The Minster Practice, Lichfield
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| Private Medical InsuranceIt is probably more important to shop around for medical insurance than any other. If you get it wrong you may not have the cover you need when you need it and if you have developed a medical condition it may be difficult to switch insurers without accepting that the condition is specifically excluded. We cannot advise you about medical insurance either before or after taking out the policy. If you seek private treatment it is your responsibility to ensure that you have the means to pay the resulting bill. If you intend relying on insurance payouts then check all the details carefully before asking for private referral and treatment. We accept no responsibility for any costs you incur by going privately. There are specialist insurance brokers* that can take you through the many types of policy available (over 30 insurers; each with several policies). To keep cost down the majority exclude long term chronic conditions essentially covering "curable" illnesses. Accident and emergency treatments are usually beyond the scope of a private hospital though you can arrange transfer to a private facility once you are stable. Check that your policy will cover the cost of the private ambulance you will require. NHS ambulances do not cover private hospitals. Coverage will vary. Check the amount you have to pay towards your care, the limits of the policy payout and whether any prior permission is required before you receive advice or treatment. Some conditions may be specifically excluded from your cover** or you may have to wait a set amount of time before any procedure can be carried out. There may be restrictions on the hospitals you can use and if your chosen hospital is covered your chosen consultant may not be acceptable to your insurers. We only know the reputation of local consultants so we cannot assist you in your choice of out of area specialists. Starting medical insurance at a late age is often very expensive. Some insurers have an upper age limit (usually 74); a few insurers do not link premiums to age and take clients up to age 79. Self pay either alone or by topping up an insurance payment has increased markedly over the last 4 years. The most frequent self pay procedures are hip replacement, cataract extraction and knee replacement. All 3 procedures revolutionise one's lifestyle to the extent that virtually everyone believes the payment to be good value. For information on BUPA self pay scheme at Little Aston contact BUPA on 0845 600 8822. The private wing at Queen's Hospital Burton is usually cheaper than Little Aston; ring 01283 566333 for further information.
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The Association of British Insurers has a free guide to buying Private Medical
Insurance. 020 7600 3333
The cost of private operations varies around the country and
even across a region. The Health Care Navigator has been set up to give access
to a database of prices to help choose the best value private hospital or
private NHS wing. The subscription is £60 per household per year (2002). Ring
0870 727 0140. Some examples of price ranges are:
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Send mail to webmaster @minster.org.uk with questions or comments about our website. N.B. Website is for practice patients ONLY.
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