Conservative Promises

The current political climate means that all parties are talking about what they want to do with the NHS.

If the conservatives win the election they have promised to allow any healthcare provider that meets NHS standards to provide NHS care. Currently NHS patients are sometimes treated in private health establishments but under a conservative parliament more NHS patients will be treated in the same places as health insurance customers. This raises questions about whether there needs to be a different kind of provision for medical insurance patients.

Ramsay Health Care, the private hospital operator has already implemented changes. NHS patients only receive an 'Essential Care' package whereas their 'Premium Care' package for private clients includes more luxurious treatment including a choice of consultant, ability to choice an appointment day and time as well as better hotel services such as newspapers and an a la carte menu. According to Ramsay Health Care, the Premier package is there to:

'Ensure that private patients continue to see a clear, fair and distinct benefit from their investment.'

It is unclear whether private patients will be happy to be treated in the same place as NHS patients. So far the answer is 'no'. Additionally it is likely that people will be more reluctant to take out health insurance if they know they can be treated well and more promptly in private hospitals via the NHS, particularly as the conservatives want to give people more choice as to where they are treated. This will impact on medical insurance providers who in turn will put pressure on health establishments to create a more differentiated health care offering.

The likelihood is that more and more private hospitals will begin to differentiate between luxurious private treatment and standard NHS care. It is also likely that more private hospitals that are only designated to treat NHS patients will open up, leaving traditional private hospitals to cater for health insurance patients and privately paying individuals.

The conservatives have also promised to give people access to a GP seven days a week between the hours of 8am and 8pm. They have also pledged to increase single rooms in hospitals although they have retreated on their original promise of 45,000 new rooms.

Health Cover Survey

According to Deloitte's 2010 Survey of Health Care Consumers only a quarter of respondents said they felt they had enough health cover: four out of five said they were only 'adequately insured.'

The Deloitte survey looked at 1,000 British adults in order to find out consumer attitudes about both private and NHS medical treatment. Over a third of respondents said that they had cash plan cover but despite people's dissatisfaction with the amount of cover they had only 2% had switched private health insurance plans. 58% of those who had changed plan did so to get better value for money.

One of the biggest complaints about medical insurance was the fact that 'experimental' treatments were not covered. Experimental treatments refer to those that do not yet have enough data behind them to certify them as conclusively effective. PruHealth, for example, do cover experimental treatments as part of their plans. This is unusual however. 69% of respondents said that they would be prepared to try experimental treatments.

The findings seem to support the health insurance market's move towards illness prevention. Over half of respondents said they had a 'strong interest' in taking part in wellness programmes and 49% said they would take part in healthy living programmes if they could get reduced private medical insurance.

NHS
The NHS didn't fair too badly in the Deloitte survey. 67% of respondents said that they were 'happy' with the NHS. 50% said that it was 'average', a fifth said that it was 'failing' but only 2% said that it was excellent. The most dissatisfaction concerned waiting times which 46% of respondents felt was 'poor' and the amount of accessible information about doctor's performance where 42% felt that it was poor.

Questions to Ask: Cancer Health Insurance

Choosing health insurance for cancer is not as simple as it may sound. This is because there is a very varied offering when it comes to private medical insurance for cancer. Some companies provide very basic levels of cancer cover whereas others offer very full cancer cover. It is important to ask the right questions in order to get what you want from your health insurance.

Will I be covered for all stages of cancer treatment?
Some cancers can be treated and will never return. Others can return and be treated. When cancer cannot be removed altogether patients can have treatment which keeps their symptoms at bay and prolongs life.

Some policies offer cover for all stages of cancer. Others do not. Often when cancer cannot be removed then the patients condition is considered to be 'chronic' and therefore not covered by many health insurance policies.

Most policies will not cover patients in the final stages of cancer, during palliative care.

Are any treatments excluded?
Some policies exclude some types of treatments. Experimental treatment for example are only covered by some health insurers. Some drugs are not covered by some private health insurance companies. Herceptin, Velcade and Sutent, are examples of drugs that have been the topic of debate in the press.

At what point do benefits stop?
Different policies have different levels of cover. The number of treatments given, the total cost of treatment and the length of time the treatment may last are all considerations.

