Imagine being cared for in a ward surrounded by solely gay patients. Staffed by gay Receptionists, Porters, Nurses, Doctors and Surgeons, taking care of your every need whilst you are left to concentrate on regaining health and fitness. In an ideal world this would be a lovely thought but, sadly, it is unlikely to happen.
The nearest situation you are likely to find yourself in would be a private room, in a private hospital, with a gay nurse as a bonus. At least your loved ones would be able to visit with complete privacy.
This level of care is generally seen as a luxury with costs running into thousands of pounds. Current example costs for treatment are listed below:
£150-£1250 Wisdom Tooth
£5000-£7800 Hip Replacement
£9500-£12500 Heart Bypass
£1000-£1500 Hernia Treatment
£1800-£2400 Cataract removal
These costs do fall within some peoples budget, especially if they are cash rich and have large amounts of capital. This form of protection is called self-insurance and can be a more attractive option than hospital waiting lists. Some private insurance providers will even allow you to pay to use their facilities without you being a member of their scheme.
If you do not have ready capital when in need of treatment, you could always borrow the money and pay it off later. This would be a strategy of last resort and could prove troublesome, especially if you needed further care before the liability was paid off.
There are a growing number of companies offering varying levels of cover. These can normally be tailored to your individual needs and pocket. Before you buy insurance you should research exactly what an individual plan covers.
Most plans will have a common list of treatments that they cover.
Hospital charges (In and Out patient)
Specialist fees (In and Out patient)
Diagnostic Tests (In and Out patient)
Radiotherapy (In and Out patient)
Chemotherapy (In and Out patient)
Psychiatric Treatment (Out patient)
Physician's fees
Anaesthetist's fees
Drugs and dressings
Theatre charges
Surgeon's fees
X-rays and scans
Nursing care
Personal meals
Psychiatric Treatment (In patient)
Diseases, illnesses or injuries, which are pre-existing before taking the plan
Incurable long-term illnesses, such as diabetes or allergies
Pregnancy & Childbirth
Cosmetic surgery
Routine health check
Dental treatment
Private G P services
Aids/HIV
Restricted policies will offer you all the same healthcare treatment, but restricting the choice of hospitals. This is designed to keep costs to a minimum to the policyholder. These policy types are unlikely to cover private consultations and this would normally be done through your own GP.
Some plans act as a hospital cash plan. This means that they may offer you the choice of having private treatment or taking cash if the NHS can perform the procedure quickly. This leaves you in control by giving you the choice right until treatment is needed.
Fully comprehensive cover will generally offer extensive protection - from the first time your GP refers you to a consultant, right the way through to hospital and after-care treatment. This type of cover will offer a comprehensive list of hospitals and may offer a choice of varying standards. Normally the healthcare is the same, but the environments will be different.
There are a number of ways you could reduce your premiums. You should consider paying by monthly direct debit as some schemes offer a 5% discount on premiums. You could install a policy excess ranging from £50-£1000. This would allow you to reduce costs and have peace of mind. Some schemes will allow you to defer benefits for 6 weeks. This means you would only claim treatment if the NHS could not perform the procedure within this time scale.
If in doubt about the quality of cover and the type of cover you should be applying for then seek advice. If you're paying for private cover then ensure it is going to do the job it is designed for.
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