Applying for private medical insurance is sometimes neglected in the UK, due to our usual reliance on the NHS for medical care – although with increasing cuts and waiting times causing slower and difficult to access medical care, it may be worth looking into applying for private medical insurance.
Private health care can provide faster and potentially improved quality of care, which are the two current challenges confronting the frequently overworked and understaffed NHS clinics and hospitals.
Before we start unraveling the benefits of private medical insurance, it is important for you to decide whether it would be right for you. Consider private medical insurance if:
- Your employee benefits package does not provide you with access to medical insurance
- You do not have the savings to pay for individual, separate treatments.
- You would like access to faster medical care.
The Benefits of Private Health Insurance
According to Money Advice Service, UK, the benefits of private health insurance are abundant when it comes to the differences in the medical care and overall service you receive:
- Privacy. If you are someone who enjoys their privacy, the inclusion of a private room instead of the open plan setting of the hospital may be a much sought after change.
- Receive scans on time. Delays in receiving scans through the NHS are to be expected; however, if you are denied a scan or it is delayed, you can use your private medical insurance to retrieve it immediately.
- Your choice. At the heart of private medical care is you and prioritising your medical needs; subsequently, you can implement your private insurance to cut down the time you spend waiting for NHS treatment.
- Access to specialist treatments. Occasionally, specialist drugs are not available on the NHS, due to being too costly or they have not been approved by the UK’s medical regulations’ organisations for example, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in England and Wales (NICE) or the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC).
- You pick the surgeon. Private health insurance make you the official boss of your health and we mean that literally, as certain perks means you can choose a surgeon and hospital that accommodates your available timeframes and location.
- Second opinions matter. Specialist referrals, which are not available through the NHS, enable you to be referred to a medical expert or private specialist for a second opinion or specialist treatment.
- Finally, private medical insurance grants you faster access to physiotherapy sessions, than going through the NHS.
As waiting lines at NHS hospitals and treatment access becomes slower, looking into private medical insurance is always something to consider. For more information, visit MoneyAdviceService.com
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