Health & Medical Insurance Information

More benefits for employees

2009-07-02T21:23:00.001+01:00

Employees across the UK have a lot to look forward to in the next year despite the apparent doom and gloom surrounding businesses during the recession. Over one in five employers have said they plan to increase the healthcare benefits available to their workforce during the coming year according to an annual survey carried out by Employee Benefits magazine. Costs are being cut in all areas of businesses at the moment but it seems that private health insurance is one area that is still considered a priority by managers and company owners. The health of a company’s workforce may not be immediately considered to be essential to success but it can ultimately affect efficiency and the importance of this has evidently been recognised by these 22 percent of businesses who took part in the survey.

There are many advantages to having a corporate private medical insurance policy and the cost can prove to be very well spent over the long term. Sick days are a major cost to companies and are especially noticeable in smaller businesses. These can be reduced through private health cover by getting staff treated in a much quicker time than they would have on the NHS. Also, by offering good benefits to staff, higher calibre applicants will be attracted to any vacancy that may come up and the overall performance of the business could improve. Finally, private health insurance is a good way for employers to show their staff that they really care about their wellbeing and make it a better place to work in generally. If employees feel good about their job, they are more likely to work harder and less likely to leave the company, reducing time and hassle in finding a replacement.

Budget is best

2009-06-30T22:01:00.001+01:00

The bigger the better – the well-known phrase that many of us live by, either consciously or subconsciously when making decisions every day of our lives whether that’s choosing between the 8oz or 16oz steak or which level of private medical cover to opt for. Before the recession took hold last year, people may have decided that a fully comprehensive policy was best for them with every possible situation covered. But since then, people have begun to opt out of certain aspects of their policy such as extra alternative therapies or physiotherapy, especially as premiums have begun to rise. But Stuart Scullion, spokesman for The Private Health Partnership told Health Insurance and Protection Magazine that the public’s attitude has changed to prefer cheaper, more flexible policies. ““Most consumers automatically initially think that they want a comprehensive full refund inpatient and outpatient contract but when you delve a bit deeper they quite often prefer budget policies.”

Freedom Healthnet has always offered private medical insurance policies at an extremely competitive price, with opt-outs on all levels of policies. This is something that some insurers are only just beginning to introduce as they realise that their customers are looking to cut costs in all areas of their finances, including their private health insurance. Hospital lists are one way in which costs can be cut by many health insurance providers but Freedom Healthnet has no selective lists on any of its policies. This means that no matter how much their customers pay each month, they will still have access to the same number of treatment centres across the UK. This increases the chance that a person will be able to be cared for in a place and time that is most convenient to them.

PMI claims on the up

2009-06-25T21:04:00.001+01:00

The number of people claiming on private medical insurance policies has increased. The latest figures have been released in a report by employee benefits consultants Mercer. They found that 3 percent more people made a claim compared to 2007. They compared results from 250 of the largest companies in the UK to come up with the data. It’s thought that the increase came partly as a result of a rise in medical inflation. Not only this, but people are believed to have been taking advantage of their existing private medical cover as part of their job while they still had it, either because they feared losing their job or just their employee benefits.

Private medical insurance is available at a very low monthly premium, especially with cash plan private health cover. Freedom Healthnet offers a good basic policy costing as little as £10.44 per month so even if people are expecting to lose their health insurance as part of their job there is no need for them to lose the peace of mind that comes alongside it. A company may also want to consider switching their current corporate health insurance policy to cash plan private medical cover to save themselves much needed funds in this economic climate rather than cancelling the policy altogether. Employee health insurance is a good way to attract top quality staff to a vacancy, which could improve performance and efficiency. A better general state of health for a workforce also means that less money should be lost due to staff sickness, which is a major cost to most businesses.

Job cuts for nurses expected

2009-06-23T20:20:00.001+01:00

Nurses could soon be feeling the effects of the recession, with thousands predicted to lose their jobs in the next five years. According to a new report published by Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, up to 350,000 public sector workers including nurses could face the tough job cuts between 2010/2011 and 2014/2015. It’s all because of the government’s plans to tighten budgets across the board including the NHS. Chief Economist for the Institute, John Philpott, told the Nursing Times, “The public sector has yet to feel the full impact of the recession, and the resultant bloodbath in the public finances.” But the thought of even further restrictions on healthcare budgets could mean that increasing numbers of people decide to get a quote for private medical insurance.

