking being without even though a lot of the really specialised stuff just isn't covered.

No I don't. I can afford it but choose not to. Since 20s I have been clean living and so hopefully I'll be OK. I have it for dd and it costs 17.48 a month.

No ….never been in a position where I would have needed it ( touch wood) ….always had timely nhs referrals for me and my children

Yes because I had rubbish treatment from the NHS last year. To be fair I have had really good treatment this year, two week cancer pathway, but it didn't reassure me enough. I pay £145 a month and think it's money well spent.

Yes pay privately for both kids

Yes, as a taxable work benefit, but I won’t continue it after I retire

Yes, we have it through DH’s work. It’s been invaluable over the last few years.

No but i wish i had it

No. It’s available but I can’t justify the cost.

I have it through my dh work. I wouldn't be without it and I work for the nhs but can't rely on availability when I need it

No, we are retired now and we would use our savings if we needed to go private. It is too expensive to have a private health insurance.

Yes through my work. I wouldn't take a job without it now.

I wouldn’t say that I can really afford it but your health is priceless in my opinion, especially when it comes to DC with their whole life ahead of them.

Yes - though only used it once. I live a mile and a half from the hospital I work in, so don't want to be treated there if I can help it.

We took out PHI at the beginning of COVID, we started hearing so many stories of appointments being cancelled, we decided to take it out whilst we are still healthy, even if a bit older.

How many times have you used for your DC? All my 3 were under specialists as children….we live in the NW so had Alder Hey childrens Hospital on our doorstep….we had excellent care from Neurology, Endocrine and Community Peadiatric service …..if we had paid I can’t see what better service we would have had

We don't line in the uk anymore, but when we did we had private insurance. Worth every single pence given how much we used it, how many waiting lists we avoided, and how much NHS negligence we didn't have to deal with.

I do, through work my children are also included.