Where will I be treated?
What hospitals and consultants are on the health insurers approved list.

Does the cover include a holistic approach to cancer?
Some companies provide cover that takes into account the general wellbeing of the client. They may offer counselling and complimentary therapies and provide cover for wigs, steroids and anti-sickness drugs.

London NHS Crisis

The effects of the UK borrowing policy are likely to be felt in the NHS. Cuts in public spending have been planned in order to repay the country's debt. There is debate about how the private medical insurance market will be able to help in the event of a crisis.

According to a new report published by the British Medical Association (BMA) hospital services are under threat in of closure in London as the city moves towards a 'major financial and organisational crisis.'

The report claims that patients will really loose out if the proposed cuts go through. The aim is for as many patients as possible to be dealt with at polyclinics. Polyclinics provide outpatient care at a more local area to the patient. It is not known exactly how many hospitals will close as a result moving patients towards this kind of care.

Dr Kevin O'Kane, chairman of the BMA's London regional council , said:

'While we recognise that there are problems with healthcare delivery in London, we are extremely worried that plans to cut services are being kept secret. We are calling for full disclosure of the proposals so that there can be a public debate. This is vital so that Londoners can have their say about local cuts and take a wider view of what is happening to the NHS.

'The truth is that most Londoners have no idea of what is happening to their health service. If people realised that we are heading towards financial meltdown involving cuts in bed numbers and hospitals closing or being down-graded, they would demand the opportunity to make their voices heard about these plans.

'London's doctors want to provide patients with world class healthcare but this is virtually impossible when doctors and patients are being kept in the dark about proposals.'

It remains to be seen how cutbacks are handled and the effect they will have on the NHS. Its possible that the private sector will step in with cost effective solutions.

If the public loose faith in the NHS then health insurance may look like a more attractive proposition. Private health insurance companies are likely to see a rise in applications.

Snowy Danger

With the latest snowy weather creating havoc in many parts of the UK, accidents and injuries are a problem for hospitals and the ambulance services. People who hurt themselves during this weather have to seek emergency treatment but unfortunately this is not covered by private medical insurance.

With the weather set to get worse before it gets better, the NHS are preparing for more victims of the snow and ice. Resources have been stretched to the limit and earlier this week two hospitals, Coventry's University Hospital and the Hospital of St Cross in Rugby, suspended non-urgent operations because of the crisis.

NHS statistics show that over 7,000 people every year are admitted to hospital every year after falling on snow or ice. Between 2008 and 2009, 7,641 people went into hospital after a snow-related accident.

The impact of these figures is felt in the private health sector too with extra referrals to hospitals and consultants.

However private health insurance is not intended to cover accidents and emergencies in the UK. These are always treated by the NHS. Once a patient has been treated and assessed they can then be referred to private treatment under the terms of their health insurance. Moving a patient for private treatment will only be a viable option if the patient is stable enough to do so.

Some patients do decide to stay with the NHS. It can seem easier to go back to the hospital that treated you particularly if you are happy with your treatment and the waiting times offered by the consultant there.

How to Make a Health Insurance Claim

In order to make a health insurance claim it is very important to follow the correct procedure for each company.Doint this helps speed up your claim and avoid misunderstandings.

Having a good knowledge of your policy is probably the first step. Having an awareness of what you are and are not covered for will help you to have the correct expectations of your private medical insurance cover.

Your policy will also have specific details of how to make a claim. Being familiar with your policy claims proceedure is important as there are variations in what health insurance companies need to you to do in order to make a claim. Errors can cause distressing delays and misunderstandings.

The following details are a general guideline only.

The GP is always your first port of call. They are the ones that refer you for a consultation or treatment if they think this is necessary. You need to inform them that you would like to go via your medical insurance.

Normally your insurance company will provide you with a list of approved hospital networks and practitioners with which you will be covered under your policy. Your GP needs to refer you to establishments or individuals that will be accepted by your insurer.

Some companies, for example Bupa, will allow you to go to hospitals which are not on their approved lists but will not cover you completely for treatment there. They will give you an allowance instead. If the hospital you go to charges more then you have to pay for the difference.

The next step is to call your insurance company. They will let you know whether the treatment you need is covered by your policy. They will also advise you as to whether they can approve your chosen practitioner.