Budget cuts for many are something that happen on paper, maybe affecting people in their own pay packets but with services like the NHS may only be noticeable if they have to experience healthcare treatment themselves. If nurses are likely to lose their jobs in the high numbers predicted, front line services will no doubt be affected. A lot of people will want to ensure that if they unfortunately become ill, especially in the next five years, that they will be able to be treated in the best healthcare facilities available and an increasingly stretched NHS is becoming less attractive. Private medical insurance offers a good alternative by allowing policy holders access to the best medical facilities available .A low monthly premium from providers like Freedom Healthnet give many people the peace of mind they are looking for.

Family Health Insurance: flexibility is the way forward

2009-06-18T12:00:00.002+01:00

Private health insurance providers should be more flexible according to a top comparison company. Insurancewide say that measures should be taken to ensure that private medical insurance policies are accessible and relevant to all members of the public – whether that be young or old, male or female or for a family or a single person. They suggest that different tiers of policies should be made available. Freedom Healthnet has offered four levels of private health cover ever since it began meaning that it already offers a flexible range of policies varying from the basic essential gold level of insurance to the diamond plus comprehensive policy.

The comparison company also recommended that health insurance providers should be more flexible within their own policies to allow customers to tailor them to suit their personal needs. This is something that is again already available with Freedom Healthnet, who have optional add ons even on the most basic policy. If you choose to pay a small extra premium, specialist consultation and treatment fees, X-rays, and physiotherapy are just some of the facilities you can have access to. On the top level of private health cover, alternative therapies, rehabilitation and psychiatric treatment are also available for those people that feel that these options suit them. Patients also have the chance to choose whether they would like to be treated in an NHS hospital, in a private healthcare centre or in a clinic abroad giving Freedom Healthnet’s policies even more flexibility than it’s nearest competitors.

Employee PMI up 180%

2009-06-16T20:57:00.001+01:00

Last year was a good year for private medical insurance, cash plan policies in particular. Despite the UK heading into a recession, the number of people taking out private health cover actually rose and it seems that businesses weren’t put off by the financial situation either. The latest statistics released by Employee Benefits / Simplyhealth Healthcare Research 2009 suggest that the number of companies taking out private health insurance for their staff in the form of cash plan private medical insurance shot up by 180 percent in the past year. One reason for this huge increase in the number of companies holding employee health cover could be because they have decided to switch from a traditional private medical insurance policy to the more cost efficient cash plan policy, of which Freedom Healthnet is one supplier.

The research also found that small businesses (with a workforce of 100 or less) were the most likely to have a cash plan private medical insurance policy for its staff. Over a quarter of small businesses in the UK now hold one and this could be because they are one of the most affordable ways to provide private health cover, which is considered to be one of the top employee benefits a company can provide. In the past 12 months alone, the number of companies who have recognised the importance of providing good benefits for their workforce in the UK has risen from 5 percent to 14 percent. The recession may seem like a time when unnecessary expenses should be avoided but private medical insurance has defied this, showing that it is widely upheld in the view of bosses who recognise the importance of investing in the health of their staff.

£15bn NHS shortfall predicted

2009-06-12T18:58:00.001+01:00

The NHS can expect to have a shortfall of £15 billion over the space of five years according to the NHS confederation. The shortfall is likely to come following 2011 when the era of big spending will come to a sudden end. The problem has arisen from the culmination of a number of factors, including the recession, lower increases in budgets as well as rising costs. Top health service managers have warned this week in a report at the annual NHS confederation conference in Liverpool that action needs to be taken now to prevent bosses having to make major cuts when the shortfall comes into effect. Steve Barnett, the confederation's Chief Executive told The Telegraph, "Shortages in funding will translate to the kind of across the board cuts which could see waiting lists lengthen, standards fall and dissatisfaction with the service grow among patients and staff." This could cause even greater worry for those people who feel they need extra peace of mind by purchasing a private medical insurance policy.

