Introduction
It has been said that if life were a prison, the NHS would be its Hilton. But the reality is more complex. Private healthcare is not always bad; some treatments are just too expensive to be provided by the NHS and so people opt for private care at considerable cost. The problem arises when patients get drawn into an expensive system and no longer realise what they are paying for, or how much of their health savings will be swallowed up by insurance companies who profit from their misfortune.
If your employer pays some or all of your private healthcare costs, then you may want to review whether this is a better deal for you in terms of quality and value. That’s because in a number of cases private providers can find themselves with too much work, so they raise prices – which means less work for them but higher fees for customers. A third of hospital trusts say they have had to increase charges because they have too much work – even when government targets require them to reduce waiting times at the same time as managing over-capacity (if you don’t think this sounds like ‘fake it until you make it’ politics, consider that ministers are now wringing their hands about waiting times).
This isn’t an issue confined to hospitals either: many dental practices have increased prices recently; some cosmetic surgery clinics are struggling because they are being undercut on price by rivals offering cheaper operations abroad; and more nurses have been made redundant amid growing pressure on the profession as well as rising demand.
Private healthcare might look attractive on paper but if you end up under-paying or over-paying it? Well no one told you that part…
Healthcare is complicated.
Healthcare is complicated. It’s expensive, and it can be confusing for people who aren’t familiar with the system or the provider they’re working with. This is why so many people turn to private health insurance—it makes sense that you’d have someone else look at your bills and make sure everything’s covered properly. And while this solution may seem like a good one in theory, there are some drawbacks:
- The cost of using private healthcare can add up quickly if you don’t have other sources of income coming in every month (like an employer). At first glance this might seem like an issue only affecting those who earn high salaries; however, many freelancers and self-employed business owners also struggle financially because their income fluctuates depending on how much work they get done during each pay period (and thus how much money comes into their bank account). So even though these individuals may not be able to afford regular visits from their doctors anymore—or maybe even any visits at all—they still need coverage through an existing plan or program such as Blue Cross Blue Shield or Tricare Prime Military Family Program (if applicable).
There are a number of options.
There are a number of options. You may be able to save money by choosing a plan that doesn’t require full-time coverage, or one that gets you the most bang for your buck.
- Less expensive plans won’t always get you the full scope of benefits, but they can be worth it if they’re right for your situation. For example, if you only need to see doctors once or twice per year and aren’t interested in staying on top of medication changes or other services like physical therapy sessions (which may not be covered under some insurance plans), then it might make more sense to go with a cheaper option—after all, most people only need health coverage once every few years anyway!
- If there’s something specific about your medical situation that makes those higher priced plans seem worthwhile (like having chronic conditions), then consult an expert who knows what works best for them before making any decisions about purchasing private healthcare insurance policies online.*
You may be able to save money by choosing a plan that doesn’t require full-time coverage.
You may be able to save money by choosing a plan that doesn’t require full-time coverage.
If you’re only going to need medical care for part of the year, it may make sense to pay more per month and not have to worry about having health insurance at all. It’s important to note that if your employer pays for your healthcare benefits and you don’t use them, then this can disqualify you from receiving unemployment benefits in some states (see below).
Less expensive plans won’t always get you the full scope of benefits, but you can also get a lot for your money.
If you’re looking for the best deal, your best bet is to ask around. Asking around can help you find a plan that has everything you need and nothing you don’t—or it can land you with a costlier plan with less coverage.
If your health needs are fairly basic and straightforward (say, regular visits to the dentist), then consider getting a plan that offers just standard coverage. You might not get everything included in some of these plans (like emergency room visits) but it’s likely cheaper than paying full price up front because most people pay less than they do on their own anyway.
Is your plan affordable? If not, there are alternatives.
If you’re looking for an affordable plan, don’t worry. There are alternatives that will meet your needs and be easy to understand.
- Find a plan that covers everything you need. If you have specific health needs or conditions, it’s important to make sure that any insurance policy covers all of these things in its network of hospitals, doctors and other providers—and not just the ones closest to your home or workplace.
- Choose a provider with high ratings from other patients who have experience using similar services (i.e., Medicare). This can help ensure that they offer quality care while keeping costs down at the same time!
You do need rich coverage…
The first thing you need to know is that you cannot just pick the cheapest plan on the market. You need a healthcare plan that will cover all of your needs, including emergency and hospital visits and prescription drugs.
The second thing is this: not all plans are created equal! Some people are better off with one type of plan than another because they have medical conditions or their family history makes them eligible for certain benefits (like maternity leave). If you don’t have any preexisting conditions or other special circumstances that would make it difficult for your insurance company to provide coverage at an affordable price point, then there’s no reason why anyone should tell you what kind of health insurance product they think would be best suited for YOUR body type/family size/etcetera…but remember: if this sounds like something YOU want advice about (and not just lip service), then talk about it WITH THEM first!
Even though healthcare is complicated, it’s possible to find a plan that is affordable and that covers everything you need.
Even though healthcare is complicated, it’s possible to find a plan that is affordable and that covers everything you need. There are alternatives to expensive plans that offer rich coverage at an affordable price. You can get more than you think for your money when choosing the right plan for your needs and budget.
Conclusion
- Can you pay monthly for private healthcare?****What if I told you that I can get you the best deal on private health… Posted by KK Hospital on Wednesday, February 1, 2017
KK Hospital has been offering private healthcare at affordable prices since 2010. The company is registered under the Medical Industry Development Trust (MIDT) in Singrauli and is also licenced to run government hospitals in Jharkhand. But this does not stop it from offering deals that are branded as “private” but are actually government run facilities.The hospital started with a single wing on Kalika Road in Dehradun and boasts of its affordable packages now available online. On Monday night, when HT visited the hospital, while registering patients with the help of an employee who was wearing a T-shirt that said “Om Yantra”, our reporter was told that ‘Om’ meant Prakruti which means health.But to understand what makes KK Hospital different from all other private hospitals one must go back to its origin.”When we did our MCA course the state government asked us if we wanted to set up an MCH unit where patients could be treated for free,” explained Umesh Pathak (no relation), general manager of KK Hospital, adding: “We chose Dehradun because it is close to Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.”Pathak says he had experience of setting up a hotel management institute and thought about setting up another institute for training hospital staff after reading about a government plan to set up 800 super speciality hospitals across the country.”I decided then that I would train my team but if I couldn’t do that myself why not try my hand at running them…so began KK Hospital,” he explains adding: “Twenty years ago there were no clear cut norms regarding patient care or treatment procedures