The insurance company may also then send you a claim form which you need to fill in and return to them. The next step depends on whether you have a moratorium or fully underwritten policy. If you insurance cover is under a moratorium policy then the insurance company sometimes need check your medical history with your GP to make sure that you are covered for treatment for the condition you are presenting with. This can delay their response.

When you go for your consultation or treatment you need to take your health cover details with you and show them to your consultant. In most cases this enables your health insurance company to be billed and not you.

With some types of health insurance policy you are given money directly by the insurer and then you are responsible for paying for your healthcare directly. This is unusual however and in most cases the medical insurance company pays.

If your consultant sends you for tests or hospital treatment you have to contact your private health insurance company again in order to check that the proposed treatments are covered.

When you go to hospital or for treatment you need to present your health insurance documents so that your bills are sent straight to the insurance company. After you have completed your treatment you will only have to pay for any outstanding personal expenses such as guest meals, telephone calls and newspapers.

If you have had any treatment that is not covered under your policy you will also have to pay for this. Normally your medical insurance company will alert you to the fact that you have an outstanding balance.

If you feel that your health insurance company should pay for something and they are saying that it is not covered, you do have redress. You can appeal to the company to review your claim. If you are still not happy you can complain via their official complaints procedure. If you are still not happy with the outcome you can take if further to the Financial Services Ombudsman.

Worrying Dr Foster Report

As perceptions of the increased quality of NHS medical care improves, the reasons for people opting for private health insurance change. Currently people cite concerns over cleanliness in the NHS as their main reason for choosing private medical insurance. However a recent report highlights that there are great variations in the safety performance of NHS trusts and that patients may be at far greater risk depending on where they live in the country.

The Dr Foster Hospital Guide for 2009 that looked at patient safety said that 27 NHS trusts have a significantly high death rate. 5,024 people with low risk problems died in UK hospitals during 2009.

Roger Taylor, director and co-founder of Dr Foster, an independent organisation said:

'Over the last nine years of the Hospital Guide we have seen a steady improvement in hospital performance but unacceptable variation between hospitals still exists. Dr Foster will continue to publish data in order to provide information to the public, drive improvement in patient care and save lives.

'Hospital trusts should use the Guide to carefully investigate where problems exist, even those who have performed well. Patients and the public should use the Hospital Guide to help make choices about where they want to be treated, to ask the right questions of their health professionals and to hold hospitals to account.'

Dr Foster Guides provide detailed information about NHS hospital treatments and conditions in the UK.

Some other alarming facts from the report are:

• 82 patients were operated on the wrong part of their body
• 1 in 5 trusts do not check patients admitted through A&E for MRSA
• 478 operations were cancelled in 2008/09 because patient notes were missing
• 848 people who died after being admitted with ‘low-risk’ conditions were under the age of 65
• Over 8,000 more operations could have been performed last year if hospitals had treated all hip fractures
  

Bupa Supports Heart Disease Research

Private health insurance company, Bupa are committed to improving health. Their Bupa Foundation is a medical research charity which has been supporting and encouraging health research for 30 years. The recent winners of the Epidemiology Award have found a link between walking speed and the risk of heart disease.

The study, conducted by Dr Mark Hamer of University College London (UCL) and his team, has uncovered a very simple correlation between slow walking speed and an increased risk of heart disease. The implications of this research is that this simple measure could provide a very cost effective and easily implemented, first-stage, diagnostic tool.

Dr Mark Hamer said:

'We knew from previous research that physical fitness and function are key indicators of health for older people. Our challenge was to use this information to develop a simple, non-intrusive test that could identify early signs of heart disease risk – and walking provided the answer. By monitoring the speed at which older people walk just three eight foot journeys, we can now estimate an individual’s risk of heart disease.'

Deputy chair of the Bupa Foundation and medical director at Bupa ,Dr Andrew Vallance-Owen said:

'Cardiovascular disease accounts for nearly 40 percent of all deaths in the UK, so finding an easier way to spot the signs of the disease in older people has the power to save thousands of lives. This is exactly what Dr Hamer and his team have achieved and we are proud to recognise their important work, by awarding them the Bupa Foundation’s 2009 Epidemiology Award.'

