Recession and better NHS combine to hit PMI sales GP says
Private medical insurers could be hard hit by the recession and improving NHS services, Dr Mike Porter the Cotswolds doctor newly employed by The Times has warned.
“The economic turmoil, combined with a better, faster NHS, means that private medical insurance (PMI) is looking like an unnecessary luxury that may feature high on any family or company's cost-cutting list,” he writes.
“In the Nineties patients of mine were regularly waiting up to 18 months to have a cataract operation; today some of them are operated on within a fortnight.”
He also outlines several more reasons why PMI might not be chosen. These include:
- Nine patients out of ten living in England should be seen and treated within a maximum of 18 weeks for a range of non-emergency treatments
- MRSA risks in NHS hospitals exaggerated
- The NHS Choose and Book scheme allows patients to choose their hospital and consultant
- The sicker you are the more likely you are to require the type of acute back-up that simply isn't available in most private hospitals
Porter, who also presents Radio 4’s Case Notes, does recommend having PMI but suggests cheaper alternatives for those cutting costs.
The Mirror suggested Bupa was putting up nursing home fees by 9%, asking “how much financial difficulty is Bupa in?”
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