To be terrified that private health insurance will become unaffordable

[TheBelleOfBelfastCity]

I don’t feel comfortable or safe living without it due to waiting lists and the state of the NHS but at the same time I genuinely don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to afford it.

I pay for 20 yo DD’s policy - her renewal came in today at £97/month. Considering it tends to go up around £30 per year it won’t be long before it’s reaching in to the £££s and beyond. Really and truly I do not have the money to pay for this if it continues to go up but at the same time it’s a question of somehow finding the money or DD not receiving the care or treatment that she needs in a timely manner. Just cannot believe that this is what life has come to in what is allegedly a first world country!

I get private health through work so not sure what it costs but I've only ever used it for dental and opticians. If I had to pay myself, I wouldn't have it.
I'm lucky to live in an area where the nhs services are excellent but appreciate it's a postcode lottery and I have had no major health needs.
If you were ever in an emergency situation, it would be the nhs that would likely treat you, so I'm not sure paying almost £100 per month is worth it.

This seems an extreme reaction to have.

Are you having treatment for anxiety? It might be a good idea to make the most of having insurance and get counselling/treatment for it now.

I've been private a few times lately and the NHS appointments came through and were only like a week of not less after the private ones. Only reason I chose the private over it was because of the surroundings as this hospital is just a nicer place to be for the things I'm having done. It was heartening to see the NHS took it seriously and moved quickly too

But it doesn’t alleviate pressure on the NHS. It’s the same doctors that work privately as work for the NHS. All the private system does is allow people to skip the queue. Meanwhile the waiting lists grow for NHS patients.

I've never felt I needed private healthcare.

I've had niggles around admin and organisational stuff but I've always been able to get a GP appointment, been seen in urgent care, had emergency surgery and had cancer investigations twice.
When me or my family have needed the NHS, we've got what we needed.

The only time I think I'd pay privately is for MH support if needed because I know what the current provision is and its limitations.

I had surgery using private health insurance once and it was so awful I swore never ever again would I use the private sector, unless there was an amazingly compelling reason. I ended up with a wound that broke open, a consultant who objected to me not waiting till the next working day to notify the hospital of that and therefore refusing to see me, and ultimately I ended up literally collapsing in my GP's surgery because I was losing so much blood my life was in danger.

There is nothing like the redress available to private patients that there is to NHS (and NHS patients find it hard enough) and really all your money gets is a nicer room and better food. So I suppose it depends why you need the health insurance so much and it's so important to you?

I feel there's going to be a massive drip feed coming next. I don't think I saw a doctor once in my 20s. I wasn't even registered for most of it.

I was going to suggest this as well. Have family of 4 on this for around £60 a month, well worth the money. Have used it to speed up appts and scans and for a minor surgery.

My family never needed private care- til we did.

There's millions on waiting lists. If you like waiting and don't mind your health deteriorating in the meantime, then that is the option.

I agree the NHS is best for emergency medicine, but for chronic conditions that eat away at you, absolutely not. The whole thing is set up to restrict access, so GPs are the gatekeepers and only refer you on if absolutely necessary.

I was just reading about why ours is one of the poorest healthcare systems for detecting cancer only the other day. This is why- they restrict access to tests, test too late and the pathways are too slow.

I wouldn't carry on paying for health insurance though if I didn't have the money. I would pay for private GPs for trivial things (e.g. antibiotics when your GP can't see you for two weeks) and for consultants if you know what's wrong for an initial consultation. I'd also pay for private therapy and mental health-care as this is so inadequate and again, leaves people in chronic distress for years of their life.

I think you can pick and choose what to pay for. Those asserting 'the NHS has always been great for me' must be a tiny bit in denial or in for a rude awakening. Some bits of the NHS are stellar, but some aren't, and it's a lottery which you get, not many people would actively choose a lottery for their children if they could afford otherwise.

Unlikely at 20.

We hired a woman in her 20s with private healthcare, there was nothing wrong with her either but she had a video call with her GP pretty much every week just because she could.

You should chat to the people in the US with my condition.

Health insurance doesn't cover everything by any means.

So many of them are posting on the our Facebook groups stressed because insurance won't cover anything like the full cost of their treatment. Stressed because their employer may pay for health insurance but expects them back at work far too soon after surgery, stressed because they have lost their job due to illness and can't keep up the insurance payments, stressed because their specialist has recommended one course of treatment but the insurance company will only fund a different one.

I wouldn't see it as buying you anything like peace of mind.

What's the backstory here?
Because on the face of it you are being very unreasonable.
Private health care is a luxury.
If you can't afford it you will have to stop paying for it and your DD will have to use the NHS like the vast majority of people do.

Why is her policy so expensive? Mine is cheaper than that and I’m 15 years older than your DD with a chronic health condition.

Not sure! It’s a fairly bog standard Bupa policy, purchased through a broker. £100 excess and £1500 per year outpatients limit. DD has chronic back problems which we have had to claim for over the past year or two - I suspect this is what’s putting it up so high.

Not really sure what a reasonable price for private health insurance is - mine is through work so no idea what it costs and nothing to compare it to.

Agree with this. A friend of mine went to gp many times in late 20's, and even once to A and E, with abdominal pain, constipation and fatigue. She hadn't been able to poo for 2 weeks and went private through her work as a last resort - she had stage 3 bowel cancer, her bowel was completly blocked and about to perforate. Within a few hours she was in surgery having part of her bowel removed. They told her that if she hadn't come in then, would have likely died within a week.

Yep my son was diagnosed with Diabetes two years ago ,for all its faults i never have t9 worry about affording his insulin ,I'm on a American Facebook group for Diabetes,there are so many people worrying about how they will pay for their insulin, which is literally keeping them alive.

What a vile comment. My DD has been through major spinal surgery twice over and has chronic problems relating to these. I take it you didn’t spend your 18th birthday in ICU? Nothing to do with attention seeking or constant GP calls - neither she or I have ever even attempted to use the virtual GP service

If she’s used it fairly regularly recently that will be the reason for the increase, I’m older and mine is normally less than hers, if she has some years where she doesn’t use it as much it will probably not increase as much, got diagnosed with cancer this year though and having treatment so I am dreading the increase I will get!

I'm with AXA started out ten years ago at £600 PA. During COVID I saw a consultant twice had an MRI the following year it was £2k pa. Again the following year I saw a consultant twice also MRI. MY bill in February was 3k pa. I've got another bill coming in February. If it goes up again I don't think I can afford it. I don't think they want me any more.

It also doesn't cover cancer unless I can't see a consultant within six weeks.

£100 excess is pretty low so you could increase it and see if it lowers the premium, Likewise the outpatient figure although it sounds like she may use it.

My excess is £250

@MidnightPatrol I have had private health insurance since my 20s. Quicker appointments make a big difference. I was never able to access my NHS GP (let alone have quick appointments lol).

Health isn't just about life or death. Quality of life is important too. My private health insurance helped me with my endometriosis, carpal tunnel and a knee injury. I got absolutely brilliant help every single time.

I agree with you OP. For me private healthcare for all the family is an essential which I prioritise over pretty much anything else.

my eldest is 22 and I will pay for their insurance until they can afford to pay for their own or they get it with work.

At that age is hopefully not going to be used much but I’m not prepared to not have the option especially for orthopaedics and (hopefully not) cancer care.

over the years I’ve used it many times for my kids and it has been invaluable. I don’t use the NHS for any id us if I have the option not to. Care is like night and day