Private Healthcare
Discussion
Wasn't sure if I should post this in the health or job, so if it needs to be moved then please do.
Starting a new role & one of the benefits is for private healthcare but I am wondering, is it really worth it? I rarely go to the doctors and have always been okay with treatment when I did have to go.
Weighing up if the monthly payments are worth having it as a just in case, never had it before so struggling to see the real benefit of it, if anybody could provide any pros & cons?
Starting a new role & one of the benefits is for private healthcare but I am wondering, is it really worth it? I rarely go to the doctors and have always been okay with treatment when I did have to go.
Weighing up if the monthly payments are worth having it as a just in case, never had it before so struggling to see the real benefit of it, if anybody could provide any pros & cons?
I never needed it, untol one day I ruptured 3 discs in my back and couldn't walk.
Operated on 3 days later, 3 months of physio and back to 90% of what I used to be.
The NHS would have been a 6 month wait with unknown damage as a result.
If you can afford it (its a taxable benefit) take it, and ;leave the NHS to those who can't.
Operated on 3 days later, 3 months of physio and back to 90% of what I used to be.
The NHS would have been a 6 month wait with unknown damage as a result.
If you can afford it (its a taxable benefit) take it, and ;leave the NHS to those who can't.
keirik said:
I never needed it, untol one day I ruptured 3 discs in my back and couldn't walk.
Operated on 3 days later, 3 months of physio and back to 90% of what I used to be.
The NHS would have been a 6 month wait with unknown damage as a result.
If you can afford it (its a taxable benefit) take it, and ;leave the NHS to those who can't.
Ouch doesn't sound nice, but that is the kind of scenario that makes me think yea it will be worth going for.Operated on 3 days later, 3 months of physio and back to 90% of what I used to be.
The NHS would have been a 6 month wait with unknown damage as a result.
If you can afford it (its a taxable benefit) take it, and ;leave the NHS to those who can't.
I don't think it works out that expensive per month for both the Mrs & I
I had it for years with work, never really used it in anger, but it was subsidised by my employer so $100 a month.
Now I'm retired I have to spunk out for it myself and I kept it on mainly because we lived overseas, and healthcare is not free. But, now we have moved back to the uk it is £2600 a year I don't think I can really afford to pay, or need to actually. Hopefully....
Now I'm retired I have to spunk out for it myself and I kept it on mainly because we lived overseas, and healthcare is not free. But, now we have moved back to the uk it is £2600 a year I don't think I can really afford to pay, or need to actually. Hopefully....
The problem with the NHS is if you suffer with something debilitating, but isn't going to kill you, you're in for a long wait, which is where going private can be beneficial.
Obviously no one has a crystal ball but if you're a generally healthy person with no dangerous hobbies, you should be alright without it. But if there's a risk in whatever you do that you can pop a disc in your back or twist your knee badly, or something else which stops you doing day to day tasks, and can be fixed in a couple of steps (private places aren't interested in chronic conditions), suddenly private cover makes sense.
Obviously no one has a crystal ball but if you're a generally healthy person with no dangerous hobbies, you should be alright without it. But if there's a risk in whatever you do that you can pop a disc in your back or twist your knee badly, or something else which stops you doing day to day tasks, and can be fixed in a couple of steps (private places aren't interested in chronic conditions), suddenly private cover makes sense.
We have it with an excess so the monthly premium & therefore the taxable benefit is less.
I was in today to get my manky leg veins zapped (excuse my use of complex medical terminology).
i received excellent care, lots of sleepy drugs & a smoked salmon sarnie when I woke up.
My only complaint was the tv didn't have many channels but I wasn't really in my room long enough to watch it.
I maintain that the NHS is second to none when it comes to emergency care but private is the way to go especially if you have something that might stop you working.
I was in today to get my manky leg veins zapped (excuse my use of complex medical terminology).
i received excellent care, lots of sleepy drugs & a smoked salmon sarnie when I woke up.
My only complaint was the tv didn't have many channels but I wasn't really in my room long enough to watch it.
I maintain that the NHS is second to none when it comes to emergency care but private is the way to go especially if you have something that might stop you working.
I have it through my work and I've decided to keep it on. A few years ago my wife had to have her gall bladder removed and the private health care she received was excellent.
For the sake of a few quid a month I like to know that if anything stopped working or looked like it might fall off then I could get it fixed quickly without playing the NHS lottery.
