Do I Need Private Health Insurance?

If you have health insurance, you’ll benefit from instant access to appointments and treatment, resulting in a quicker diagnosis.

 

Your insurer will also provide you with a list of private hospitals and consultants to choose from, giving you more control over the care you receive. Most private hospitals offer better amenities than NHS hospitals including, a private room with an en-suite and a choice of food.

 

In some instances, you may be offered scans or treatment that aren’t currently available on the NHS because they’re too expensive or haven’t yet been approved for use in state hospitals. You’ll also benefit from ongoing recovery treatments such as physiotherapy.

Whilst you’ll have quicker access to treatment, the level of care you’ll receive won’t necessarily be better. Also, the NHS offers priority treatment for cancer, a stroke or heart disease so if you suffer from the most serious of illnesses, private health insurance might not be necessary. Further to this, private health insurance doesn’t cover chronic or incurable illnesses, including some cancers.

 

Another disadvantage is the cost, private medical insurance is not cheap. We got quotes for private health insurance based on a 30 year old non-smoker and for the most basic level of cover, our quotes varied between £17.39 to £39.28 a month. If you want more comprehensive cover, you could be looking at between £47.14 to £84.38 a month. If you don’t require medical assistance, this is an extremely costly bill to be paying every month. The cost of private healthcare tends to increase year on year and can go up even more if you make a claim. Also, your location could affect the cost so if you move house, you could see a change in your premium.

 

 

Comparing health insurance providers