The report, 'Dealing with the downturn: the NHS's greatest ever leadership challenge' said that if extra money isn't put into the NHS in the year 2011/2012, it may not be able to continue being free at the point of service. If this happens, people may have to take out private medical insurance to help cover the added costs. A cash plan private medical insurance policy like those offered by Freedom may be ideal because they already allow their customers to use the cash lump sum they recieve to subsidise the cost of NHS treatment. Even if costs aren't put in for the NHS, which the government will work very hard to avoid, quality of treatment may suffer if bosses like Steve Barnett's fears are confirmed. People who would like to be treated in a clinic where quality is guaranteed may like to take out a quote for private medical insurance to allow them access to private hospitals who are not affected by budget cuts in such a way as the NHS.

Consultants cost the government millions

2009-06-09T21:25:00.003+01:00

The government has lost millions of pounds in using private consultants to give advice to primary care trusts. The idea was aimed to save the NHS money but in fact it has cost the health service over £21 million. The figures have been released this week through Department of Health documents and just prove that the Government’s Framework for Procuring External Support for Commissioners (FESC) initiative has not achieved its goal to make efficient savings. Health publication ‘Pulse’ found that spending on private consultants had tripled over the past two years since it was launched, costing a total of £39.4 million but only bringing in £17.5 million worth of savings. This is money that could have been spent in another department of the NHS for example on buying new equipment. Dr Jonathan Fielden, chair of the BMA’s consultants committee told Pulse, “This is hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money yet to be shown to have benefited patient care.” Despite this, the Department of Health still insists that 'tangible benefits' are being given.

Many people who turn to private medical insurance as an alternative to the NHS say that they do so because of the better access to high quality and brand new technologies available in private health care centres. The NHS is limited in providing access to these new innovative technologies because of its budget and government schemes like this one to encourage the use of private consultants where targets often get in the way. Private health insurance policies allow patients to use these top of the range facilities where they are not restricted by a budget in the same way. Being treated by the latest healthcare equipment and medicines could reduce recovery time and get patients back to full health in the shortest period possible which is inevitably a priority for most people when they undergo an operation or fall ill.

Private Insurance Up & Self Funded Patients Down

2009-05-29T13:45:00.003+01:00

The number of people who are paying for their own private medical treatment within private hospitals is decreasing, according to the company who own BMI Healthcare which run over 50 private health care centres in the UK. More people are taking out private medical insurance to cover to cost of surgical procedures in private hospitals, such as BMI. This number increased last year despite a recession, and it clearly demonstrates that that this is the most popular option to cover private healthcare costs. Asking the hospital for a self pay package is a way to have access to top quality private treatment on a pay-as-you-go basis. You get a self-pay price from the hospital (which you can then often negotiate down) and then you can compare private hospital services and costs. A self-pay arrangement is useful because of the unpredictable nature of falling ill, but at the same time could end up costing huge amounts of money if a major operation is needed. Private medical insurance, whether traditional or bespoke, is a way to avoid this huge cost, by just paying a small monthly premium.

Search engine Google has also started to report an increase in the number of people searching for private medical insurance on the internet after a decline in 2008 and the beginning of this year. This could be for a number of reasons:

Firstly it could be people who are looking for a cheaper alternative to their existing private medical insurance policies. Freedom Healthnet could offer a solution to this problem as its cash plan style health insurance is one of the lowest cost ways of having access to this top quality level of medical care.
Secondly, it could be people who are looking for a quote for private medical insurance. Quotes can be gained quickly on easily online on company websites such as Freedom Healthnet.

PMI: supplementing the NHS

2009-05-29T13:30:00.001+01:00

The NHS celebrated its 60th birthday last year and has long been celebrated as a successful healthcare system, widely respected by other countries across the world, especially those that can’t or don’t provide free healthcare to their people. So why should people in the UK consider private health insurance then? The fact is that 7 million people in the UK are now covered by some level of private medical insurance, may be caused by the fact that the NHS sometimes struggles to meet with demand particularly because of increased pressure from government targets. The answer for many people is to turn to the alternative.

