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Floydy
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15-05-2019, 01:40 AM
1

Private healthcare

Do any of you pay privately for your medical and/or dental treatment?

With GP waiting lists and the unavailability of finding a new dentist due to patient volume I am now considering going private.

Earlier this year I was trying almost daily to contact my GP and also waited over six months for an ENT appointment. And yesterday I tried in vain to register for a dentist who would accept new patients.

I have looked briefly on the net but I don't want to get any quotes just yet.

Do you have any such sceme which covers both medical and dental care and are there any practices which can offer this dual package? For example, do BUPA offer a monthly plan via instalments?

What are your own experiences and is the cost worth it in preference to basic NHS treatment?

Thanks.
keezoy
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15-05-2019, 02:12 AM
2

Re: Private healthcare

Very important topic Floydy. This site appears to be populated predominantly by people from the UK so I don't know how relevant this is to you but for the sake of general discussion; Many private health funds in Australia do have dual medical dental cover. The one I'm in does. But the public health system (Medicare) doesn't cover dental treatment by a private dentist. You might be monumentally lucky and find a kind dentist (or a student) who will treat you pro bono or you can receive treatment at a public dental hospital but unless it's a real emergency, the wait is loooooong.
Floydy
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15-05-2019, 04:01 AM
3

Re: Private healthcare

Thanks Keezoy. It's interesting to see how other countries perform with their own schemes on healthcare

I'm spurred on by looking towards the future when all I'll have is my pension to live on, like many others on here. I'm in no position yet to pay massive private fees but perhaps later this year when I can dip into my pension (at 55) it may be worth looking at.

Folks - I'm particularly interested in BUPA and it's costs and what it covers. Anyone in this?
I may ask for a quote regardless just to give me an idea.
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Mags
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15-05-2019, 08:03 AM
4

Re: Private healthcare

I’ve had Dental Cover for quite a few years now. My two main benefits from it was I was covered for the cost of a crown, only had to pay the laboratory costs, also I had a very bad toothache one night, phoned my dentist when they opened at 7:30am, was told to come in straight away and the offending tooth was removed less than an hour later.
TessA
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15-05-2019, 08:06 AM
5

Re: Private healthcare

Both my sisters were/are with BUPA and my brother in law. My sister had fantastic treatment for her bowel cancer, sadly died but had treatments not available on the NHS.
If I could afford it I would go private.
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15-05-2019, 08:30 AM
6

Re: Private healthcare

we are with Denplan dental health cover, been with them for many years.

Floydy
best people to ask about costs is the company itself, in this case BUPA
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Baz46
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15-05-2019, 09:04 AM
7

Re: Private healthcare

I had private healthcare insurance with PPP (now AXA PPP I believe) and found it really good. Some 30 years' ago now a knee problem was so bad I was passing out with the pain. My GP, telephoned at around midnight, refused to attend until the next day. She then immediately decided hospital treatment was required BUT to see a consultant on the NHS was a seven-week wait, unless I had private health insurance, which I did.

One telephone call for an appointment resulted in seeing a consultant and an x-ray the next morning. The very next day I was in a private BUPA hospital and operated on. Brilliant hospital, very good care and most importantly out of that excruciating pain.

One downfall though that I found, as did my parents too, that premiums increase steeply as you get older. The very time you may need more from a private healthcare insurance it may become unaffordable. When retired your income is usually as good as fixed, no way of earning more either. Both myself and my parents found it impossible to continue due to the spiralling premiums.

Any quotes you get will probably not show this aspect of private health insurance but in my experience it's well worth asking about.
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15-05-2019, 10:58 AM
8

Re: Private healthcare

Originally Posted by Baz46 ->
One downfall though that I found, as did my parents too, that premiums increase steeply as you get older. The very time you may need more from a private healthcare insurance it may become unaffordable. When retired your income is usually as good as fixed, no way of earning more either. Both myself and my parents found it impossible to continue due to the spiralling premiums.

Any quotes you get will probably not show this aspect of private health insurance but in my experience it's well worth asking about.
Increasing premiums is the reason I terminated my BUPA membership. Originally, I was enrolled by the company I worked for and when I moved on I continued paying out of my own pocket. Later, I was "persuded" to take early retirement by my employer and soon found the increasing premiums (at that time approaching £200 pm) unsustainable.
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15-05-2019, 12:12 PM
9

Re: Private healthcare

I only use private dentists.
Floydy
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16-05-2019, 03:41 AM
10

Re: Private healthcare

Baz, Omar. That's the problem isn't it? I could possibly afford this healthcare while I'm working, at a pinch but when it comes to the time I may really need a doctor or dentist in a hurry (i.e. when I'm older and retired) it may not be possible due to funds. But we'll have to wait and see how things work out.
 
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