Health insurance

[13m]

Our family health insurance is due for renewal imminently. We're with Vitality Health, who have been abysmal.

I have looked at comparison sites and we are paying more than most other providers would charge - without a detailed application obviously. However, obviously price is not the most important factor.

Is there anyone here with experience of that sector who can give me some pointers please? Otherwise it's going to have to be a day on the phone calling the big name insurers.

[13m]

Ozzie Osmond said:

13m said:

we are paying more than most other providers would charge

I'd be interested to know what you're being asked to pay and at what age.

One early 50s, one mid 40s, two kids about 10. £1100pa with 55% NCB

[13m]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Interesting. My own feeling is that once they ask for a premium of more than a few hundred pounds a year you might as well stick the premium in a jar on the mantelpiece rather than spending it with the insurer. You might want to have some additional savings or at least the comfort of knowing your credit record is good in order to back that up.

One of my gripes about health insurance is that the providers take such a fat slice to cover their administration costs, marketing expenses and profit. There's also often an "excess" which lands small claims and a slice of any large claim back in your lap. And then you find they won't cover chronic conditions and put a cap on the maximum amount they will pay out.

There's some scope for "shopping around" in private healthcare if you decide to DIY it. For instance, an MRI scan at a fancy private clinic might be £600 whereas a specialist scanning centre will often do the same thing for £150 if you book an "off peak" slot.

Interesting.

I suppose we have it for serious conditions. But as you point out we have thus far been unable to claim for most stuff. I had a hernia last year and I think I ended up paying half. As well as, that is, finding a consultant FOR vitality and then helping the consultant complete the necessary forms to become approved, even though he was registered until Vitality changed its name.

We could afford to self insure unless it was for something like cancer treatment,

[13m]

Having phoned Aviva was very pricy and had a lot of exclusions. BUPA's top level of cover is about 1.5 x my current premium, assuming I increase my excess to £2k from £250.

BUPA has gone away to do full medical underwriting. Assuming they don't come back with any daft exclusions I think I will move to them.

[13m]

rog007 said:

Those paying for their own private health insurance (as opposed to those who's company pay) is in long term decline.

http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/sites/files/kf/media/c...

The introduction of the NHS Constitution has for many negated the need for that private health cover (choice of provider and 18-week maximum wait for treatment pledge).

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs...

18 weeks? If I have something wrong with me 18 hours is too long!

When I had a hernia last year I went from diagnosis to surgery in 10 days. Granted I did a lot of the leg work to find a decent available surgeon, but nonetheless it was sorted quite quickly.

[13m]

Okay, so I went with BUPA.

I went for the top level of cover but increased the excess to the maximum of £2k.

The permutations seem to be endless and I am sure someone who knows their way round the system would have chosen more intelligently. However I needed to make a decision and worked on the basis that we can pay for less expensive procedures if the NHS doesn't perform. If we get seriously ill the NHS will probably handle it, but if we get medium ill we want the fastest and most comprehensive access to treatment at as many private hospitals as possible.

So now we need to try to only become moderately ill.