The UCL team won the 2009 Epidemiology Award and also received £15,000 from the Bupa Foundation in order to continue with their research.

Heart conditions are covered by most general health insurance policies although there are several companies that do specific medical insurance cover for cancer and heart conditions. These conditions are the most common serious health conditions in the UK.

Such reduced cover policies cover you for the most common conditions whilst at the same time reducing your premiums.

Bupa: Select Heart and Cancer Policy
Axa PPP: Essential Health Cover policy covers cancer, heart and stroke

Medical Insurance Payments Rise

Sometimes people purchase health insurance but are very surprised when the following year their premiums increase by what seems to be a very substantial amount. Why is this and is there anything that you can do about it?

Most health insurance companies have to put up their prices over and above the rate of inflation but believe it or not some of the reasons for this are actually of benefit to their customers.

Western societies are continuously researching and developing new medical treatments, drugs and procedures. The standard of health care is increasing exponentially and so are our expectations. We want the best and rightly so. The downside is the cost.

According to a Price Waterhouse Cooper report health cost inflation for this year will have been 10%.

Other reasons for the rising cost of healthcare include the facts that the population is getting older. The older the population gets the more the cost of health care rises as we work to sustain quality of life. The cost of a hip replacement has increased from £230 in 1989 to £880 in 2009.

Additionally, according to the Association of British Insurers, each year more and more people claim on their private medical insurance policies.

Worryingly 20 and 30 year olds are likely for the first time in history to have poorer health than their parents. Our lifestyles are unhealthy and this increases our health risks. Insurance companies have to increase their charges in order to satisfy the increased needs of their customers.

The World Health Organisation has predicted that by 2020 cancer rates will be up by 50%. This is alarming and will have a serious impact on what private health insurance companies can offer us.

What can you do?
There are several options if you want cheaper health insurance because your premiums are unafordable:

Shop around and find a similar policy with a different company

Talk to your health insurer. Some companies are flexible. They may prefer to make you an offer rather than loose your business.

Reduce your cover. There are various ways in which you can reduce your cover. Health Insurance News UK can provide you with information on this topic.

Aviva's International Solution

Aviva Healthcare has recently launched an international private health insurance scheme: International Solutions follows the same modular and flexible model as their standard UK bases Solutions Healthcare policy.

International Solutions has been developed for citizens who are living abroad who may want the extra security of private health care. It is offered as both an individual and group policy and presents customers with a great deal of flexibility.

Customers can choose from different modules:

Wellness
Dental
Optical
Maternity
Increased outpatient
Compassionate travel

In order to cut costs customers can increase their excess, reduce their outpatient cover and reduce their additional benefits. All this can be done online. Additionally, International Solutions also offer a 24hr medical helpline and 24hr medical care.

Andrew Turner, Head of International, Aviva UK Health, said:

'As a global supplier, Aviva recognises that healthcare provision differs across the world. With budgets tight, both corporate and individual customers need the flexibility to be able to tailor their medical insurance to suit their needs and to complement the healthcare provision in their country of residence.

'Offering one of the widest choices of modules available in the market together with easy to understand, tailored policy documentation, International Solutions enables them to do just that. And, with additional benefits such as the medical information helpline providing topical information on anything from vaccinations to swine flu, we believe that International Solutions offers some of the most comprehensive benefits in the market.'

People who take out international private health insurance can do so for a number of reasons:

• People who travel widely with their jobs can never be sure where they might fall ill. Medical standards vary widely from country to country and some people feel more secure with health insurance.
• Expatriates who do not feel comfortable with the level of healthcare in the country in which they live.
• Some countries do not provide free health care for their citizens and people who live in these countries may not need to take out international health insurance. They might only need a local health cover.

Health Insurance for Diabetics

Some medical insurance companies will not cover diabetic customers or they will impose very high premiums. An alternative is to approach a company which specialises in diabetic health insurance.

DiabeticHealth.co.uk offer a specialised cover which means that diabetic patients can have private health insurance. They will also cover a diabetic's family. Under their policy there is a long list of exclusions, all of which are conditions which can occur as a complication of diabetes:

• Ketoacidosis
• Hypoglycaemia
• Hyperglycaemia
• Cataracts
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Other disorders of the lens of the eye
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Chronic renal failure
• Chronic nephrotic syndrome
• Hypertension
• Neuropathy
• Glycosuria
• Atherosclerosis
• Heart disease
• Stroke

As with all insurance policies, because diabetes is a chronic condition its ongoing treatment is not covered by this policy nor are any complications that arise because of it.

