1. FASTER ACCESS
Waiting times are one of the most significant
problems that NHS patients face today. The number
of patients in England waiting over a year for
routine hospital care is now 100 times higher than
before the pandemic, according to data from NHS
England.
Private medical insurance will allow you to access
appointments, treatments and surgeries much
faster and can offer patients more flexibility when it
comes to booking appointments. This alleviates the
uncertainty and stress of standard NHS waiting
times.
But there’s something even more important…
When facing serious medical issues, waiting weeks
for treatments or surgeries can be painful and
frustrating. The ability to bypass these waiting times
and receive the medical care you need, when you
need it, is one of the clearest benefits of a private
insurance plan.
2. COVER THE WHOLE FAMILY
If you have other loved ones to consider, many
health insurance providers offer family plans that
can ensure every member of your family has the
medical coverage they need. Family plans can cover
spouses, children and even extended family,
depending on your level of coverage.
By placing all of your family under one plan,
payments are made cheaper and more convenient
compared to taking out individual insurance plans
for each member of your family.
Ultimately, family plans are a simple and efficient
way to make sure that your family has the best
medical care available. It also offers peace of mind in
the event that any serious medical problems ever
arise.
3. MENTAL HEALTH COVERAGE
Mental health coverage is often included in
insurance plans, offering access to private services
and treatments. The issue of mental health was
already a big deal pre-pandemic, but it appears to
have exploded in its aftermath.
According to research by Kooth, 44% of managers’
mental health has got worse as a result of the
pandemic and 56% of them believe that the
employees in their organisations have suffered the
same effects.
In times like these, having access to private care
which covers mental health conditions is hugely
beneficial to employee and business alike.
The mental health services offered by the NHS often
suffer from the same appointment delays as seen in
other services – and can even prove to be longer in
many cases. Consequently, many patients grow
tired of waiting and end up paying for private
appointments, even if they don’t have private health coverage.
Or worse, they suffer in silence and find themselves trapped in a
downward spiral.
From this perspective, the inclusion of mental
health coverage is a huge benefit of having a
private health insurance plan and would even
reduce the overall costs if you are already paying
for any kind of private mental health care or
prescriptions.
4. ACCESS TO PRIVATE HOSPITALS
Private health insurance plans allow patients access
to private hospitals across the UK, as well as the
option to stay in private rooms at NHS hospitals.
Staying in hospital can often be uncomfortable, but
having access to a private room can make the
experience a lot more tolerable. It allows greater
privacy, more space and can allow easier access to
family.
With the demand for hospital bed space currently
higher than ever, the guarantee of a comfortable
space for you and your family is a particularly
enticing benefit of taking out private health
insurance.
5. SPECIALISED DRUGS & TREATMENT
Private health coverage can give you access to
specialist drugs and treatments that are not
available through the NHS. This is usually due to
budgetary restrictions, which means it cannot afford
every innovative new drug on the market –
regardless of how effective they may be.
It’s true that standard NHS health care already offers
a wide range of treatments and prescriptions
covering almost every eventuality. But similarly to
mental health services, it is possible that you would
consider paying for the specialist drugs or services
even without private coverage in order to get faster
access.
If you’re already paying for private treatments or
prescriptions (for example, physiotherapy), then
private health insurance may end up lowering your
costs.
6. ACCESS TO ONLINE APPOINTMENTS
Nobody likes waiting for appointments, especially
when it’s a health complaint or query which could
be solved quickly and easily. Many private health
insurance plans offer access to online appointments,
which can speed up the process and alleviate the
stress of having to attend an appointment in person.
Virtual sessions can be arranged for GP
appointments or for more specialised consultants.
You can choose to take these virtual appointments
over the phone or via online video call. Some types
of appointment are even available 24/7 under some
providers.
In today’s pandemic stricken world, online
appointments can reduce the risk patients need to
take, especially if they are considered to be at high
risk and need to keep public contact to a minimum.
7. TAX BENEFITS
If you are self-employed or run a small business,
private health insurance plans can provide enticing
tax benefits for both your business and your
employees. Private health insurance is usually not
tax deductible and is typically included in P11D
forms, but in some cases it can be considered a
legitimate business expense.
Private insurance plans can also prove to be a
worthy investment over time, especially if any of
your employees suffer a serious injury, or any
medical problem that may prevent them from
working for prolonged periods.
Offering private medical cover is also an attractive
perk for potential employees and can also offer
them certain tax free benefits, such as annual
checkups or medical insurance when working
abroad.
8. DENTAL INCLUSION
Some insurers give you the option to include dental
cover under your private health plan. Naturally, the
cost of the plan will take account of this – but it will
be at a discounted rate compared to what you
would pay for standalone dental cover.
Dental fees can be one of the most significant
expenses that the average person pays for, but
having all of those charges included in a single
insurance plan will likely drive down the overall
annual cost of any dental appointments or surgeries
you may undergo in the future.
Many people already choose to pay for private
dental cover anyway, so if you were to pay for cover
under a wider private health plan, you could
ultimately save money.
9. FREEDOM OF CHOICE
The NHS is a wonderful service, but it is nonetheless
limited in how it can offer its services. But private
health care can offer choice in where, when and
how you are treated.
With private health cover, you have the option to
book your appointments on your own schedule,
rather than working around the times that you are
given by the NHS. You may even get to choose
which hospital you are treated at. Or even better:
arrange home visits! As always, you’ll have to check
the terms of your health insurance policy.
But remember, these terms can be negotiated from
the outset. Insurance plans come in all shapes and
sizes. It’s important to research the market and
consider the areas of cover you most need and how
that fits in with your budget. Each insurer offers
their own set of enticing extras so it’s important to
be aware how this affects the value of the insurance.
10. PEACE OF MIND
One of the most significant benefits of private
health insurance is the knowledge that your
health care is taken care of. You will have the
comfort of knowing that should you, or your
loved ones, ever suffer any serious medical issues,
you will have access to rapid treatment, the best
facilities and the widest array of options for
proceeding with your treatment and care.
This peace of mind will ultimately make the
stressful, uncertain and uncomfortable process of
dealing with medical problems easier to cope
with for everyone affected. Ultimately, it gives
you one less thing to worry about.
How We Can Help You
We’re passionate about finding a Private Medical Insurance policy that’s entirely suited to your healthcare requirements, as well as suiting your budget – we search the market place and find the right quotes for you to choose from.
Speak to one of our advisers and get a no obligation quote – Click here to get your own Private Healthcare Quote
If you feel you could benefit from Private Medical Insurance or would like speak to our award winning team, then please get in touch.
We offer free and friendly insurance advice. With decades of experience we can help you find the right private healthcare policy at the right price.
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