Private health insurance allows its customers to have access to hospitals with a lower rate of superbugs like MRSA, and have facilities with the latest technology that some NHS hospitals cannot afford to provide. But they have their limitations in that emergency treatment is something they don’t have facilities for and this is where the NHS has a strong position. The ideal situation is for private medical insurance to supplement the work of the NHS which is where cash plan private medical insurance is the perfect option. It gives policy holders the option as to whether they would like to be treated in a NHS or private hospital, or even if they would like to travel abroad for their healthcare. The money they receive to help towards the cost of the treatment can then be used for travel expenses or to cover the cost of time lost off work if the patient chooses to be treated in an NHS hospital.

Traditional Medical Health Insurance Clients Get Raw Deal

2009-05-28T14:09:00.005+01:00

In these current times value for money is very important and this applies to health care as much as anything else. But according to the Daily Mail private healthcare establishments may be billing health insurance clients up to 50% more than their private clients.

Taking out private health insurance with Freedom Healthnet Ltd ensures that you are protected from this kind of unfairness because Freedom pays the cash direct to you and you approach hospitals as an independent private patient.

On the 2nd May the Daily Mail reported that a client received a bill from the Nuffield Hospital in Chichester where an MRI scan was charged at £477. Three weeks later another bill arrived for the same MRI scan for £720. The patient was asked to ignore the previous bill 'as we were unaware patient was insured.' This enormous 50% increase was drawn to the attention of the patient's insurer Western Provident Association (WPA).

Julian Stainton chief executive of WPA said,

'It beggars belief that in these times when the public demand openness, one of this country's leading charities is taking advantage of patients at their most vulnerable, charging insured patients in excess of 50% more than self-pay patients.

It is nothing more than bedside robbery for a private hospital to charge on the basis of "how much can we get away with?"'

Anthony Scrivener QC, an authority on consumer law said 'The provider is not entitled to demand to know whether you have medical insurance. It is entitled to be sure that you have the resources to pay for the treatment - usually making a credit card available will suffice.

In law every patient is a self-pay patient, irrespective of their ability to recover charges from a relative or an insurance company.'

For Freedom Healthnet clients this is not an issue. If you become ill Freedom pays the money for your inpatient treatment straight into your bank account and you have the choice to do exactly what you want with it. You can approach your preferred medical establishment and ask for discounts for your healthcare treatments as an individual private patient and then keep the change to spend on other things. Alternatively you can go abroad to be looked after or even go via the NHS and keep the cash for yourself. The choice is yours.

So, with Freedom you have the wonderful security of a private health insurance plan but you save money on two fronts:

-you get cheap health insurance because Freedom Healthnet Ltd pass on their reduced admin costs to you
- you are in control of the money you get and can therefore get better deals from the private health care providers.

Top five reasons to take out PMI

2009-05-21T19:02:00.001+01:00

Private medical insurance has many benefits, giving the British public more than one reason to enquire into a quote for private medical cover. The number of people who took out private health insurance rose in 2008 by 3.7 percent, astonishing considering the country entered into a recession, just going to show that the advantages of having a private medical insurance policy has become more prominent to people than ever. Freedom Healthnet takes a look at the top five reasons for taking out PMI, according to Bupa.

1. Clean Hospitals
The NHS is notoriously under pressure, mainly because it has a limited budget and has suffered from cleanliness in the past few years. Despite the number of cases of MRSA and other superbugs like C.Difficile falling recently, Bupa found that 8 percent more people stated this as their main reason for taking out private health insurance than the year before.

2. Faster access to specialists
Four percent more people stated this as their reason for choosing private medical insurance.

3. No waiting lists
This is a very attractive benefit for many people who enquire into private health cover. NHS waiting lists have improved significantly recently, with the government achieving it’s 18 week target. But this is still too long for some people and the thought of being able to be treated in as quick a time as possible, as well as in a medical centre that is most convenient to them is a big factor.

4. Faster recovery
Private hospitals have some of the best medical facilities in the country, and this along with the fact that people can be treated before their conditions get any worse by waiting for longer on the NHS are just some of the reasons why two percent more people took out private medical insurance than last year.