Earlier this year Heath Lambert Insurance Services unveiled a cash plan insurance policy for people with diabetes. The policy was developed with Diabetes UK and is designed to provide cash for the costs involved in dental and optical treatments, diagnostic consultations, therapies, health screening, hospital in-patient stays, recuperation, home help/home nursing and child birth or adoption.

Diabetes UK is the UK's largest organisation which represents and researches to help the diabetic comunity.

Peter Hallett, Diabetes UK Affinity Products Manager, said:
'Our key aim with this new product was to secure a competitively-priced plan which readily accepted that our members are living with diabetes but which also offered them a comprehensive set of benefits.'

Diane Caplehorn of Heath Lambert commented that:
'Whilst there were many providers in the market for health cash plans, only Midlands-based BHSF could produce a plan that delivered all that Diabetes UK were seeking.'

Commenting on their recent success, BHSF Sales & Marketing Director, Brian Hall, said:
'As the public become increasingly educated on health matters, these types of bespoke arrangements will come up again and again.

'We are lucky at BHSF to have the expertise which allows us to price such policies competitively and yet sustainably. Diabetes UK is the latest in a long line of organisations and affinities that have come to rely on our customer service excellence and our pricing expertise; we are delighted to win the business and look forward to providing excellent customer service to Diabetes UK members.'

This new cash plan health insurance policy does not offer cover on any condition which you had two years prior to taking out the policy. This includes diabetes or anything arising as a result of diabetes.

The plan has an individual and a family option and also offers four levels of cover which different levels of cash back depending on the monthly premium that you pay.

The specialist health insurance market is growing which can only be good news for the consumer who will be offered more choice and the option of more tailored and specific products.

Young Ones Feel Older

There is a general importance placed on health prevention and wellbeing in the UK which is also reflected in the health insurance industry. A current survey by health insurer PruHealth however shows that there are differences in how people feel about their wellbeing depending on how old they are.

The survey showed that people between 20-30 feel older than they really are in comparison to over 40's who felt 11.5% younger than their actual age. PruHealth speculate that these differences could be attributed to the fact that younger people seem to lead more unhealthy lifestyles.

Shaun Matisonn, PruHealth CEO, said:

'While it’s wonderful to see that the older we get, the better we feel, the energy levels of those under 40 clearly needs more attention. This age group need to get more exercise – and more sleep – eat healthily and follow more active lifestyles to help boost their energy levels.

Finding time in your 30s to exercise and eat healthily can be especially difficult while you’re juggling a career and looking after a young family, but incorporating small steps in your daily routine, such as getting off the bus a stop early and snacking on fruit rather than crisps, can help make all the difference.'


Pruhealth focus on health and wellbeing as part of their private health insurance scheme. With Vitality they encourage you to increase your wellbeing by taking a variety of pro-active steps. They reward you with lower premiums if you take part in their scheme. Pruhealth insurance is expensive in relation to other cheap health insurance policies but it is comprehensive and their Vitality scheme has proved popular. The scheme is available to individuals as well as those with company health insurance.

Aviva have added a wellbeing element to their policies as well. They reward you with a 15% discount for healthy behaviour as part of their My Health Counts scheme.

Monetary Rewards for Patient Satisfaction

New government plans aim to get patients to vote with their feet. Trusts will be awarded extra money if their patients report a good level on customer satisfaction.

Values are important to an organisation and values are easier to honour when times are good. If you have private health insurance you can be sure that if you become ill you will be treated well in an environment that helps to promote your wellbeing. If you are a private patient you vote with your feet - if you have not received good service then you will not return to that establishment. You don't get this level of choice in the NHS.

Not many people will dispute that the level of medical care that you receive in the NHS is usually on a par with treatment provided via health insurance. On the other hand medical care is only part of the picture. When you are ill there are many things that contribute to your wellbeing and this is what the government are now trying to deal with.

