Product Focus: Freedom Healthnet

Health Insurance News UK provides you with up to date health insurance news including information on the cheapest health insurance available. Today we will be focusing on Freedom Healthnet (who consistently come up on searches as cheap medical insurance providers) and looking at their best medical insurance policy, Diamond Plus Comprehensive Medical Insurance.

The most interesting aspect off all Freedom's medical insurance policies is that they offer you cash and instead of paying for inpatient treatments themselves, you arrange to pay for your own treatment. With this cash you have more freedom to choose:

Choose exactly where you have treatment (this could include overseas),
Choose who performs the procedures
Choose to be treated by alternative therapists
Choose to stay with the NHS and keep the cash
Choose a time of your convenience
Choose to barter over the cost of your treatment

The Diamond Plus Comprehensive Medical Insurance is Freedom's top product.

In-Patient Annual Benefit
There is no annual benefit limit with this policy. So no matter how often you need to be seen, you will be covered. The policy covers you for:

-hospital charges, nursing fees, medical expenses, ancillary charges and prescribed drugs and medicines
-CT scans, tests, X-rays and MRIs
-Oncology tests, drugs, consultants fees
-Pregnancy complications (after 11 months of cover)
-Physiotherapy

The cover also includes the use of a private ambulance should it be needed and parent accommodation for an insured dependent child until the age of 14. This is particularly important if you wish to travel to a better hospital which may not be near your home.

Out-Patient Cover
The same applies to out-patient cover: there is no annual limit. Outpatient treatments are normally settled directly to the hospital by Freedom. Things covered are:

-Specialist consultations and treatment fees
-X-rays, diagnostic tests and proceedures, pathology
-Radio and chemotherapy, CT scans, MRI
-Up to £500 of physiotherapy treatment

The Diamond Plus policy can be upgraded with a choice of three add-on options:

Choice 1: Alternative Therapies
-GP referrals to - physiotherapists (an additional £500 on top of your outpatient physiotherapy cover), osteopath, Chiropractor, Acupuncturist, Homeopath, Chiropodist/Podiatrist
-Your level of cover is £1,000 per policy year with up to a maximum of 6 referals from your GP

Choice 2: Psychiatric Care
-Full In-patient cover up to a maximum of £10,000 a year
-Outpatient cover £1,500 each policy year with an excess of £100 per claim

Choice 3: Rehabilitation Benefits
-Home Nursing - full cover for 28 days
-Recuperative Care - Up to £1,000 per claim
-Specialist second opinions - 1 per claim

There is a compulsory £100 excess per person per claim although you can increase your excess in order to reduce your monthly premiums.

Exclusions to the Policy
-Dental Treatment
-Accident and Emergeny
-Pregnancy and infertility
-Treatment for chronic conditions
-GP consultations
-Drug, solvent and alcohol abuse
-HIV/AIDS
-Cosmetic surgery

Examples of Costs
32 year old non-smoking man or woman - £33.52
42 year old non-smoking man or woman - £45.83
52 year old non-smoking man or woman - £63.70

These costs were taken from comparison site moneysupermarket.com and do not include the add-on options. They were the cheapest medical insurance policy prices when compared to others on the site.