5. Ability to see the same consultant
A lot of people build up trust between the doctor that is to be helping them overcome their illness and return to a good state of health. But on the NHS, this is something that has become increasingly difficult, especially if someone wants to be treated in the shortest time available.

PMI difficult to cut back on

2009-05-19T20:15:00.001+01:00

Private medical insurance is one of the hardest things to cut back on during the recession. That’s according to the director of Bupa UK Health Insurance. Fiona Harris told the Yorkshire Post that people find it the most difficult to cut back on their private health cover, even over other items such as holidays, eating out and pensions and long term savings. This may be because they don’t want to lose the peace of mind that comes with a private health insurance policy, knowing that top quality healthcare is available as and when they need it. Poor health is not something that can be predicted, particularly as a result of an accident so a lot of people are reassured by this.

Money is tight for most people at the minute and everyone is cutting back in some way or another. Private medical insurance is long thought of as a luxury, and this is the obvious area to re-prioritise for the majority of people, but these figures just prove that private health cover is no longer considered a luxury item. Cash plan medical insurance has gone a long way to change this stigma, reducing monthly premiums significantly. People may wish to consider swapping to a cash plan private medical insurance policy. In doing so, costs can be greatly reduced but the peace of mind that is associated with a traditional private health insurance policy can be kept intact. Additionally, cash plan private medical insurance gives the patient the freedom to choose whether they wish to be treated in a private hospital or an NHS clinic, thereby using the money that would have been used to pay for private treatment to be used to cover other costs incurred by the illness, such as travel.

2009-05-04T15:10:00.001+01:00

A top organisation which represents insurance brokers in the UK is advising companies to take out private medical insurance cover for their employees. The British Insurance Broker’s Association (Biba) say that PMI could help keep a business healthy, as well as its staff. With many companies doing their best to keep going in the recession, it’s no wonder that more and more bosses are looking to take moves to benefit their business and a corporate private medical health insurance policy could be just one way of doing so. Peter Staddon, head of technical services at Biba, told ClickAJob: "It is a much better way of maintaining the health of your staff as well as your business and there are some brilliant schemes out there."

Biba say that there are a number of reasons to take out a corporate private medical insurance policy. Firstly, it’s important, especially for smaller businesses to control illness amongst their employees. Secondly, it helps staff to work to the best of their ability, inevitably increasing productivity because it may prevent them from worrying about any medical issues that they may have as much. Private medical insurance is a good way of putting someone’s mind at rest because top quality medical care is always available in a time and place suitable to the patient. Some bosses may see PMI as an added cost initially, but millions of pounds are lost every year by British businesses due to sickness so this could be one way of reducing cost in the long run by encouraging a healthier workforce. Figures released by the Association of British Insurers last month only confirm this, with the number of people taking out a private medical insurance policy in 2008 increasing, despite the UK heading into recession.

PMI fares well against recession

2009-04-28T23:39:00.002+01:00

The number of people covered by a private medical insurance policy in 2008 increased by 2.7 percent from the previous year, despite the UK heading into the recession. That means that the total number of people now covered by either a personal or corporate policy is now 7,335,000 according to the figures released by the Association of British Insurers. Nick Starling from the organisation told moneyhighstreet.com, “The continued rise in the number of people covered by PMI is good news. PMI gives people the peace of mind that they are able to get access to the treatment they need, at the time they need it, where they need it.”

The recession has meant that many people have had to cut back on the luxury items and activities that they once enjoyed before they may have lost their job, been laid off or had their hours cut down for example. Private medical insurance has long been thought of as a luxury and for some this may seem like an option to cut back on. But with cash plan private medical insurance, health cover is no longer the luxury that it used to be as it is now more affordable for the majority of people with premiums starting as little as £10.88 per month. Health is an area that many people consider a high priority and cutting back on healthcare is something that people don’t wish to do, and still want to have the option to be treated in a short space of time in a place that is convenient to them and where they are sure they can expect to receive top quality treatment that can come as a result of private medical insurance. These people might want to get a quote for cash plan private medical insurance to see how much money they can save and consider switching rather than cancelling altogether. These latest figures show that people are not looking to cancel anytime soon.

