Private Medical Insurance An Alternative To Complement NHS

The NHS simply has too many people to see in the United Kingdom to be as effective as when it was first launched. Now you have waiting lists and you could be on that list too long depending on the medical issue currently affecting you. Private medical insurance is also under the microscope of the government’s watchdog in order to bring down costs and make it more cost effective for you. With the changes coming and the current difficulty of having access to health care, it is time to ensure you are covered and can recover at a decent pace.

Private medical insurance or PMI is specifically for your health care needs. These policies have been drafted to work with you and your ability to pay for health checkups. You elect the premium level you want for health cover. You can elect the types of treatments covered, the level at which you are at for those treatments and even where they will take place. PMI does require a sum from you for the treatment you need. You can decide the cost you can afford and the monthly payment you wish to make for your health insurance.

PMI is not without its limits. This is like any product you would buy. It is up to you as the individual to decide if the benefits of private health insurance cover your needs or not. With the different levels of policies it is possible to find one that fits your extra care needs. Before you sign up for any PMI policy take a moment to see what the limits are, and how the terms and conditions read. Pre-existing or acute conditions that you already have before you take out PMI are often not covered on your policy.

What is Covered?

PMI is meant to cover an “acute condition” such as illness, disease, or injury. With this insurance you are able to visit any private hospital or doctor that is covered by the policy for this new injury, illness, or disease. Long term conditions or pre-existing conditions that may require more control, monitoring, or relief are typically not covered if you had them prior to taking out the PMI. They are covered if they begin after the policy.

PMI insurance is meant to work with the NHS, where some services by the NHS are not replaced. This means you can still get cover through the NHS when you need to.

Here are a few things to look for as you search for a policy:

• Do you have a deductible you need to meet? This is a monetary limit with regards to the costs that are covered. You have to meet the deductible before the rest of the costs are covered.
• Do you have a limit for how much the procedure or treatment can cost? Sometimes you are unable to determine the course of treatment you wish due to monetary limits. You may also find certain treatments are not covered (typically these are cosmetic like cosmetic surgery, lap bands, and similar elective surgeries).
• Does the policy cover cancer, what treatments are covered, and is there a limit to the stage of the disease you are in? A person in the last stages of cancer may be unable to get a policy.
• Drug treatments may be limited too. If you do obtain drug treatment cover under private medical insurance it may be unavailable if you switch back to the NHS.

Saving Yourself from Confusion

There are other plans besides PMI policies which you may be confused about. While many refer to PMI as health insurance it is not a cash health plan, critical illness, or income protection insurance.

The Main Reasons to Gain PMI Cover

Most UK residents are taking on private medical insurance policies in order to gain access to healthcare quicker than the NHS provides it. It is also to access consultants outside the NHS for health care conditions or to obtain treatment at a more convenient time. You have the choice of health care in terms of direct care or advanced treatment options that can make this type of choice more flexible than going to the NHS. You also obtain high-quality treatment and hospital accommodation.