
Self-pay health care
Self-pay health care can be costly, even if it might help you avoid waiting lists – that’s why there’s health insurance.
Family health insurance safeguards the health of you and your children should you become ill and need treatment
Family health insurance provides protection for the whole family and means you can bypass lengthy NHS waiting times, allowing you to receive treatment promptly.
Not only will you be able to get appointments more quickly than you would with the NHS, you may be able to choose where you are treated and who treats you, as well as having access to a greater range of treatment types or drugs.
You may also be offered a private room, allowing you and your family some privacy.
Private medical insurance differs between providers and you can choose different levels of cover. However, you will usually pay a monthly or annual premium and the policy will then pay out, up to specified cover limits, for any treatment you or your family might need.
Basic levels of family health insurance generally include inpatient treatment, where you stay in a hospital bed for the day or overnight, and some outpatient treatment, where you receive treatment or see a consultant, but do not need a hospital bed. The amount you can claim for outpatient treatment is usually capped.
Comprehensive policies are more expensive, but are likely to offer cover for a greater range of conditions and treatments and may also provide cover for mental health conditions. Caps for outpatient treatment will also be higher.
In addition, your policy may include hospital accommodation for a parent when a child has to stay overnight, as well as a private ambulance, home nursing, dedicated medical helplines and access to virtual GPs - even when your family is abroad.
In some cases you may also be offered discounted gym membership, but it’s best not to be too swayed by these perks. Make sure the policy you choose offers the cover you need.
Alternatively, you could consider a family health cash plan. Cash plans contribute towards your family’s routine healthcare costs and will pay out a cash lump sum for costs such as family visits to the dentist or optician. Because these plans are more limited than family health insurance plans, they are cheaper.
If you’re looking to take out family health insurance but you’re worried about how much it will cost, there are a number of steps you can take to keep the price down:
Self-pay health care can be costly, even if it might help you avoid waiting lists – that’s why there’s health insurance.
Health care cash plans are a great way to top up the services offered by the NHS, assisting with costs towards treatments that would otherwise not be covered.