Private Medical Insurance doesn’t need to break the bank

CS Healthcare is a corporate partner to X-Forces Enterprise and specialise in healthcare services and advice for the Military Community. This month they provided some thought leadership and knowledge on what to think about when looking into healthcare services. Here is what they had to say.

The NHS can provide an excellent service and does a fantastic job, however, with heightened demand for NHS services and continuing pressure on the Health budget this will mean the NHS is likely to continue to prioritise complex and urgent treatment, such as cardiac and cancer treatment. But what about less urgent conditions like orthopaedic surgery, cataracts, general surgical procedures or diagnostic investigations and tests? Waiting times for these procedures, or to see a Consultant, are likely to continue to rise and already can be lengthy.

It has also recently been reported that NHS hospitals are allowing patients to ‘jump queues’ by self-funding procedures that are heavily rationed or have very long waiting times (Daily Mail). However, some patients are being asked for up to £15,000 for a hip replacement, which is higher than the average cost of having the procedure done privately.

Currently, Care UK offers self-pay prices to those who do not want to wait on NHS waiting lists, but do not have insurance (Care UK). Some of the treatment available on this self-pay service are:

However, this arrangement is available at less than ten NHS treatment centres.

To read more and look into what CS Healthcare may be able to provide click here

In a recent survey of 2,000 adults by Active Quote, 73% of people believe that taking out a Private Medical Insurance (PMI) policy would be too expensive (Health Insurance Daily).

With private medical insurance, there is no need to fork out a lump sum on the spot when you need a procedure and the insurance may cost less than you think. With costs starting from as little as £12.45* a month, you can get affordable private health cover at over 300 hospitals that fits your needs and your budget with the CS Healthcare HealthBridge plan.

The plan strives to keep premiums low but still offer sufficient cover to provide your care privately with speed, choice and comfort. This limited benefit plan has been developed to provide £15,000 per person, per policy year and help bridge the gap between having your treatment privately or on the NHS. In order to put the £15,000 into context, average costs of private procedures are below:

Another benefit with a HealthBridge policy is that, should you find the NHS waiting time acceptable for the treatment you need and decide to go ahead on the NHS, we can offer you NHS Support Allowance – a one off payment dependent on the complexity of your procedure to use as you wish.

A summary of benefits:
• £1,000 per person per policy year for consultations
• Diagnostic scans (e.g. MRI/CT/PET and other special scans)
• In-patient surgery including surgeon and anaesthetist fees and surgery, operating theatre and non-emergency intensive care costs
• Day-patient surgery including surgeon and anaesthetist fees and surgery, operating theatre and non-emergency intensive care costs
• Out-Patient surgery including surgeon and anaesthetist fees and surgery, operating theatre and non-emergency intensive care costs
• Specialist/Consultant fees (for medical admission)
• Post-operative consultations, investigations, tests and physiotherapy, within 90 days of a hospital admission
• £350 per person per policy year for out-patient therapies such as physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiropractic treatment
• £500 per person per policy year for psychiatric consultations and counselling
• £500 per person per policy year for nursing and home care following a hospital admission
• £150 per person per policy year for appliances and aids following in-patient admission
• £100 new child bonus
• NHS Support Allowance
• Access 24 hours day 365 days a year to a health advice line staffed by nurses with a doctor call back service

To keep things simple, there are no lengthy health questionnaires to complete and you can be on cover immediately. As with the majority of plans, it does not cover pre-existing conditions, accidents or emergencies. However, with our moratorium underwriting, a pre-existing condition may become covered after having had your policy for two consecutive years (subject to policy terms and conditions).

This plan is provided by a mutual friendly society that’s been focused on providing Private Medical Insurance plans with excellent service and value for those having worked in the public service since 1929. The Society has received the Moneywise ‘Most Trusted Insurance Provider’ award for the last 3 years running. Here is an example of the offering:

	*An 18 year old living in Liverpool	A 28 year old couple living in Central London	A 35 year old couple with two children under 12 living in Birmingham	A 50 year old couple living in Manchester
	£12.45	£40.68 £20.34 per adult	£53.40 £25.04 per adult 1st child free £3.32 for 2nd child	£75.28 £37.64 per adult

                                                 ‘Prices correct from July 2018′

For bespoke further information please call on 0800 917 4325^ or visit cshealthcare.co.uk

^ Calls to CS Healthcare will be recorded and may be monitored for training, quality assurance purposes and/or prevention and detection of crime.

Civil Service Healthcare Society Limited is incorporated under the Friendly Societies Act 1992, Register number 463F, Registered Office: Princess House, Horace Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2SL. Civil Service Healthcare Society Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority – Financial Services Register number 205346.

References:
Daily Mail
Care UK
Health Insurance Daily

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