Another thing to look out for is if there are any extra benefits. For example we have on site physio that we can book on. I haven't used it, but i know of a few people who have had sports injuries or the dreaded "bad back" and have got straight on to a course of physio that would have taken months to secure through the NHS.
For the sake of a few quid a month I like to know that if anything stopped working or looked like it might fall off then I could get it fixed quickly without playing the NHS lottery.
Another thing to look out for is if there are any extra benefits. For example we have on site physio that we can book on. I haven't used it, but i know of a few people who have had sports injuries or the dreaded "bad back" and have got straight on to a course of physio that would have taken months to secure through the NHS.
RTB said:
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For the sake of a few quid a month I like to know that if anything stopped working or looked like it might fall off then I could get it fixed quickly without playing the NHS lottery.
Another thing to look out for is if there are any extra benefits. For example we have on site physio that we can book on. I haven't used it, but i know of a few people who have had sports injuries or the dreaded "bad back" and have got straight on to a course of physio that would have taken months to secure through the NHS.
So, the next point is: what company and what cover is available, at what price? The cover I have is with Cigna, and they basically pay 80% of almost anything medical, optical or dentical that my family needs or uses. Max per year is £200,000 per person though.For the sake of a few quid a month I like to know that if anything stopped working or looked like it might fall off then I could get it fixed quickly without playing the NHS lottery.
Another thing to look out for is if there are any extra benefits. For example we have on site physio that we can book on. I haven't used it, but i know of a few people who have had sports injuries or the dreaded "bad back" and have got straight on to a course of physio that would have taken months to secure through the NHS.
I'm due £900 worth of dental work this week, and I will probably get a good chunk of that back.
Is Bupa still in the game?
Edited by King Herald on Wednesday 24th May 19:06
keirik said:
I never needed it, untol one day I ruptured 3 discs in my back and couldn't walk.
Operated on 3 days later, 3 months of physio and back to 90% of what I used to be.
The NHS would have been a 6 month wait with unknown damage as a result.
If you can afford it (its a taxable benefit) take it, and ;leave the NHS to those who can't.
"Private healthcare" is really just an insurance policy - can you afford to self insure?Operated on 3 days later, 3 months of physio and back to 90% of what I used to be.
The NHS would have been a 6 month wait with unknown damage as a result.
If you can afford it (its a taxable benefit) take it, and ;leave the NHS to those who can't.
How much did that op and physio cost?
I am the same as you in that I hardly ever go to the doctor, but my wife was diagnosed with a brain tumour and on the NHS it wouldn't have been operated on in the same way and would have been left for years. The operation that was undertaken privately with new technology at the time (Gamma Knife) cost in excess of £30,000 and probably saved her sight and/or hearing.
So as above it is an insurance policy and you decide what risks you want to take. For me, if my company is paying (around £3500 currently I think), it is worth the taxable benefit.
So as above it is an insurance policy and you decide what risks you want to take. For me, if my company is paying (around £3500 currently I think), it is worth the taxable benefit.
zeDuffMan said:
The problem with the NHS is if you suffer with something debilitating, but isn't going to kill you, you're in for a long wait, which is where going private can be beneficial.
Agreed. This is where it really becomes worthwhile. I injured my knee a few years ago and went to the GP. She had no idea what was wrong, but said I'd need physio for a few months before any consideration would be given to an MRI. Was told to go home and take pain killers and wait for the invitation letter for physio to arrive from NHS.It got to the point where I couldn't walk and just sitting in a chair was excruciating unless sat in the perfect position. Booked a private physio session the next morning and they told me that it really did need an MRI to ascertain the exact problem to allow them to know what they were working with and offer a suitable recovery program. Called Standard Life that afternoon (Monday) had MRI on Wednesday and results Friday. Managed to squeeze in the first physio session on Friday afternoon, so all done and dusted within a week.
Had 6 months of Physio twice a week and guess what happened on the week of my last session - a f*cking letter from the NHS arrived inviting me to physio!
Had I waited on the NHS I dread to think how bad life would have ended up. It was already at the point where I couldn't go to work, so every chance it would have ended up costing me my job.
The other instance where private cover is in a league of its own is cancer. You want treatment yesterday not tomorrow, and while the NHS has improved drastically it is nothing close to private.
I have a friend who had a messed up hip for two decades, but NHS would do nothing, except for him off. It also got to the stage where he could barely walk or work.
Eventually he read something on the news one day about some drug addict bum who had just been given a new hip because he had jacked up into his hip or arse and it got infected, ruining the hip joint.