UK's ageing workforce

2009-04-21T15:04:00.006+01:00

The workforce in the UK is getting older and employers need to take active steps to look after their workers health. That’s the message coming from Bupa after a report was published predicting the average age for a worker to be 43 by 2030. In forty years time we can also expect to see the average retiring age at 68. So with an ageing workforce meaning potentially more illnesses and days lost to sickness each year, companies are being advised to take out a corporate private medical insurance policy to ensure that their employees have access to the best quality healthcare services available in a place and time most convenient to them so that they have the best chance of being in as good a state of health as possible.

The authors of the Healthy Work report have also seen a pattern of people moving towards services related work away from manual labour. This means that the number of people likely to be suffering from psychological conditions is likely to increase, something that can often go unspotted and undiagnosed. A general health check up, something that can be accessed to via some private medical insurance companies, is one way that conditions like this that someone may not be aware that they are suffering from can be picked up on and treated. Regular check-ups with a GP are also recommended. Natalie-Jane Macdonald, Bupa’s managing director for UK Health Insurance told Health Insurance and Protection Magazine, “The commercial benefits of taking action on workplace health are clear as healthy employees can be nearly three times more productive than those in poor health." Cash plan private medical insurance is a cost effective way of taking steps towards healthier staff.

18 weeks still too long for 80% of people

2009-04-17T14:42:00.001+01:00

Eight out of ten people in the UK still think that NHS waiting lists are too long. That’s according to a survey carried out by BUPA. The results are perhaps a disappointment for health service bosses who have just achieved the lowest waiting list times at eighteen weeks since records began. But according to the study, the almost half of those people believe that they shouldn’t have to wait for longer than a month for treatment on the NHS. This is the sort of waiting time a person could expect if they had access to private healthcare, made easier for the average person through private health insurance.

We don’t want to wait for anything these days – we can order something on the internet and it will arrive within a matter of hours. This lifestyle has said to be blamed for our attitude towards the NHS. The average wait is now 8.6 weeks for a GP referral but for some people this is still too long. By visiting a private healthcare clinic, this wait can be reduced even further but costs can be off putting especially for those people who cannot afford the fees. However, private health insurance, particularly cash plan private health cover is one way in which people can gain access to these top quality services. Many people think of private health insurance as a luxury, but with premiums from as little as £10.88 a month it is an affordable way to give extra peace of mind.

Stress Calls Up 41%

2009-04-11T16:42:00.001+01:00

The number of people calling a healthcare helpline with stress related problems has gone up by over forty percent. Bupa, who run the service, also say that three times more people are worried about the chance of being made redundant. Experts are concerned that the overall mental health of the country is declining and are encouraging employers to help their workers during the difficult financial situation. Businesses could end up losing out in the long run if the problems get so bad that staff have to take time off sick. A corporate private medical insurance policy could provide the help and services that staff need to help them through their stress and worries if the company is unable to give a professional standard of counselling that some of their workers might need.

Sickness causes businesses across the country to lose millions of pounds every year and productivity falls – which is the last thing bosses need during the credit crunch. A cash plan private medical insurance policy is a cost effective way to provide access to top quality medical services for employees to get them back to work in a shorter amount of time and reduce the chance that they will have to take time off in the first place. This means money could be saved in the long term. Forty four percent of people who received face to face counselling services and advice said that it meant they didn’t have to take any time off work in a study carried out by Bupa. Figures also show that it led to a forty eight percent increase in productivity. Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, told Health Insurance and Protection Magazine, “We must learn from the mistakes of past recessions where people lost their job, their confidence and their self esteem leaving them unable to return to the workforce.”

Chronic Conditions Predicted to be on the Increase

2009-04-07T21:11:00.002+01:00

Employers are being warned that increasing numbers of workers will have chronic diseases and conditions over the next twenty years. The number of people with diabetes and respiratory conditions are expected to rise by over seven percent by 2030. The figures have been published in a report called ‘Healthy Work’, following research carried out by BUPA alongside the Work Foundation, the Oxford Health Alliance and RAND Europe. It’s bad news for companies as productivity levels could fall so they are being advised to take steps to help themselves. One thing they could do is take out a private medical insurance policy.

