FAQs

Frontline NHS staff do their best in the face of cutbacks. Many NHS hospitals missed targets of 62 days to see cancer patients, leaving 20,000 waiting longer in 2014-15. The NHS works to a standard 18-week target before any wait time for treatment/surgery.

Unlike this, When making a private medical insurance claim, you can usually see a private consultant within days for a medical diagnosis. After this, any further treatment can take place within a week or so. You’ll have a private room rather than a shared ward with a much better experience.

The NHS is great for emergencies, but for most of us needing non-emergency treatment, this is where a private medical policy can help. With private medical insurance, it is even possible to move to a private ward/hospital to recuperate after being rushed to the NHS in an emergency.

Wrong. Private medical care has become more affordable over the years making it accessible for many families, and Private medical insurance is more affordable for self-employed business owners also.

Private medical insurance is more affordable for business owners than you might think, and there are a lot of bonuses included too, such as:

• Company profile – become an employer of choice
• Helps you retain your team and find your best employees
• Reduces long absence periods as you and your staff can see specialists promptly
• Heightens job satisfaction by working for an employer who cares
• Become cost-effective by not having to pay for temporary staff when employees become unwell
• Its tax deductible

The cost of private medical insurance varies depending on several factors:

• Are you doing it alone or as part of a company scheme?
• Where are you based? In some cases, your postcode can affect the premium.
• Age – The older you are the higher the premium.
• What level of cover will you take? After we have looked at your requirements the package premium will be based on what benefits you take.

When you know the private medical insurance marketplace as well as we do, it’s surprising how many people will settle with the first option they’re given, which meets their main requirements. A good broker will find options that tick the boxes you need ticking, but they’ll also ensure you’re not paying for aspects of a policy that aren’t relevant for you and that you’re offered additional benefits that are available if they are relevant and at a similar or no extra cost to you.

Stefan Wardle of Medical Made Easy has been a private medical insurer for many years. Based in Leicester, he can cover any business throughout the UK.

Stefan can provide you with the following broking exercise:

• Understand your situation whether you already have medical insurance or give an easy explanation of the options.
• Give honest feedback about your current policy and whether it can be changed to suit your current circumstances.
• Get quotes from a variety of insurers and compare results.
• Negotiate private medical premiums between insurers and negotiate your current supplier’s arrangements.
• Once the data is in and finalised, offer recommendations and manage any change comfortably.
• Provide ongoing assistance for your scheme by always being available.
• Monitor the performance of the scheme so that at the next renewal, you are well more aware of the options.

Premiums are based on age and postcode and with many variations of cover. Even the least expensive plan will cover you for operations in a private room and full cancer drugs. The best course of action is to ask for a quote and we’ll play with the variations until something works for you.

Life cover is relatively less expensive and the amount of cover (to help pay a mortgage for instance) determines the premium.

Private Medical Insurance will cover you for a huge range of medical conditions and includes a private consultant to diagnose your condition, take blood tests, x-rays; and MRIs that all may lead to having hospital treatment in a private room.

How do insurers manage chronic conditions?

Most insurers would cover an in-patient stay for a ‘flare-up’ of a chronic condition. You would be treated quickly to bring you back to a stable condition. The treatment and monitoring of the flare-up would then stop. In the case of asthma, a serious flare-up requiring hospital treatment would be dealt with by the NHS as an emergency. Chronic conditions and the covering of flare-ups privately would depend on the scenario and the insurer’s agreement.

What about cancer treatments?

Cancer and heart conditions normally fall outside of this rule and you will be treated for as long as it takes by the insurers.

• In-Patient Cover – Staying in a private hospital overnight. As a rule, this is always paid in full.
• Day-Patient Cover – Staying in a hospital bed for the day – Again; paid in full.
• MRI, CT, & PET Scans – Paid in full as standard.
• Out-Patient Cover – Seeing a consultant to diagnose a condition involving blood tests, x-rays, and physiotherapy – This can be paid in full or a limit set e.g. £1,000 per member per year.
• Mental Health Cover – A benefit you can include or exclude. A private medical health insurance policy can provide fast access to a mental health expert rather than waiting years on the NHS.
• Cancer Cover – Two levels can be chosen from most insurers.

We can ensure you’re not underinsured.

The last thing you need is to be informed that you’re not covered for something you thought you were, such as an operation, MRI scan or cancer drug.

Many individuals and companies source their own quotes, then find that an element of cover that’s essential to them is missing, such as mental health, or an inadequate out-patient limit. Each year they renew with the same insurer without fully understanding their policies to properly carry out a market review of their situation. Premiums increase year after year until eventually policies are cancelled, through frustration over increasing costs with no value for money.

We undertake the provision of medical insurance seriously and will:

• Take time to understand your situation and what would benefit you most
• Give honest feedback about your current policy
• Gather quotes from a variety of insurers
• Compare results
• Negotiate costs with insurers on your behalf
• Finalise information and offer recommendations
• Manage any changes required
• Provide ongoing assistance for your scheme
• Monitor performance of your scheme
• Be in a position to recommend the best options at time of renewal

Please contact us for a quote. It’s free! We will obtain quotes from the market, provide easy-to-understand advice and negotiate with the insurers on your behalf.