BUPA Medical/Dental

I know this isn't the first time Bupa's been brought up (And won't be the last either!)  But, everything I could find was from like 2005/2009.

My OH has recently been made permanent at his job and is being offered Bupa Level 4 coverage (though, he can opt out if he wants (Would he want to?)). He can also upgrade to a "Couple's" membership for £17.42/month which I'm wondering if I should get.  He's been given information for both Private Medical Insurance and Dental Insurance--I'm not sure if both are included in the £17.42 cost, but that's for him to double check.

For dental it looks like it would be similar to what I might have had in the US (2 exams/year up to £55/each; X-rays up to £50/year; and 2 Scale&Polishes/year up to £80/each)  I'm confused because there's mention of NHS dentists, but I've never seen dentists that are actually accepting NHS patients? So A bit confused on this; If someone can clear that up, that'd be great.

For the health insurance, it's saying about how they pay up to certain amounts, but, given that the NHS is free, well, am I left to pay any of the excess costs if I go over the limit?  Or, is it, because if I have private insurance, the NHS is happier to serve me since they'll be reimbursed by BUPA?

Bupa Health Insurance doesn't actually seem to cover much, though... It sounds like I'd do everything through a GP but only use Bupa coverage when I need to see a specialist?  I've never been the type to have health issues (knock on wood), so probably wouldn't use it much.  But, for only £17/month, I feel like it would be a good thing to have in case of emergencies, or, in the event that I end up with something that would be considered a pre-existing condition otherwise? But if said pre-existing condition becomes chronic, well, they would stop covering it, wouldn't they...

It might help to add that, in my current job, I'm given yearly health screenings (provided on-site through AXA PPP).  Within a month of starting, they took my blood pressure, resting heart rate, weight, height, drew blood and checked just about everything.  They also measured my lung capacity and did a basic eye test.  My gym membership (also on-site through Nuffield) carries out bi-annual checks of blood pressure, height, and weight.  So, if something funny were to start happening, chances are that despite not being covered for check-ups through Bupa, if i had something funky, I'd be more likely to catch it because of the regular, thorough screenings.

Sorry, this has turned into a bit of a ramble- Whoops! If you can offer any advice, please do; In the meantime, I'm off to bed

I've had BUPA through my employer since I arrived. I didn't use it at all for the first few years as I didn't need it. However, in the last few years I have taken advantage of having it to see several specialists (endocrinologist, ob-gyn and an ENT) and have had 2 procedures, the latest being my balloon sinuplasty and septoplasty. Mine didn't cover dental.

They have been nothing short of excellent. You are treated VERY WELL as a private patient in this country as it's where the docs make their extra money. I work with multiple doctors who use the NHS as their "day job" but rake in the extra dough in the evenings and weekends on private work and they all treat their private patients like gold.

I didn't initially think BUPA was worth it, but in the end I'm glad I opted for the coverage. Good luck with your decision.

I can't comment on the coverage levels, but my husband paid the extra to cover the rest of the family coverage the last time we lived in the UK.

I would highly recommend BUPA based on our use:

private oral surgery for our daughter who needed 3 teeth extracted from the roof of her mouth before starting the braces process - initial appointment within days of request, followed by evening surgery a week later at a private hospital, in a twin bedded room where I was encouraged to stay overnight

private hospital appointments for my son, and myself, to see specialists for non-urgent medical problems

We had the luxury of making appointments, with chosen specialists, to suit our timetable, and a much less stressful oral surgery for our daughter than she would have experienced on a busy children's ward (and the bed and en-suite bathroom were a real luxury for me!).

In fact the insured one never used it so the recommendation comes from the rest of the family!

Bupa Health Insurance doesn't actually seem to cover much, though... It sounds like I'd do everything through a GP but only use Bupa coverage when I need to see a specialist?  I've never been the type to have health issues (knock on wood), so probably wouldn't use it much.  But, for only £17/month, I feel like it would be a good thing to have in case of emergencies, or, in the event that I end up with something that would be considered a pre-existing condition otherwise? But if said pre-existing condition becomes chronic, well, they would stop covering it, wouldn't they...

Many look at private coverage here and expect it to be like it is in the states, but it isn't.  Even people with private insurance still go to the NHS as their base.  You will still work with your GP for regular things.  It kicks in if you need hospital stays, specialist care, etc.

There are NHS dentists around, but in a lot of areas they're really scarce and you might find yourself having to travel a very long way to get to one.

I have DenPlan private dental insurance and it's really great. Mine covers pretty much what your husband's will.

Many look at private coverage here and expect it to be like it is in the states, but it isn't.