The main factors that will cause the problem are obesity, alcohol consumption and smoking. A private medical insurance policy will help a company’s workforce combat these issues firstly by making them aware that they have a problem. A lot of people are conscious about their weight, but many don’t realise that they are actually classed as obese or even morbidly obese. This can be discovered in a general health check that can be received in a private healthcare centre. Similarly, a lot of people do not realise the effect that their drinking can have on their health until it is too late. Advice on changing lifestyle, including help on giving up smoking as well can also be given by the services made available to a company’s staff through corporate private medical insurance. All these health problems can lead to very serious conditions in the long run and will affect businesses in the future, but this can all be prevented if action is taken now.

Waiting times down but still shorter with PMI

2009-04-03T17:57:00.001+01:00

NHS waiting times have been reduced in much parts of the country, the majority who have met or will meet in the coming months an 18 month waiting list target set by the government. It’s a promising step for many patients who are waiting for treatment and generally for most of the population who don’t know when they might need treatment. But despite targets being met, people seem to forget that they can expect to wait four months, which is still a long time when you are ill or in pain. Private medical insurance is still an attractive option then for those people who do not wish to wait for treatment on the NHS.

There are people though who will be willing to wait for NHS treatment and are encouraged by the new figures. But these people need not forget private medical insurance either. Cash plan private medical insurance like the policies offered by Freedom Healthnet give customers a cash lump sum to pay towards the cost of treatment. This can be spent on private health care if they so wish, but if they are happy to be looked after by the NHS they can then use the money to cover any costs incurred as a result of their illness. This is especially vital with the current financial crisis because many people struggle to pay their bills if they end up on the long-term sick from work. It can also be used to top up any treatment received on the NHS though, meaning they can still have access to new and more expensive drugs that they might have received privately.

NHS brings in expertise of PMI providers

2009-03-31T18:40:00.001+01:00

NHS Trusts in Norfolk and Waveney had to bring in the help of a number of outside experts including private medical insurance companies to improve their services. Lawyers and management advisers joined Bupa in helping to develop the services, but at a cost of over £1 million which could have been spent on treatment or facilities for patients. It’s just another concern for people who have considered getting a quote for private medical insurance as vital funds are being spent in areas that other trusts can manage on their own.

Health bosses have defended the decision to spend huge amounts of money on outside services, saying that it was in the attempt to improve patient services. But local MP Ian Gibson said they should take responsibility. He told the Norwich Evening News, “They should be spending much more money on care and attention to patients. Their whole approach is passing the buck to someone else all the time. They should do the work and see the problems themselves.” Money is obviously on a tight budget for the Health Service and many people are concerned that other facilities could have missed out on vital funding because of this. People may be more inclined to directly visit the private health care providers whose expert knowledge was needed by the NHS in Norfolk to advise on improvements by taking out a private medical insurance policy to give them affordable access to these high quality services.

Younger people opt for hip and knee surgery

2009-03-19T23:02:00.002Z

Increasing numbers of people are deciding to have joint replacement surgery in their forties and fifties rather than waiting until later on in life. That’s according to a survey carried out by hipandkneenetwork.co.uk, which found that although the majority of patients were over the age of 60 when they had their surgery, a surprising 12 percent were aged between 41 and 50 years old, and a further 27 percent were in the 51 to 60 age bracket. This makes private health insurance an increasingly attractive option, as waiting lists for operations such as joint replacements can often be lengthy and with even more people considering the option at an earlier age they could get longer. PMI gives a good alternative to waiting for long periods of time for treatment that can save a lot of pain and suffering.

A staggering 21 percent of people who took part in the survey also said that they had waited for over eight years before deciding that they should do something about the problem, a long time for someone to be in an often agonising condition. By taking out a private medical insurance policy for as little as £10.88 a month with Freedom Healthnet, you can have access to top quality healthcare in a time and place that is most convenient to you so there is no need to put off treatment for longer than necessary. In fact, that is what a further 21 percent of people in the study seem to have done, as they only suffered with joint problems for less than 12 months before seeking medical advice.