My friend went to the GP armed with that info and seething for a head to head about it, and the GP simply said "okay, we'll book you in for a hip replacement".
Three months later he was like a new man, except limping along for a decade or more had twisted his pelvis and spine and now he needed physio to straighten himself out.
Eventually he read something on the news one day about some drug addict bum who had just been given a new hip because he had jacked up into his hip or arse and it got infected, ruining the hip joint.
My friend went to the GP armed with that info and seething for a head to head about it, and the GP simply said "okay, we'll book you in for a hip replacement".
Three months later he was like a new man, except limping along for a decade or more had twisted his pelvis and spine and now he needed physio to straighten himself out.
TooMany2cvs said:
keirik said:
I never needed it, untol one day I ruptured 3 discs in my back and couldn't walk.
Operated on 3 days later, 3 months of physio and back to 90% of what I used to be.
The NHS would have been a 6 month wait with unknown damage as a result.
If you can afford it (its a taxable benefit) take it, and ;leave the NHS to those who can't.
"Private healthcare" is really just an insurance policy - can you afford to self insure?Operated on 3 days later, 3 months of physio and back to 90% of what I used to be.
The NHS would have been a 6 month wait with unknown damage as a result.
If you can afford it (its a taxable benefit) take it, and ;leave the NHS to those who can't.
How much did that op and physio cost?
I don't know anyone who regrets accepting health care as part of a job package. I guess it depends on your age / propensity to damage yourself. When I had it, it was mainly used for physio as my football playing days came to an end :-)
It doesn't take much for it to pay for itself. As previously stated, it speeds up the process dramatically of getting seen / fixed and takes you out of the queue for NHS.
It doesn't take much for it to pay for itself. As previously stated, it speeds up the process dramatically of getting seen / fixed and takes you out of the queue for NHS.
Check the level of cover. Not all policies are the same. Also, there may be an excess amount.
In general well worth having and becomes an increasing valuable as you get older.
As others have posted, you don't see health problems coming. I've had a number of sports injuries where the Physiotherapy cover available through a private policy has been great.
In general well worth having and becomes an increasing valuable as you get older.
As others have posted, you don't see health problems coming. I've had a number of sports injuries where the Physiotherapy cover available through a private policy has been great.
And another thing to bear in mind is that they don't always cover pre-existing conditions.
I also moved jobs and found the quality of cover was reduced and that I had to get a referral note approved by the insurance company every time I needed something. My docs charged me £40 per letter and I had to wait a couple of weeks, net result PITA. For something big you'd clearly go through it.
It's like all insurance though, risk based. I decided to self insure at the moment, and just pay when I need to. So far I'm winning....
I also moved jobs and found the quality of cover was reduced and that I had to get a referral note approved by the insurance company every time I needed something. My docs charged me £40 per letter and I had to wait a couple of weeks, net result PITA. For something big you'd clearly go through it.
It's like all insurance though, risk based. I decided to self insure at the moment, and just pay when I need to. So far I'm winning....
Think it's been covered already, but consider it like this - I think you're not paying the full cost of the private policy, you're paying a portion of the cost as a taxable benefit. From memory my tax free allowance is reduced by the BIK amount. Anyway, the upshot is that you're getting the cover at a discount compared to buying it yourself, and I imagine it'll cost you at most £50/month. It's worth it should you ever need it, and you're not likely to miss the £50. 
12TS said:
And another thing to bear in mind is that they don't always cover pre-existing conditions.
I also moved jobs and found the quality of cover was reduced and that I had to get a referral note approved by the insurance company every time I needed something. My docs charged me £40 per letter and I had to wait a couple of weeks, net result PITA. For something big you'd clearly go through it.
It's like all insurance though, risk based. I decided to self insure at the moment, and just pay when I need to. So far I'm winning....
I can't understand why I had to get a referral from the NHS doctor to be able to,get mymcarpal tunnel operation done privately. Why is it the business of the NHS what I do? If I wanted NHS to do it I'd have to jump through hoops and wait a year or more, if they would do it at all.I also moved jobs and found the quality of cover was reduced and that I had to get a referral note approved by the insurance company every time I needed something. My docs charged me £40 per letter and I had to wait a couple of weeks, net result PITA. For something big you'd clearly go through it.
It's like all insurance though, risk based. I decided to self insure at the moment, and just pay when I need to. So far I'm winning....
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