Private insurance through US coverage while in the UK

my father is putting me on his insurance when i start studying in the UK this fall. it provides worldwide coverage and affiliates with bupa in the UK. i'm really pleased as i've heard good things about bupa. can i see a gp at bupa? do they have private gps in the UK? also, does anyone have experience with using US insurance in the UK? i'm curious about the billing process.

I'm not sure (please correct me if I'm wrong), but I think you still have to go to see an NHS GP for everyday problems even if you have private insurance, as the insurance is usually used to get things like operations or special treatment done more quickly and efficiently than the NHS.

When you get to your UK university, you will be required to register with the university health service where you will go to see the doctor or nurses if you need to. The health service will be on the NHS. You can use your private insurance to cover costs of special treatments or for treatments that have a very long waiting list (although I have a feeling that the NHS doctor may need to refer you for this to happen - not sure though, so I'd check with someone who knows more about it), but if you have, for example, a cold or a chest infection or something, you will probably still have to see a doctor at the university health service.

i won't be living in the town where i'm studying. i'll be living about 40 miles away and commuting the three days a week that i have classes. do you know if i have to have a gp in the university town? i would rather have one in the town where i'll be living, if i can.

do you know if i have to have a gp in the university town? i would rather have one in the town where i'll be living, if i can.

nope you don't need to have a GP where the uni is- it's wherever you're living.

She still may be required to register with the Uni health service.

As her coverage is thru a US provider who only affiliates with Bupa, you can't assume the same rules that apply to private UK insurance will apply to this case. There are private GPs in the UK so if her US insurance covers that under the WW policy, she may be able to skip the whole NHS element entirely.

Autumn, the answer doesn't lie with us, it lies with your US insurance provider. In general, private UK insurance would require you to see an NHS GP first. But WW cover is a whole other ball game.

As for billing, I would expect that you will have to pay up front and submit for reimbursement from you insurance company. They will then pay you (or your Dad) back using the exchange rate from the day they assess your claim, not the day you received treatment.

HTH

A couple other things to bear in mind. Double check the amount of time your WW cover is for. Some policies only allow 100 days consecutively out of the country (as an example).

It's entirely possible your insurance company will accept foreign invoices but don't be at all surprised if private health providers here (be it a specialist or hospital or whatever) will not invoice you. They will most likely expect payment up front.

Also, check what your prescription cover is under the WW cover. Some of them do not cover out-patient prescriptions (i.e antibiotics, bc, or anything prescribed outside an in-patient hospital stay). That said, you'll still be eligible for NHS prescriptions and I think those are about six quid per prescription.

One final thing to check is what activities your WW cover will provide benefit for. Many policies will not cover skiing, surfing, rafting, etc. Just in case you plan to do any of that of course!!

i might have missed it, but how long will you be studying in the UK?  I believe that any visas issued longer than 6 months are covered by the NHS, those under 6 months need their own insurance.  That was my experience when I was a student for a year and did BUNAC for 6 months.

If you are a foreign student  studying in the UK, you will automatically be entitled to NHS coverage.  Primary care (ie GP) will be covered by NHS, as your Worldwide rider on your US Insurance policy, probably won't cover you for private GP (most UK private insurers won't cover you for private GPs anyway-- keep in mind if/when you go private, your private hospital in the UK won't necessarily deal directly with your insurer such as GHI/BlueCross/HIP/etc...your insurer will subcontract the services to a UK insurer in your case BUPA).

If you want/need to go private for secondary/tertiary care, your NHS GP will need to write a referral, so the insurance company can verify the coverage.  You can, of course go private without a referral, but you will almost certainly be paying out-of-pocket as the insurer has no professional referral.