Private Healthcare HRT referral

[Topsyturvey10]

Has anyone here managed to get a private healthcare provider to support you being referred to a Menopause specialist?

My GP is happy to refer me to someone who will prescribe me Testosterone, or write them a letter with recommendations of how to. Ive done my research and am keen to try it but Im hoping I can get it covered on the Private plan with Vitality through husbands work.

Is anyone with Vitality and have they covered this? Also, any recommendations for Nurse Specialists or Menopause doctors who will do this?

You just need to check the policy.

Most don't cover menopause as it's a long term/ permanent state.

Insurance will cover you for something that may in the end be shown to be a menopause -related condition ( ie heavy periods, fibroids etc) but they are unlikely to cover you for 'basic' HRT etc.

I pay for my own consultations for this.

The average consultation is around £250 -£300 and further appts are usually less.

If you want to find a consultant the British Menopause Society has a list of Specialists on the menu of their website. It's location-based.

I’m with Westfield and they will only cover me to see a consultant, however all the specialists at private meno clinics seem to be gps or nurses. So if I want testosterone I am going to have to self-fund.

I just paid £240 for a private consultation with a menopause specialist. Can’t tell you what the prescriptions will cost yet, not quite at that stage but money well spent, it was really helpful to talk through my symptoms, concerns and symptoms in depth.

Don’t know about getting it with private healthcare though.

I need to scrutinize the policy but I guessed it wouldn't cover the Menopause.

It's so frustrating and unfair that we have to self-fund. My GP didn't know if she could prescribe it and said she wouldn't know the correct dosage so I've got no choice other than to pay for it myself 😬

That is really crap of your GP!

I went private because I have had cervical cancer and I wanted to talk through my options in more depth and for someone to take the time to talk through risks.

It shouldn’t be the case that women have to go private! It’s fairly standard to prescribe HRT.

The Androfeme testosterone cream is £80 per tube to buy privately with a private prescription. You use a pea sized amount daily, so it works out about 80p per day.