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!

Bupa. I have to pay £200 excess if I ever use them but when we checked what I get against my husband’s work plan it worked out a better deal. I’m more likely to suffer with sports injuries so I’m on a medium type plan that has unlimited physio appointments and investigations, and basic cancer treatments as I know the NHS tend to be good with stuff like that and I have no family history. As long as you know what you need you can work out a good plan. I won’t be without it now as my NHS GP always tends to down play anything I have asked them to investigate.

My DSS's mother had DSS included in the private medical insurance she paid for through her company.

It was handy when he got a bad back problem that meant he couldn't work. He saw a consultant, had x-rays, scans, tests etc really quickly and was fully covered for the operation he needs to sort it (discectomy or laminectomy, not sure which). He was given a date to have it done a couple of weeks later.

A couple of days beforehand he was told that it couldn't go ahead in a private because it's too risky due his T1 diabetes. He's now waiting to have it done on the NHS and his mother is absolutely fuming that she's been paying out for his insurance for years and can't claim on it now he needs treatment.

OP you say you're covered by a work scheme, have you explored whether you can add your daughter to it? This is usually cheaper than paying for separate insurance for dependents.

This is very common.

Has she looked into other private hospitals? Some are able to treat more complex patients than others. I work privately and have certainly seen many T1D patients having similar operations over the years in our hospital. It’s definitely something worth exploring rather than a lengthy wait on the NHS.

Yep - I explored it before I took out the Bupa policy but no, unfortunately my company insurance scheme doesn’t cover family. Would certainly be handy if it did!