THis is a really important point and bears a lot of repeating!!!

For the health insurance, it's saying about how they pay up to certain amounts, but, given that the NHS is free, well, am I left to pay any of the excess costs if I go over the limit?  Or, is it, because if I have private insurance, the NHS is happier to serve me since they'll be reimbursed by BUPA?

Bupa Health Insurance doesn't actually seem to cover much, though... It sounds like I'd do everything through a GP but only use Bupa coverage when I need to see a specialist?  I've never been the type to have health issues (knock on wood), so probably wouldn't use it much.  But, for only £17/month, I feel like it would be a good thing to have in case of emergencies, or, in the event that I end up with something that would be considered a pre-existing condition otherwise? But if said pre-existing condition becomes chronic, well, they would stop covering it, wouldn't they...

You still go to your NHS GP.  However BUPA kicks in when you get referrals to specialists.  You can really pick and choose your doctor, location, timing, etc.  You aren't subjected to NHS waiting lists, etc.  BUPA is excellent for surgeries.  You go to a private hospital and get a private room.  

WHen you need to use your BUPA, you call and tell them what is needed and they will confirm if the care is covered.  I have never come anywhere near limits and since you need to be speaking to BUPA you should easily know when you are near any limits and what the consequence is.  But seriously this is really not likely.  Also NHS is no reimbursed by BUPA and has not link to BUPA so I am not clear what you are really thinking/meaning on this point.

Also remember pre-existing conditions are really a different animal than in the US.  You don't need BUPA for them because the NHS would always cover those anyway.  Also as you noted BUPA will actually stop letting you have treatment for some pre-existing issues (though the definition is very broad) so the whole area of pre-existing conditions is not comparable to what you know in the US.

And should you have BUPA?  It depends. I always had BUPA as a benefit while working in the UK.  I had two surgeries on BUPA and really appreciate it.  I loved my private specialist.  But equally, I had an emergency situation and had to be in an NHS hospital (private care doesn't cover emergencies) and received fine care.  Had I not had surgeries, BUPA would have been of no use to me.

My OH has recently been made permanent at his job and is being offered Bupa Level 4 coverage (though, he can opt out if he wants (Would he want to?)).

Some people would, I have in the past because I have a fundamental, moral objection to private health care that uses NHS services. Not saying you would but some people feel like that so opt out of employer schemes.

I think it's worth presenting the other option, because I've had nothing but EXCELLENT NHS care, in both medical and dental (my dentist is always accepting NHS patients, it doesn't seem difficult to find one here?). People tend to only write on the internet when they're unhappy about something, and less often do people write in when they're happy with a service. So you'll always tend to see reviews skewed towards negative, and the NHS is no different.

I'll try to keep this short, but in the last four years I've had experience with two GP surgeries (both with female doctors I love!), three main hospitals, haematology and phlebotomy departments at each, plus an array of specialists over the years (ENT, liver, eye, dermatology, and two different gynae-endocrine specialists off the top of my head). I've had numbers outpatient, emergency, and inpatient experiences.

My NHS experience has been wonderful. When things are serious, you do not wait. I went from initial A&E assessment to seeing the world's leading specialist and researcher in my disorder in under a month. At Christmastime. They do NOT mess about when something is life-threatening. My only complaints at all were with the (non-NHS, privately owned) hospital catering and with my first gynae-endocrine doctor (sorted out by PALS and transferred to a different one within weeks).

And you know what? Someone with Bupa would've had the *exact* same treatment as me, from the exact same doctors, and seen no quicker at all. For me, private health insurance is wasted money. Unless the Tories get their way and completely f*ck over the NHS and privatise it, that is, in which case all bets are off...

But I think with your current health checks and level of fitness, there's really no need for you to spend £17 a month when you get excellent health care for free. I put it in the same category as those extended warranty deals stores try to sell you. But that's my opinion.

I've had good and bad NHS experiences, and good and bad experiences while being covered in US by very expensive company healthcare.

What I liked most about BUPA was the immediacy - when we wanted specialist appointments for "non-urgent" conditions we were able to book them. We didn't have to wait, and we could choose where to go which was very convenient. As a worrier I appreciated this very much, and it was good for my mental health.

So, if I was offered BUPA coverage at minimal cost, I'd go for it.

BUPA dental is nice as with most BUPA plans you don't need to cover the excess for cosmetic procedures.

I also have very little complaints with the NHS and don't really see the point of private medical coverage, but private dental is really nice as there are some things which can get pretty expensive on the NHS or things which don't put cosmetics first.

I have heard from friends that if you do have BUPA and then retire the fees go up astronomically.