To cancel private health insurance

[Ethina]

We have a health insurance through husbands work but to date every single claim has been turned down (I describe a few below) as nothing is ever covered by the policy. This is an expensive insurance which is supposed to be the flagship product of vitality but when we need help everything is deemed ‘chronic’ and hence not covered

I’ve heard that doctors often don’t use health insurance due to the above. Is there any truth to this? If anyone with a medical background could shed some light if be so grateful.

I really want to cancel as it’s essentially useless to us but is this somehow a bad idea with the NHS being so overwhelmed?

(most recent cases they’ve turned down include treating anaemia as they say it’s chronic - but apparently I need it addressed before they can get to the bottom of why my platelets are elevated, so now that investigation won’t go ahead. Second issue was a scan which I had for something else, it showed some changes which can be a cancer marker so a biopsy was recommended. Vitality say no as I don’t currently have any symptoms- I argued that the markers are the symptoms but I need to be experiencing discomfort for them to cover it? So I just need to wait until it potentially turns into something serious enough to cause pain, or…?)

is there a really huge gap between going private and the nhs? Is this in terms of speed or also types of treatment?
for me it was, obviously will vary on situation to situation, but it took me going private to even get diagnosed. Lots of people have great experiences of cancer pathway on nhs, but when it falls apart (I was struggling to get past the gp) it’s amazing to have a backup.
and I got treatment that was not available in my area on the nhs

I would recommend Benenden too, been a member for about 30 years, whole family is covered, good value and unfortunately have had to use it many times,never had any issues relating to cover.

My experience of private health care is to get a back operation in a matter of weeks which would have taken a minimum of 12 months on the NHS even to talk to a consultant.

I couldn't walk for more than about 5 minutes and couldn't move my foot properly so made a thud with my foot when I did walk.

I wouldn't be without it. Also provided by the company I work for and pay extra for my partner.

This was Bupa, btw.

My previous work one didn't cover anything menopause related. I thought, what am I most likely to want to contact them about? So I didn't see the point.

How big is your husbands employer? Are they aware of the issues you have?

Company private health cover is a competitive market and he could raise his concerns and ask them to consider AXA/bupa? Your family may not be the only ones having issues?

The company should want a benefit that their staff can actually use!

@Ethina I presume there's an element of cost to your DH otherwise you wouldn't be thinking about this? And it will come through some complicated tax thing?

Obviously insurers vary, but I do know someone who had their cancer treatment privately because of work health insurance.

I do resent the cost given that they have yet to help me with anything since four years, I feel like I’m donating cash to vitality for no reason! I could have paid for the iron infusion vitality refused with the money we pay them.

like a previous poster pointed out, they don’t cover menopause - but their customer service team is very happy to blame any and all ailments on menopause. My gp heard something on my heart and referred me to a cardiologist- vitality says that’s normal for menopause and hence not covered. I’m not even in menopause yet despite my age.

So it seems that private health insurance can make a real difference in the event of a cancer diagnosis, so I guess that’s what my decision will come down to. Maybe it’s not wise to gamble on these things and I should keep things as is - although with vitality I’m sure they’ll find a way to not cover it…

In answer to a previous poster I have suggested that my husband asks if the company could change providers as everyone on his team hates them just as much as we do

@Ethina so it's still costing you a lot of money?

With the cancer treatment, she was partly treated at UCH. But there were other treatments, including I think initial surgery, where she was at a private clinic and had her own room. She said that she was really relieved to have access to private health. But I don't think she was paying for it at all. It sometimes gets taxed differently, I think?

anyway, when it came up for renewal, they said it would be excluded going forward.

Vitality are terrible, they wriggle out of paying for anything. They refused to cover treatment on my husband's knee because they said it was caused due to compensating for an old injury on the other knee that would not be covered. No other medical professional seemed to think this, it was a separate issue!

I'm with Aviva, and have previously had huge claims covered by AXA and Cigna, all 3 have been a pleasure to deal with.

That sounds crazy. Very on brand for vitality, sounds like all my conversations with them. My conclusion is that nothing is covered, because there is always some way for them to claim it’s chronic or preexisting

…dh got laid off so no more insurance. Perhaps I shouldn’t have complained! 😬😂

HCP here - I have Axa through work alongside a Bupa policy for young adult DD. Both have always paid out with minimal fuss for what we need, Bupa are marginally easier to deal with though. The vast majority of consultants that I work with have themselves and their DC privately insured these days due to the state of the NHS. Personally I would never cancel my private health insurance as I simply just wouldn’t feel safe or comfortable to rely solely on the NHS, primarily due to long waiting lists.

I have cancer and I'm with BUPA, we've nearly cancelled a few times in the past, but so glad now that we didn't. I can't fault them at all. They are compassionate and easy to deal with.
That said, we also have Simply Health policies which cover other things, they are a bit different, only pay out to a maximum, but have always been good to deal with and never quibble.

Vitality sound shit. I've had a mixture of Bupa and AXA at various points over the last 20 years and have claimed loads, I've never had a claim rejected. Neither has anyone else in the family.

I'm forever using mine to check up on random symptoms etc. Most recently I had a full heart work up for random mild occasional palpations probably caused by peri (including wearing a wirless monitor for a fortnight), a colonoscopy to check it is in fact only piles causing mild occasional bleeding, a breast lump checked out and an appointment with a podiatrist for a sore little toe. In all cases with zero drama and on each occasion seeing a specialist within a week.

Get your husband to talk to his work to raise the concern and escalate it to their broker. They might be able to apply pressure or look to move provider next time they review.

Also, are you sure you don't have some mild symptoms?

I’ve had AXA and Bupa and both were great

🫣🫣 Yikes!
I guess that’s one problem solved.