Talking to the Sunday Telegraph, Health Secretary Andy Burnham has proposed that hospitals are given more money if patients report high levels of satisfaction. He said:

'It's about how people are spoken to by staff, the cleanliness of the ward, how easy it is to park the car. So in the past the NHS has been paid for activity and volume, I'm arguing that it should be paid also according to the quality it provides, levels of patient satisfaction.'

Plans are already well under way. A pilot scheme in the north west of England is paying hospitals more if patient surveys hit quality service targets.

Despite these efforts it is difficult to see how the NHS will be able to improve in these aspects of care when hospital budgets are likely to be cut due to the toll of borrowing during this credit crunch.

New AXA Health Insurance Plan

The six week option is one way in which private health insurance companies try to reduce health cover premiums for their clients. As an extension to this type of scheme AXA PPP Healthcare have launched a new product for the business health insurance market: Corporate Health Plan 6.

In 1979 AXA PPP were the first company to introduce the six week option as part of their health insurance offerings. With the six week health insurance option customers commit to using the NHS as long as they can get their treatment within six weeks. If this cannot be guaranteed then they go privately.

The latest product Corporate Health Plan 6 was trialled in August and reportedly will enable companies to reduce their premiums by 15%. With this plan outpatient treatment can be accessed immediately and the six week plan is implemented with any inpatient treatment.

Cost is obviously a concern for every business but never more so than during a recession. Chris Rofe, AXA PPP healthcare head of client relationships said:

‘Businesses are under considerable pressure to contain their costs and Corporate Health Plan 6 is a valuable new cost-saving option for employers.

'It's also an attractive option for companies who want to consider different levels of cover for their workforce or as part of a flexible benefits package.'

Flexibility is something that is very much in focus at the moment in the health insurance industry. It helps the consumer because it gives us more options including being able to reduce costs.

Alcohol and Health Insurance

Drinking alcohol, even in small quantities, according to some, can have an adverse affect on your health. In fact over-drinking is a big problem in the UK. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have come out this week in support of a minimum price per unit for alcohol to act as a deterrent to over-consumption. For health insurance companies alcohol consumption is one factor which they take into account when working out your medical insurance premiums.

There is currently a great focus on sensible drinking from all sources and many (not the government however) do agree that hitting drinker's wallets is one way to reduce the levels of drinking. The NICE proposals were welcomed by Professor Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians:

'I'm delighted that Nice has looked at the evidence and come to this conclusion. Despite the prime minister having ruled out minimum unit pricing, Nice's draft guidance will put this firmly back on the political agenda.

'Research shows that this does not disadvantage the majority who drink responsibly, despite the prime minister saying that it does, but instead targets those who are drinking at levels damaging to their health.'

Modern health insurance companies focus on prevention. They encourage a healthy lifestyle and one of the factors they focus on is moderate drinking. Some companies, namely PruHealth and Aviva reward healthy lifestyles with reductions in premiums.

With the effects of alcohol becoming a major health problem in the UK its financial effects are being felt in the health insurance industry. Private medical insurance companies are beginning to increase premiums for those who drink a higher than average number of alcohol units a week.

Kevin Carr, head of protection strategy at LifeSearch, said that increasing premiums in relation to alcohol consumption could lead to higher cases on non-disclosure (people not being honest in their application forms). He said:

'Alcohol consumption is very difficult to measure – it is not like smoking where you either do or you don’t. If people put down an honest consumption of, say, 30 units a week and then get quoted higher premiums, it could encourage people to lie about their alcohol intake.'

Despite this it is thought that in the future more companies will penalise those who drink more. According to Health Insurance magazine, Paul Keeble, from Standard Life, said that it is possible that someone who drinks more than 30 units a week will be asked by their insurer to supply a report from their doctor.

Private health insurance companies are also very clear in the policies when it comes to dealing with health problems that are related to alcohol abuse. In a nutshell they do not provide cover in these circumstances and it will always be included in the policy exclusion list. Aviva for example word it thus in their list of exclusions under What is Not Covered:

• Alcoholism, alcohol abuse, solvent abuse, drug abuse and other addictive conditions.

Unless there are significant changes in drinking behaviour in the UK then all health insurance companies will need to focus on how they will tackle the issue of alcohol consumption and most likely they will have to increase premiums for those who drink above the recommended limits in order to cover the increased costs of health care that they will need.

