Is Bupa worth it????

[Mummymushroom]

Dear Mumsnet,

I have been thinking of joining Bupa.
I have numerous health issues that are just not getting a proper diagnosis.

There is so much gaslighting in the NHS that I do not feel confident going to the doctor anymore. Even consultants I have seen has been completely dismissive of my symptoms, to the point they miss-quoted me on health reports.

I am worried that if I go private then I will still have the same doctors that just do not take you seriously and I will still be in the same boat, but out of pocket.

Thanks for your reply.

You can choose who you see. Beware though that premiums increase if you claim and already have underlying issues. You could refer on a payg basis so you can meet the specialist before going via Bupa. Initial appointments can be around £100.

You won’t get cover for pre-existing conditions from Bupa, unless you can get it through work from a large employer (where pre existing conditions are more likely to be covered) but you still have the option to pay to see a specialist privately.

I think one of the advantages of private is that your concerns will be taken seriously and you will be listened to. That doesn’t mean they’ll find out what the issue is / be able to fix it, and it will be expensive.

Generally I don’t think monthly paid private healthcare is worth it for most people, they’d be better off putting the money aside and paying as they go/getting a loan for any major medical needs.

I have it through work. Totally worth it.

I have it through work for me and the children, I wouldn’t be without it. DH has his from his employer. All on BUPA.

Have a look at Benenden Health, it’s managed by Bupa now I think, but much cheaper. Our family have been members for 30yrs, unfortunately had to use it a number of times, including my dx for Multiple Sclerosis. Also covers GP appts, physio, counselling and lots of other things. Worth a look.

I’ve had it for 5 years for myself and dd. Neither had underlying health problems before so everything’s covered. I’ve not used it but dd has for physio and therapy. Just knowing I can get instant GP access and cancer care is great. It’s not cheap though.

You don’t get cover for existing issues: so if you have ever been to the doctor about something it wouldn’t be covered. And yes it’s the same doctors. My exeperience is that you just get seen quicker.

That is not entirely true. You can get gp to complete a form if the issue has been resolved, treatment completed or a few years ago and the insurer assesses if it is excluded.

What a scam insurance is!

You pay every month, which provides a service. But when you actually use the service you get stung for higher premiums the next year.

It’s the same with car accidents. I’ve regularly seen people pay for car repairs themselves, because they don’t want their premiums to go up the following year.

That business model would make a Ponzi scheme blush!

Anything??

Even things like asthma?

I had private medical insurance when I was married and decided to pay myself for cover when divorced. I chose a basic policy with AXA/PPA which is their cheapest cover as it does not cover any outpatient appointments including seeing the specialist or tests done as an out patient. This keeps the monthly premium a lot lower. I do have full cancer treatment though.

Within 5 months I have had knee replacement surgery in both knees. Once I got a referral letter from my GP, I chose which surgeon I wanted to use and made an appointment within a week of phoning. I saw him at the end of November and had X-rays of both legs which he evaluating during my appointment. I had to pay about £500 for these X-rays and the appointment but left the office with a date three weeks ahead for the surgery.

I’ve seen the bills from the private hospital for these surgeries, including the pre assessment tests ( included), X-rays and medication while in hospital, the surgeons fees and theatre fees, the two surgeries cost over £43,000 - well over what I have paid in premiums! I was able to have evening appointments with the consultant at a lovely centre with plenty of parking and no waiting times.

i know I am lucky to be able to afford the premiums and hopefully I’ll be able to continue paying as I get older, I saved hard for my retirement and invested wisely so I can now enjoy my later years - with two new knees I’ll be very active again once I recover from my May surgery! However, the monthly bill is my highest direct debit and I try not to think about it too much!

I am not covered for asthma or psoriasis as they were pre existing conditions with on going treatment. I could ( and should) get the asthma taken off as I’ve not needed treatment for many years, I just need a letter from my GP.

In that case, I suppose using it for surgery is the best thing about the policy.
Asthma stuff can be dealt with by your regular GP.

@Ihateslugs, would you be able to tell me what policy you have please? That's the sort if thing id be looking for. Its very confusing looking online.

They generally don’t cover ongoing care for chronic illness anyway.
They will diagnose and do surgery for chronic illness but ongoing care is usually passed back to GPs / NHS.
Asthma is usually either an urgent a&e situation (so not covered) or ongoing care. In my experience anyway.

