Left in pain on the waiting list for an ingrowing toenail, 100 year old Buster Martin opted in the end to pay for private treatment to relieve his suffering.
Mr Martin, who is still working and has more than paid his dues in tax and national insurance contributions over his lifetime, could not bear to endure a waiting list of three months or more for the operation.
His case is just one small story among many in the media creating the impression of a creaking health service, struggling to balance its books and meet the needs of UK citizens, leaving many wondering how much pain or ill health you have to be in before you will be treated in a timely way.
How well the NHS serves us in coming years is anyone?s question but as our society ages it is certain we will place far greater demands on it. Those yearning to be free of the shadow of waiting lists or care standards decided by postcode lotteries must therefore consider private health care as an alternative.
Choosing how to cover yourself for private medical treatment can be a complicated area, however. It?s about more than just the cost of your monthly premiums. For example, do you want quick access to a specialist, your choice of hospital, or maybe some critical illness income protection cover included in your policy?
Bear in mind also that age can work against you, so finding a provider with policies designed for older people will be important if you?re past the prime of your life. If you are older, ask what limits are on different aspects of the cover, taking into account that you may take longer to recover.
If paying for a policy is a worry, one way of reducing the cost is known as ?co-insurance?, in which you pay a proportion of your treatment costs, up to an agreed threshold, rather like the damage excess you can opt for when taking out car insurance.
There are all sorts of other ways to cut the price of your health insurance premiums and find the very best deal if you?re prepared to make a few compromises, said Sophie Neary, product director for BeatThatQuote.com.
"There are quite a few ways to make premiums cheaper. Limiting yourself to less expensive hospital accommodation or signing up to a policy stipulating you will only go private if NHS waiting lists are too long are just two examples.
"A few simple lifestyle changes can also cut your premiums and add to the length and quality of your life too, so shedding a few pounds if you?re overweight and stopping smoking will have a direct impact on the cost of your premium.
"A good place to start looking for the best deal is by carrying out a search for private health insurance using Beat That Quote?s price and policy comparison tool, which will take the legwork out of winning the peace of mind health cover will bring."
(Posted by runescape gold, April 26, 2008, 10:49 AM)