Freedom is top competitor

2009-03-16T18:55:00.002Z

Freedom Healthnet has beaten the majority of other private health insurance providers on the cost of all four of the different levels of policy it offers in a review by Which?. Included in the research were prices and comparisons between 54 of the country’s top private medical insurance companies, like AIG, PruHealth, Saga and AXA-PPP. Freedom Healthnet’s Gold, Platinum, Diamond and Diamond Plus policies were slotted under the modular health insurance policy section, referring to the fact that extra services like physiotherapy are available to the customer at a small extra cost. Not only were Freedom’s policies cheaper on all occasions except when comparing the fully comprehensive cover to an average policy, but the maximum age for policy holders was also considerably higher. Freedom Healthnet covers people up to the age of 75, up to 11 years more than BCWA’s personal health policy.

Three of Freedom’s policies – Gold, Platinum and Diamond were up to a third less than some of the competitor’s offerings in the comparison. A woman aged 33 years old would expect to pay £14 with Freedom Healthnet, compared to £50 per month with Norwich Union’s Health Solutions. Being a cash plan private medical insurance provider allows Freedom to cut it’s premiums significantly while still offering a good level of private medical cover. By paying it’s customers a cash lump sum to cover the cost of medical treatment, it allows patients to make savings from being able to offer a payment upfront to the clinic or hospital. Freedom then passes on the savings to its policy holders, giving them the best deal possible.

14 million prepared to spend savings on healthcare

2009-03-13T18:26:00.001Z

An equivalent of 14 million people are prepared to break into their savings in order to pay for healthcare a survey has revealed. CS Healthcare, who carried out the research on 1000 people in the UK, found that 29 percent would use their savings to pay for treatment in an emergency. In the current financial situation, savings are vital for anyone in case of an unexpected redundancy for example, so people are being advised to take out private medical insurance instead. Costing as little as £10.88 a month, it can provide the immediate treatment that people strive for. No-one knows when a medical emergency will happen, but those wishing to escape the long waiting lists of the NHS are recommended to consider PMI as peace of mind.

A further 27 percent of people questioned said they were actively saving to pay for treatment, equivalent to 13 million people in the UK, mainly because of fears over the ability of the NHS to cope with demand. But those people might be better off paying the same or less amounts of money into a private medical insurance policy which is normally cheaper than they might think. Cash plan medical insurance policies like those offered by Freedom are known to be least expensive and still provide at least £30,000 worth of medical costs. The medical condition may turn out to be more of an urgent problem than it might first appear, and waiting until you have saved up enough money to pay for treatment might make it a lot worse than it needs to be. The majority of people believe that the starting price of a policy is actually four times as much as the reality, so they might be encouraged to enquire into a private medical insurance quote to be sure.

More services available to PMI customers

2009-03-11T15:51:00.001Z

A popular healthcare provider, who has clinics in London, Edinburgh and Birmingham has extended its general health check up services to include access to a 24-hour advice line, a facility already open to those people who go for a general appointment with a GP. Blossom Healthcare hope that it will increase the level of care and support available to its patients. Health is a worry for most people, especially when a new condition arises that they are unsure about. The new phone line, which give access to genuine doctors, will be able to answer those questions you might have following a diagnosis and putting your mind at rest. The NHS does not always provide such facilities so having a private medical insurance policy could provide a good way to access this advice that is so vital to understanding your health and how best to recover.

A general health assessment can be highly useful in diagnosing problems that you didn’t know you had, or could warn you that you might be at risk of developing a condition so you can change your lifestyle before it is too late. Some clinics offer health check-ups at a lower cost than others, some up to 20% cheaper, which can be good if you have cash plan private medical insurance. This type of medical insurance pays out a cash lump sum rather than paying directly for the treatment so you could use the money you saved on something else. Alternatively, if you have a comprehensive level of cover and have a £30,000 limit, the money could then be used to pay for other treatment if you need it later on.