I wouldn’t be without it now but as pp’s have said unless it’s a company policy it is unlikely to cover pre-existing conditions so may not be what you are looking for.

It is the same doctors but they are under a lot less stress or time constraints when treating you privately and tend to listen a lot more.

I think you’d need to check if they covered pre existing conditions.
However, my DH gets it through work and pays extra for my cover and it has been 100% worth it.
Even though we’ve had Bupa for a while I tried the NHS first when I started having hip issues. I was told there was nothing wrong with me… for years!!
Went to Bupa in January (chose to see the leading consultant in my area) and was diagnosed within weeks and had a full hip replacement a few weeks ago. I’m only in my 40’s and don’t think the nhs would have offered me this surgery as I was still relatively active despite the issues.
I also get a significant amount of follow up physio which will be great in aiding my recovery.

It is expensive but it’s been worth it for me.

Good luck with your health.

BUPA can be mixed. Pretty much all their consultants also work in the NHS. I’ve seen some mediocre ones. The difference is the time you get with the consultant - usually half an hour for the initial consult and you can choose who you see. Obviously you wait longer to see the better more experienced medics. For some procedures there can be a longer wait than you’d expect, and it’s getting worse. I think this is because we have lost so many medics post brexit and more people are using private healthcare.

the main point of health insurance is that you are covered for anything serious that needs timely and costly treatment.

if they diagnose anything chronic they will refer you back in to the NHS as apart from the costs involved, the NHS is generally better at dealing with serious chronic stuff like MS,RA,Diabetes, sight loss, heart disease etc as they have the network, expertise and structure in place.

With regard to BUPA I’m encountering quite a few consultants and hospitals that won’t take BUPA now. They all seem to take HCA though. We were about to switch but I’m mid treatment so we’ll wait for next renewal.

I think if you can afford it then it’s worth paying to see a good private consultant if you need some tests etc. if they think you need treatment and you can’t afford it they will write to your GP and request that you are referred for tests. Obviously it’s up to the GP whether they do but if you have a decent GP they are usually just happy to get some direction about recommended tests.

Yes I think this is where private health insurance comes in to it’s own - when your presentation is outside normal parameters.

Thank you so much for your responses.
I feel very grateful for your replies.
It is very triggering to be fobbed off constantly.
Thank you.

It can be really hard trying to get a dx, I know. I should have said you do need to be a member of Benenden for 6mths before you can access certain benefits. We have used it for gallbladder dx and op for me, ENT for oldest son & dermatology. Paediatric Gastrointestinal issues for younger son when he was very little. I was dx with MS within a week, saw Consultant who was absolutely fantastic, had MRI, two days later saw consultant again and was told had MS. I have also had physio for frozen shoulder. All covered by Benenden. So pleased all my family are covered, my sons are adults now but I continue to pay their subs and intend to add their partners & hopefully grandchildren in the future. It gives me peace of mind. I really hope you can get some answers soon and get the treatment you need OP.

Yes. I have cancer and Bupa have been brilliant. I have shared care with the NHS, Bupa meant I had access to a hugely beneficial drug that wasn't available on the NHS, also chose my surgeon and had different (better) surgery than my NHS surgeon was offering.
I've had some good care with the NHS (nursing care mainly), I've also been badly let down by the NHS - I've been quite shocked some things.
Edited to add, it's lovely to meet doctors face to face, rather than a rushed phone call from someone you've never met or often someone you've not spoken to before. The NHS fails badly in continuity of care.

I have it through work and was good the couple of times I had to use it. One issue was something that wouldn’t have been a much longer wait on the nhs but felt the consultant really took his time and they lined up all the tests so I wasn’t waiting ages and only had to attend once.
it doesn’t cover management of chronic issues though, so they’ll pass you back to the nhs once diagnosed. Also doesn’t cover medication outside of hospital, so unless you want to pay the private prescription rate that’s better on the nhs.

I pay for bupa, around £75 a month . I’m 47 no pre existing health conditions .
The only claim I have made was for physio , I was seen within a week but my excess was / is £500 so I actually paid the entire bill for physio & BUPA contributed nothing, but I guess this is in my terms and conditions , assume
a lower excess would mean a higher premium per month .