Private health excess

This from BUPA. I assume similar companies have similar rules:

On our policies you’ll need to pay your excess (if applicable) on your first eligible claim of each membership year. You’ll only need to pay the total amount of your excess once per policy year, even if you make more than one claim for a condition.

However, if your treatment starts in one policy year and continues into the next, it could apply twice to a single course of treatment.

www.bupa.co.uk/health/health-insurance/understanding-health-insurance/health-insurance-excess

They are price gougers ,these private health companies. All of them. They are in it for profit well and truly. One of the worse is BUPA which has set up over here and I wouldn’t touch them with a 10 foot pole.

TinSoldier

This from BUPA. I assume similar companies have similar rules:

On our policies you’ll need to pay your excess (if applicable) on your first eligible claim of each membership year. You’ll only need to pay the total amount of your excess once per policy year, even if you make more than one claim for a condition.

However, if your treatment starts in one policy year and continues into the next, it could apply twice to a single course of treatment.

www.bupa.co.uk/health/health-insurance/understanding-health-insurance/health-insurance-excess

Thanks for that. The word ‘ could’ is interesting. She’s certainly not going to let this drop!

It’s always worth querying. Technically, I think the insurers could argue that the appointment was scheduled with all the possible attending costs of that. Had the wound not healed, she would have needed more attention. Always bear in mind that it’s time and space that is being charged.

If a doctor schedules a 30 minute consultation but is able to make a quicker diagnosis or carry out treatment in less time, a patient would still be charged for the 30 minutes. It is not just the doctotr's time. There are also costs for attending nurses, reception and secretarial staff and clinic space.

It would have been helpful if the insurers had pointed out that for (what I assume was) a relatively minor treatment and if no treatment(s) for other conditions are scheduled soon, then it’s economically advantageous to schedule the entire course of treatment in one cover year.

They may not argue over £100 but the insurers do have the upper hand. They can argue that for elective care, people should simply read the small print of their plans.

The upside is, if she needs any other treatment in the same year she has already paid the excess.

If they don’t agree to a refund , she can threaten to take her business elsewhere but then she may come up against pre-existing condition exclusions for a recurring medical issue which it sounds like it is.

I would have thought that this follow up appointment was part of the 'package' and not a new claim. Query it. They tried to charge DD extra after her hip replacement but the surgeon told her to ignore it. They didn't resubmit the invoice.

When our health insurance doubled on our 70th birthdays. we worked out that over 10 years, we had paid them nearly £25,000 in premiums and made £6,000 of claims.

So we cancelled it and opened a savings account with our bank. We call it the 'health fund' and we did not change our monthly payment, which means we have paid nearly £25,000 in to it, and by chance have spent around £6,000.

The difference is that the remaining £19,000 is still ours and forms part of our savings.

If you can afford health insurance. I recommend it as an alternative way of funding your private health needs.

M0nica I plan to do that too.