Why you might need a private health insurance

Private health insurance can provide peace of mind and offer individuals more control over how and when they get treated, for example enabling you to:

• Avoid NHS waiting lists
• Cover the whole family
• Have a choice about where you get treated

As people get older staying healthy becomes more important for yourself and your family, with the increased risks of heart disease or the possibility of needing a hip replacement. For those who can afford it health insurance makes a lot of sense, including being able to use it to cover disability or long-term nursing or custodial care needs.

It's not just the over 40's who can benefit from having health insurance, being young doesn't exclude you, and can provide cover in terms of having physio for sports injuries or wisdom teeth removed!

Private health insurance can provide cover in the event you or a member of your family is diagnosed with breast, bowel or another type of cancer or need a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. The Office for National Statistics' research shows that an estimated one in three people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime.

Life expectancy in the UK is also increasing, with more elderly people alive today than ever before. Cancer Research

UK's own statistics show that if current cancer incidence rates remain the same, by 2025 there will be an additional 100,000 cases of cancer diagnosed each year as a result of the ageing population.

So, if a health issue arises, private health insurance can provide speedy access to a consultant for necessary tests, biopsies or the scans you require for a quick diagnosis. Also, the treatment you may need could be extensive including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and related diagnostic tests. Drugs can be extremely expensive too, for example one cancer drug currently in use can cost around £10,000 each year per patient.

Becoming seriously ill unexpectedly can put you and your family in a vulnerable situation especially if you require treatments that might put you on a long waiting list with the NHS. Having private medical insurance means you have access to specialist services and hospitals, for example, some private health insurers offer the option of having chemotherapy administered at home.

If you decide private health insurance is for you and you are able to support the additional costs then it pays to do as much research as possible to avoid paying more than you need to and to ensure you get the best and most appropriate insurance cover for your needs.

Download the Health Insurance PDF Guide here - see our other free PDF guides here

Guide Contents

What is health insurance?
Why you might need private health insurance
What are the different types of health insurance plans?
Shopping around for your health insurance cover
Health Care Insurance, How to Apply
Health Insurance FAQs - Questions and Information
UK Health Insurance, where can I go to get more help?

main menu << previous page   next page >>