How the NHS Benefits from Private Health Insurance

One of the major benefits of having private medical insurance is that it helps the cost management for the NHS but this is not always the case. We explore what is happening in the health service.

Normally if you go to your GP and need hospital treatment you’ll always mention that you have national health insurance from a private medical provider so that you get the best treatment and get seen fast by the consultant and hospital of your choice.

But recent news suggests this is not always the case because many people don’t actually mention that they have private health insurance to their GP and thus don’t get the benefits and it of course costs the NHS more because they are funding the tests and any operations themselves.

Additionally some people are willing to pay for one off private treatments if they don’t have private cover and this is always an option but if GPs don’t know this then the NHS path is taken. So what can be done.

Well of course the onus is generally on the patient to tell their GP up front but some people may be embarrassed to mention they have private cover depending on where they are in the UK or if they have a company policy they may not realise they need to inform the surgery of these facts. Additionally GPs should also be proactive and ask their patients if they have individual, family or a company scheme that can help them receive better and faster care.

Because of this the NHS costs are higher than would be expected because they are still treating private patients and with all the investment made by the government in the NHS over the past 10 years many of the services they provide are actually on  a par with private treatment.

As a patient it’s up to you which path you take but if you want to be seen by the top consultant and want to be seen at a hospital of your choice your should inform your GP that you have a private policy.

Almost all private health care organisations together with your GP will handle all the administration and paperwork for you so you may not actually need to do anything else. Sometimes you’ll need to telephone your insurance company to get the go ahead and a reference number but all in all the process is very efficient these days.

Of course at the same time by choosing to use your own health care insurance you’ll be freeing up essential NHS resources which can be used for people who don’t have private care and have to rely on state care. So if you have visited your doctor and he or she recommends you need to see a consultant for tests or indeed need an operation of some kind please do mention that you have a personal or company health care plan so it can be registered to keep the costs out of the NHS but also means that you get the treatment you are paying for in your monthly subscriptions to your insurance provider.