Bupa Wins Award for Hotel Services

One of the things that people appreciate about private health insurance is the high standard of catering that is provided by most private hospitals. Bupa's Cromwell Hospital has won Hotel Services Award at the 2009 Independent Healthcare Awards for its provision of excellent services.

For many people part of the experience of good health care is having a pleasant environment in which to recover. A home from home, or, even better, a five star hotel atmosphere where you are made to feel like a welcome guest whose needs are not trouble at all.

Michele Lahey, Chief Executive of Bupa Cromwell Hospital:

'Frequent surveys are a very effective way of finding out how patients, visitors and staff rate the hospital’s hotel services and enable us to redress any concerns quickly and efficiently. For example, our chefs make regular ward visits, talking to both patients and nurses to gain an insight into their needs. Hospital managers also conduct regular ‘walkabouts’, scoring individual areas for cleanliness and hygiene.

In addition, the comprehensive staff training and development programme and excellent team communication help attract and retain staff and deliver first-rate services for patients.'

Richard Hennelly, Hotel Services manager at Bupa Cromwell Hospital, said:

'Both the patient and staff experience at Bupa Cromwell Hospital is absolutely key to us, and winning this award underlines how important it is to listen to what people want and provide them with a service which exceeds their expectations.'

The 2009 Independent Healthcare Awards run by leading healthcare analysts Laing & Buisson and were held on 22 September 2009 at the London Hilton Park Lane Hotel. According to the organisers:

'This event exists to highlight the range of achievement within the independent health and care sector, and to pay tribute to those individuals and teams that have demonstrated excellence in their particular fields.'

Bupa are the leading provider of health insurance in the UK and the Cromwell Hospital is one of its flagships which is set in London's Chelsea area. The hospital was opened in 1981 and its main areas of speciality are in oncology, neurosciences, paediatrics and surgery.

Speedier Cancer Diagnosis

Traditionally private health insurance has promoted the speedy return of test results when people enter the private health care system. The NHS, who have been returning results faster than ever before, have new directives from the government to give those suspected of suffering from cancer even quicker turnarounds. With the health insurance sector struggling to provide comprehensive health insurance for cancer for their customers this will come as a welcome initiative.

Faster results means faster diagnosis and faster treatment which at most could save lives and at minimum will prevent anxiety as people have to wait less time to hear. The government aim to reduce waiting times from two weeks to then to one and this is seen as a great breakthrough as the UK survival rates for cancer are not very good when compared to other EU countries. Slow diagnosis is considered to be the main reason for this.

Professor Steve Field, professor of the Royal College of GPs (RCGP), said:

'We are delighted to hear of the proposal to provide GPs with better access to diagnostics - it echoes what the RCGP has been calling for a long time and is a major boost for patients and for GPs who work hard to provide the very best possible care for our patients.

'Giving GPs easier access is a superb idea. Even if the results of the tests are normal, it will be of great benefit and reassure patients. It will also help us to pick up on very early symptoms so that we can stop the development of cancers and other serious diseases and save more lives.'

As reported by Health Insurance News UK, providing comprehensive medical insurance for cancer is something that the private health insurance market has been struggling with. Most companies do not provide comprehensive medical insurance for cancer as it is simply too expensive . In order to cover their risks providers have to charge large premiums. As the NHS improves its cancer diagnosis, treatment and care the medical insurance sector will no doubt breathe a sigh of relief.

US & UK Health Insurance

There are many differences in the provision between the US and the UK. One of the main differences is the balance of provision between private and state-funded health care. The US is now looking around the world to find ways in which to improve the access of its poorest people to health care.

Even though the United States spends more per capita on health care than any other country there are many complaints that the poorest people are not receiving adequate care. Funds for private health insurance are provided by the Government, employers and private medical insurance but for country relies totally on private health insurance 15% of the population do not have it.

In the UK only 12% of people have private health insurance and the NHS treats all its citizens free at the point of care.

The main practical differences between the two countries are that people complain of non-existent or bad provision for those with very low income in the US whereas in the UK all people have equal access to excellent services.

