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Private medical insurance
Private medical insurance provides a wealth of benefits for you and your family, in addition to those that you receive on the NHS. Some of these benefits are
Choice of where you are treated: You can choose where you wish to be treated based either on their performance figures or their proximity to you.
Faster access to specialists: Instead of a frustrating wait for an NHS specialist, you'll get access to a private consultant promptly (terms normally apply).
Prompt treatment: With a private healthcare provider, you can access prompt treatment without worrying about paying out a big lump sum. Medical expertise and technology is advancing all the time - but so are the costs. Even minor operations and procedures could cost you several thousands of pounds. By taking out cover with a private healthcare provider, you can avoid unexpected costs at a time when you need them least.
High standards of accommodation: Private healthcare providers live and die by the standard of care and accommodation patients receive when they are in a private facility. Private hospitals adhere to strict standards of cleanliness and in the majority of cases, patients also benefit from individual rooms.
Access to drugs: If your specialist recommends a specific licensed drug as part of your treatment, then through private healthcare you will have access to this, not always the case with the NHS.
There is also a range of further options that you may include for an increased premium
Option one – Standard Out Patient Cover
This option meets the costs of outpatient specialist consultations diagnostic tests on specialist referral and clinical practitioner charges up to a maximum of £1000 a year.
Option two – Comprehensive Out Patient Cover
This option meets the costs of outpatient specialist consultations diagnostic tests on specialist referral and clinical practitioner charges on a full refund basis.
Option three – Therapies
This option provides benefit for complementary practitioner charges and physiotherapist charges. These two benefits have a combined overall annual limit of £1000. Within the above limit, benefit is available for up to 10 sessions of treatment a year for GP referred physiotherapy and/or complementary practitioner treatment. Any further physiotherapy and/or complementary practitioner treatment must be under the control of the specialist.
Option four – Psychiatric
This option provides cover for eligible in-patient and day-patient psychiatric treatment on a full refund basis at a private hospital or day-patient unit listed in the Directory of Hospitals. In addition, this option will provide cover for eligible outpatient psychiatric specialist consultations and clinical practitioners' charges for psychiatric treatment.
Option five – Ancillary benefits
This provides cover for the other costs associated with healthcare insurance including hospital at home, NHS cash benefit, a specific list of pregnancy complications, oral surgery and chiropody. Reference must be made to the Personal Choice Member Handbook for a full list of the benefits that are available under this option and the terms and conditions applicable.
Option six – Dental & Optical
This option provides cover for (a) 80% of the costs of eligible dental care up to a maximum of £150 each year and (b) 80% of the cost up to a maximum of £250 every two years for prescribed spectacles and contact lenses needed to correct vision. This option also provides £15 of cover towards the cost of eye tests in each policy year.
Option seven – Travel
This option provides you and your family members with cover towards the cost of emergency medical treatment abroad. The travel option has the major benefits of other travel insurance policies such as medical costs, additional expenses and delayed departure. Reference must be made to the Travel Membership Handbook which details the full terms and conditions applicable to this option.
Option eight – Cancer Upgrade
Option 2 of the policy includes cover for the out-patient investigation and treatment of cancer which arises after the start of the policy. This includes radiotherapy or chemotherapy, alone or in combination. In addition to the traditional cancer treatment covered by the plan, members will also have up to 12 months cover, subject to the policy terms and conditions, for licensed chemotherapy drug treatments (such as Herceptin and Avastin) which may be needed for a prolonged period of time.
