The Benefits Of Private Medical Insurance In 2021

With 2021 now in full swing and our health firmly at the forefront of our minds, there is no better time to reflect on everything we learnt during the past unprecedented year. With few areas of our lives receiving as much of our attention as health and wellbeing over the past 12 months, this won’t change in 2021. As such it is worth considering the priority and role that health insurance can play in peoples’ lives.

Private healthcare and the NHS

The ongoing Covid pandemic has only served to exacerbate the problems and pressure being experienced by our beloved NHS. With waiting lists for routine procedures now at all-time highs, more and more people are realising the benefits of private healthcare. Indeed, as I highlighted back in November, private health insurance sales in the seven months to November increased 40% year-on-year.

This reality is further highlighted in another more recent post on how the private healthcare sector has returned to pre-Covid levels before the 2nd lockdown. In fact, some private healthcare specialities are witnessing higher volumes than before the pandemic. Medical oncology is one such area, growing to an estimated 47% of all elective private admissions during the height of the first lockdown in April. 

The benefits of private healthcare as we enter the ‘new normal’

Private medical insurance (PMI) allows you to see a consultant as soon as possible and have medical treatment at a private healthcare facility, allowing you to avoid potentially lengthy NHS queues and get yourself on the road to recovery sooner.

In addition, many PMI policies afford you access to other value-add services. Whether it is remote access to GPs (virtual consultations), mental health treatment, diagnosis of certain cancers or help with musculoskeletal conditions, many PMI policies provide all these benefits and more.

One of the few positives to come out of the Covid pandemic is that it has highlighted just how vital a role many such remote healthcare services can play. With the way we work and communicate with people now fundamentally changed for at least the foreseeable future as we enter the so-called ‘new normal’, remote services are only going to continue to grow in importance moving forward. That’s why PMI policies that afford access to remote healthcare solutions will really be worth their weight in gold in 2021.

Luckily, insurers have adapted well to the pandemic to ensure customers are getting access to treatment as and when they need it. And while many may be thinking, ‘I’m still young and healthy’, this pandemic has taught us that that can all change in the blink of an eye.

If you’ve been considering PMI for some time or are only just starting your journey of discovery, let us help you find the right policy for your needs. Get in touch with Premier Choice today.