Critics of the proposed Obama healthcare reforms have slammed the NHS, saying that it is no better than the US system but in America some sections of society do not go to the doctor if they are ill as they will not be able to pay for expensive medical bills and this is never an issue in the UK.

The second difference is that there is a lot less private medical insurance here in the UK. There are always fluctuations in the market depending on the state of the economy and the public perception of the NHS.

Recent changes mean that in the UK private and NHS medical provision are blending in a way that was not previously the case. The NHS uses private services and hospitals for some of its workload because they find it more cost effective and people who have NHS treatment are able to 'top-up' with private healthcare under some circumstances.

Some people are opposed to this merging of services and fear that we are moving towards the US model which discriminates against its more vulnerable citizens.

In the meantime the US looks for a better model. The Obama critics look to the UK and warn that we have a poor system of healthcare. What we know is that we have an NHS, which may not be perfect, which works well for all its citizens most of the time and a private health insurance sector which provides a good alternative.

GP's not Referring

In the world of private health insurance the GP is normally your first port of call. If they feel that you need a hospital referral or that you need tests then they will refer you to a private consultant who will help you very quickly. Unfortunately recent evidence shows that GPS's delay in referring patients for early investigations.

Researchers from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) were asked to carry out an audit of cancer diagnosis. The study which was published in the British Medical Journal found that GPs should consider referring more patients for investigations to ensure that cancer is diagnosed earlier. Late diagnosis has been blamed for the UK's poor cancer survival rates compared to other countries.

762,325 patients from 128 GP practices were studied. Researchers were looking at patients who had the following symptoms:

Blood in urine
Coughing blood
Difficulty swallowing
Rectal bleeding

They reviewed their diagnoses after 90 days and then three years. After 90 days one out of 4-7 patients were correctly diagnosed and three years later half of these patients did not have a correct diagnosis.

Despite these disappointing results diagnostic times have improved over the last few years but for patients who are not diagnosed properly it is too little too late.

There must be pressure on the NHS to not waste money. Many GP's use a 'wait and see' policy for patients when they first come into the surgery with symptoms. It is of concern that in the near future public spending will be cut and that this may affect the situation. Study leader Professor Roger Jones said:

'GPs in the NHS are seen as the gatekeepers and there is a bit of a feeling that they should restrict access. This is about investigating the right patients sooner - perhaps have a slightly lower threshold for it than before.'

It is not clear from the study whether GP's delay in referring only NHS patients or whether the same applies for private medical insurance patients. Either way early diagnosis is vital to improving cancer survival rates.

The advice for those who use the NHS and those who have general medical insurance or health insurance for cancer is to push the issue of testing with your GP. Insist you have the tests or are referred to a specialist.

Help for Back and Neck Problems

As reported by Health Insurance News, earlier this year Aviva (then Norwich Union) launched a special product which aims to help people deal with back and neck problems quickly and efficiently. Back-Up, as the product is called, was only offered to companies with the aim that it would help them to reduce time taken off by staff with back and neck complaints. The product has now been launched for individual private medical insurance customers.

According to Aviva subscribers to Back-Up have seen a reduction in the number of physiotherapy appointments they need by as much as 37.5%.

Clinical development manager for Aviva's UK Health business, Mark Sharpe said:

'Musculoskeletal conditions are one of the top causes of private health insurance claims, yet they have traditionally been treated with a broad brush '6-10 sessions of physiotherapy' approach which gives little consideration to the customer's exact circumstances. Our Back-Up service bucks this trend.

'Evidence now shows that tailoring treatment plans to the individual's personal needs, has a far better out-come for all parties - the individual recovers quicker, employers benefit from reduced sickness absence costs and our medical insurance claims costs, and therefore future premium increases, are controlled.

We are extremely proud of our Back-Up service which has already delivered numerous benefits for our customers. The feedback we've received is absolutely fantastic and we're delighted more of our customers can now benefit from this highly valued service.'

Back-Up provides a dedicated case manager who deals with your concerns. They provide a a 'personalised rehabilitation plan' that is then tailored to your individual needs.

This is an example of a medical insurance company which is diversifying into other health related products. The private health insurance market is thought to be in trouble. Increasing medical costs are set to force companies to increase premiums which will not be popular with consumers. The recession has also had an impact on how, where and if consumers spend money on health cover.