Private progress?

By JAMES HOPEGOOD
Updated:

 

LONG NHS waiting lists and the rocketing cost of medical insurance are leading people to pay for operations out of their own pockets. These tend to be for procedures, such as cataract removals and hip replacements, that lead to big improvements in quality of life.

Private medical insurance (PMI) gets more expensive every year, and the older you are, the worse it is. A fully comprehensive PMI plan with no excess from Norwich Union Healthcare costs a 35-year-old £65.73 a month, a total of £788.76 a year.

A 55-year-old would pay £106.47 a month, or £1,277.64 a year, for the same cover. In contrast, something as straightforward as varicose vein treatment costs between £1,300 and £1,700, while a hip replacement costs from £6,000 to £9,000. A heart bypass operation would set you back £10,000 to £13,000.

If you are tempted to go down the self-pay route, be sure you do not end up facing a far larger bill than you expected. You will have to be referred for treatment by your family doctor or a specialist. Ringing around hospitals specialising in the kind of treatment you need and haggling over the price can save you money.

Organisations such as Health Care Navigator, Best Doctors and Good Doctors can help find hospitals specialising in the type of treatment you need. Expect to pay between £16 and £60 for this service.

Make sure that the price quoted covers not only the operation, but also the cost of staying in a hospital room, plus meals, drugs, plasters and bandages, and any treatment you may need later as part of the recovery, or if there are any complications.

Independent financial adviser and medical doctor Penny O'Nions advises clients to start a savings plan to pay for treatment, but also to take out PMI alongside the savings. As the savings grow, they can cut the amount of cover and therefore the cost of the PMI.

Medical insurer WPA's Self-Pay Protect plan pays out between 30% and 75% of the cost of an operation. A 35-year-old would pay £155 a year to cover three-quarters of the cost of any treatment. But you need to be able to foot the initial cost of the treatment, - and that can run into thousands of pounds. A fully comprehensive PMI plan from WPA would cost £1,110 a year.

CAROL TROTMAN, 55, from Bristol has just paid £8,199 to have her hip replaced at Bupa Hospital Bristol. The price is an all-inclusive deal and will cover any aftercare she may need if there are any complications within 100 days of the operation. Secretary Carol (pictured the day after her operation, with husband Doug) paid for the operation out of her savings because she did not want to sit on an NHS waiting list.

She says: 'I have been in pain for five years. I would have had to wait four or five years for an NHS operation because of my age.

'My husband and I paid for the operation between us, using our savings. We haven't taken out a loan.'

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