Is it worth having private healthcare just now?

[ssd]

I dont even mean with having covid, I mean with everything else. The news is full of awful stories about people having operations and investigations cancelled.
Is it worth paying for healthcare if you can?

Most people who can afford to have it if they don’t have it as a work benefit already. I’ve had private health cover in one way or another for nearly forty years.

I've never had it, but worry incase I need medical care just now.

Nothing to stop you just paying for stuff as you need it, rather than committing to health insurance.

We have it through dh work and had a health scare recently which turned out to be fine but having it there was reassuring considering current situation

I just had a private scan as the NHS waiting time was 'at least 3 months'. Doesn't seem like a long time but when you're in pain, 3 months to even seeing what the problem is is a long time.

We’ve had it for about 15 years now, and it’s been fantastic. If we had to cut back financially, it would be one of the very last “unnecessary” expenses I’d give up.

I am with Beneden, it’s like a semi private/ cooperative and not even half as expensive as BUPA and those ones. It’s about £40 a month for the whole family I am so glad I have it as a back up. They also sorted me out when the NHS wouldn’t deal with my extremely painful varicose veins. Forever grateful I have it!

Even private is getting cancelled as the doctors all work in the NHS too. You’ll probably be seen quicker but even privately there’s a knock on effect.

My DH and I have private health insurance and the insurer write to us about 6 months ago to say they were back in business. I haven't used it during the pandemic but just like to have it in case. Insurers must have made more profit this year from people paying for policiest yet not making claims due to closures at first and then just wanting to stay away from all hospital environments.

It's a good idea, if you can afford it, to take out health insurance while you're fit and well, because it usually doesn't cover "pre existing conditions".

@DirtyDancing

I am with Beneden, it’s like a semi private/ cooperative and not even half as expensive as BUPA and those ones. It’s about £40 a month for the whole family I am so glad I have it as a back up. They also sorted me out when the NHS wouldn’t deal with my extremely painful varicose veins. Forever grateful I have it!

I was thinking of them

I think it's £12 a m

Oops
A month for just me

But then I think the private sector has been commandeered for covid so maybe get it later. Not sure.

I just spent £30k on an operation that has saved me from becoming disabled because the NHS were unable to progress due to covid. I do not regret spending that money, but I do wish I had private medical insurance in advance as it wouldn't have cost me that much!

@titchy

Nothing to stop you just paying for stuff as you need it, rather than committing to health insurance.

Yes, I think that's an argument as well

Maybe this will stop after Covid but in previous years, my GP has pushed for a lot of pointless and no doubt expensive tests.

@2typesofjungle

I just spent £30k on an operation that has saved me from becoming disabled because the NHS were unable to progress due to covid. I do not regret spending that money, but I do wish I had private medical insurance in advance as it wouldn't have cost me that much!

Oh wow

Thought provoking

I hope you are recovering well.

Yes.

I had it since I was 18. I'm don't even use an nhs GP, I deregistered 20 years ago.

It saved my life once. I'd be dead now if it wasn't for it (main reason I deregistered, nhs said I was too young for the problem I had and said I needed mental help instead).

I've had to use it in the past few months for my baby. There have been no issues.

We have it, through my husband/his firm.
On the other hand we have had no problems getting GP appts.

I think it’s good to have in general though.

Sorry posted too soon. I use a Private Gp for myself and my children, but my insurance policy has included a free video GP service for us all for years now. I've had a child with an Ear infection sorted with a prescription within half an hour before when I'd still be waiting for the phone to be picked up for an nhs GP appointment.

It's worth it's weight in gold. We aren't well off by any means but it's a priority to us.

Our local private hospital is starting taking all on cancer operations for our nhs trust so won’t be doing paid for ops at the moment. Won’t be forever though.

We have private insurance. DH had a mild heart attack last April and needed a triple heart bypass. Private hospitals were taken over by NHS so there was nothing we could do but wait. After 6 days in NHS hospital he was transferred to a private hospital but had to wait a further 6 days until the hospital was back operating on private patients. He got excellent, safe care, but he didn’t get all the perks, some due to covid and some due to the hospital not being ready. Since our renewal, I have been advised that next year’s premium will have a discount due to his experience not being up to their usual standard. He had a private echocardiogram, again he had to wait until they started up again at our local hospital and had a telephone consultation with consultant instead of actually seeing someone.

I’m obviously glad we had the insurance to cover this.

Can anyone recommend where to start looking please?

I’ve had a look at Benenden but is it really worth it? Might they not actually offer treatment when needed?

Yes. I am going through asthma diagnosis and I don’t even know when I could have seen the asthma nurse so I skipped it - saw a respiratory consultant three days after seeing the GP in a lovely calm hospital... it’s definitely worth it but we have always had it and used it

@justasyouare go to some comparison sites and compare.
Also be careful on what they include. You want outpatient cover as that's what you will need to see a consultant without paying for the consultation. It will push up the premium a little but it's far, far cheaper than paying for the consultation.
Some people think they have a great deal but it only covers from the point of hospital admission. Most things just need consultant visits and tests.

Also, look at the excess. You can up it and pay less per month, or have a lesser excess and pay more. I pay £250 excess but once it's paid, it covers everyone on the plan for 12 months. It's a pain but it's a drop in the ocean when you consider that everything os covered (an initial consultation with a paediatrician would have cost me £250 alone, so the excess was worth it seeing as she now has unlimited appointments with him paid for).

@lunaheather thank you, I'm recovering well and just bloody grateful I could pull together the money to pay!