What is the cheapiest private medical insurance here in UK?

I am wanting to buy private medical insurance here in UK for myself.  I have had quotes from BUPA and there monthly premiums are expensive for the all the medical coverage I would like. This includes dental and optical. Anyone have other medical insurance here? Just curious.

i have standard life through my company.  they pay 100% and i pay the taxes as this is considered a benefit in kind.

i have researched private medical care for my partner.  i'd search around and perhaps use a medical insurance broker.  something i found is that every plan is very unique- it's very hard to compare just on price.  some plans include maternity, some plans include therapy, some plans include private ambulance, some plans include outpatient care, some don't.

i'd see what you think is important to you.  is seeing an outpatient specialist/consulanat importnatn, or is in-hospital?  there are some plans out there that only allow you to go private if the waiting time is great than 6 months or 3 months or whatever.

i have a spreadsheet comparing a few of the companies out there.... i'll email it to you if you pm your addy.

Hi, I'd love that comparison chart of private insurers, as well. I'm new to this site, and couldn't figure out how to send you a private message. I did see an AIM link, but I don't have that on my computer.

Do you have an opinion on whether it's best to use NHS or private healthcare? Also, will either the NHS or private insurers cover pre-existing conditions? I recently had knee surgery here in the U.S., and am still having problems that may require more doctor visits. My finace may have an opportunity to take a job in the UK soon, and we'd be getting married and moving there. Would my knee treatment be covered? And would it be better to go for private insurance (we have no idea if that will be offered through his workplace yet)?

The NHS can be very good. It can also be very bad. I have had almost exclusively good luck with them but others here have had terrible experiences. If you can get private health insurance, it may give you some peace of mind. As far as I am aware, unless you employer has a bespoke plan with the carrier, they will not cover you for pre-existing conditions. Most private insurance in the UK if for accute conditions, not long term treatment.

I do happen to work for a private health insurance company so am relatively familiar with industry policies. I work for WPA which is a lesser known company but well regarded for it's service (and insurer to the royal family!). If cost is your bottom line, you should probably try a broker as it is a nightmare to wade through all the different coverage options.

So if most private insurers won't cover pre-existing conditions, will the NHS cover pre-existing conditions? It seems like they would, but I'd hate to move there and find they'll do nothing for my knees and won't cover my thyroid medication.

oh yes, the nhs will cover you! bring all your medical notes so your new GP can see exactly what has happened. the thyroid medication will be no problem unless, for some reason, it's one that is not available here (but that's unlikely). depending upon what is  up with your knee could be more tricky only in that many areas of the country have waiting lists for things like physio. you'll get it, you just might not get it next week. of course you can always get private treatment and pay for it out of pocket. many  people do that for a short course of therapy.

and if you have hypothryoidism and need to take synthroid (they call it something else in the UK- thyroxide or something loike that)... not only will synthroyid but ALL your medicines will be free.  this is because you are eligable for a medical excemption card.  quite handy.

and if you have hypothryoidism and need to take synthroid (they call it something else in the UK- thyroxide or something loike that)... not only will synthroyid but ALL your medicines will be free.  this is because you are eligable for a medical excemption card.  quite handy.

Wow, that medical exemption card will be quite handy! I do have hypothyroidism and have to take synthroid every day for life. My concern is that they will make me take a generic version in the UK, and I've had three separate docs tell me that they do not get as good a result with the generic for hypothyroidism and that I should take synthroid.

 I will get records from my doctors before I leave here; do you know if I should get any special note or written prescription from my doctor about my need for synthroid, or just showing the UK doc my records and current prescription bottle? I'm sure they'll still want to do a blood test to confirm what dosage I need.

I'm reviving this thread with a related question: Does the NHS itself count as being covered? When you return to the states, many insurance plans will cover your pre-existing conditions only if you haven't had an interruption in coverage. So if I move to the UK with knee problems that a private insurer won't cover, but the NHS will, can I get that problem covered by insurance when I get back to the U.S.?

I've been driving myself crazy trying to find a plan that will cover pre-existing conditions, and nothing will. The closest I've seen will cover the condition if you have no treatment and take no medicine for that condition for the first two years of coverage. That probably won't help me much. So if anyone knows of anyway to get coverage of pre-existing conditions with a private company in the UK, it would be lovely to know!

i can't answer your latest question, but i can answer the one you posted on 23-Oct.  i too was told by US doctors that i had to have synthroid not the generic.

when i moved here i was told that they ONLY had the generic, which here is called thyroixine.  i transferred my dosage and committed to trying it for (3) months.  i didn't have any problems. 

when i first moved here i showed them the latest TSH & t3 & T4 results.  based on that they kept me on my initial dosage.  they took my word for it that i was .1mg (100mcg).  have a blood test every year.  haven't changed dosage in 6 years or so...

I may be a serial cynic, but I reckon any doctor who says a brand-name medicine is better than a generic has a vested interest in you buying the brand-name.  I understand that the "delivery mechanism" (read: non-active ingredients) can vary, and you might have some different reactions to these, but I'm pretty sure that the active ingredients - the actual drug - is chemically identical, generic or brand-name.

It's not like choosing between Coca-Cola and "Rolla-Cola".

I may be a serial cynic, but I reckon any doctor who says a brand-name medicine is better than a generic has a vested interest in you buying the brand-name. 

I have had three different docs (as I moved from place to place) tell me not to use the generic of synthroid, that they don't get as good a result. These same docs did prescribe generics for other medications, so I really do believe that in the case of thyroid medication, the name-brand does make a difference.

groovy_yank... there was a scare about 8 years ago when generic synthoid was found not to contain repeatably correct amounts of the hormones.  i think this is the basis of your doctor's fears.

you'll have to try it... but i highly doubt you can get "synthroid" here in the UK.  i was only every offered thyroixine.