If there’s one thing that should make you happy as a UK citizen, it would definitely be free healthcare provided through the NHS. The NHS service does indeed give you the power to be able to find health care, but is it always worth the wait? You will need to get a general physician to OK nearly everything that you do, which can be often a hassle when you really need to get specific problems done. Also, you may find that private health insurance covers the gaps left behind by the NHS. Think of it as a way to customize your health care experience. Is it worth it to be able to quickly see a physician instead of waiting? We think so.
Private health insurance is often offered through big employers who feel that it’s a nice bonus of working for a specific company. If you need to go to a doctor in the UK, you can do this — but you also want to make sure that you can pursue elective surgeries. Those would not be covered under free health care.
Specialty care is really at the heart of the matter. Most people that own private health insurance currently are pleased with the GP they have been assigned to. They want to be able to see a specialist without the NHS dragging their feet. That’s perfectly reasonable, when you think about it.
Specialist doctors increase their salaries with those on private health insurance, so there is definitely an incentive to see patients.
The National Health Service and private insurance are intertwined into the same market. It goes without saying that one cannot exist without the other. There are just some services that are easier to acquire from the public side than the private side. Also, if you were to get very sick on the private side, there is still a chance you would be transferred back over to the public side anyway. Save your private health insurance for the services that you feel like you can’t live without, and make sure that you keep up a good rapport with your GP — that’s the best way to do it.
Of course, if you are indeed going to look into health care options, you will truly want to make sure that you handle things accordingly in your search. Comparison shopping through looking up health insurance quotes is really the best way to go — why not check it out today? You’ll be glad that you did!