1. Home
  2. UK Finance Discussions
  3. Private Health Care

Private Health Care

Hi,

What are peoples thoughts on the best private health care packages around at the moment. I want to organise private health care cover for myself and my wife, but I want a package that allows true private health cover - i.e, not just a payment when you have to go into an NHS hospital, but something that allows treatment in a private clinic or hospital and without having to wait. And of course, I dont want to pay the earth for it.

Does anybody have experience of this, company recomendations or web sites that compare packages?

Many thanks

Reply to
JaffaB
Loading thread data ...

There are AFAIK basically only 2 major providers of PHI, namely Bupa and PPP, so your options are a bit limited; you just have to get a quote and pick the cheapest or get a job where this cover is part of the deal.

An alternative is something along the lines of HSA, i.e. a healthcare cashplan scheme, which I think you were referring to in your post. Some of these *do* allow you to get treated privately; they pay you a percentage of the cost related to the premiums you paid. So it is not just a benefit paid when you have to use the NHS. I wasn't clear if that was what you were saying.

HSA is the best known such provider, but is not the best value. This article tells you more:-

formatting link
Bear in mind that all PH packages (that I've ever come across) require a referral from your GP in the first instance, so you can't get a completely private package through a scheme. You would have to pay for a private GP yourself if you wanted that.

Reply to
John Redman

There's an article in today's Daily Telegraph "Your Money" section on the subject. Probably available on-line.

See

formatting link
$4&sSheet=/money/2005/08/27/ixperson.html for the article.

Reply to
Terry Harper

BeanSmart website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.