Self Employed Health Insurance

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NHS waiting lists
Considering self
employed medical
insurance
What is covered by a private health plan?
Reducing your premiums
Self employed health cover policy overview
Outpatient cover
Comprehensive option
Physiotherapy & alternative medicines
Overseas cover
Useful resources

Self Employed
Private Health Insurance

Being self-employed it is vitally important to receive medical treatment as quickly as possible.

With potentially long NHS waiting lists, private medical insurance for the self employed ensures you are able to receive treatment when you need it most.

Benefits to You

Peace of mind knowing there are no waiting lists, so you receive treatment when you need it most.

Designed to cover the cost of surgery, consultations, diagnostic tests and scans.

Cover for cancer treatment and access to a 24 hour GP helpline.

Highest standards of care, private rooms and round the clock visiting hours.

What is Covered?

Most plans cover inpatient and day patient treatment in full.

Opt for £1,000 limited or full outpatient treatment covering specialist consultations, scans and diagnostic tests.

UK wide hospital list so you can receive treatment where it suits you.

Pre-existing medical conditions and chronic conditions tend not to be covered on a personal health insurance plan.

Policy Options

Include outpatient treatment either capped (£1,000 per annum) or cover outpatient treatment in full.

Excess, the amount you pay towards a claim in any policy year, excesses range from £50 to £1,000.

Six week wait option, you agree to use the NHS if the waiting list is less than six weeks for the required treatment

Drewberry Insurance

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We use our buying power to find you the most competitive rates.

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Health Insurance Advice

Self Employed
Medical Insurance UK

For the self employed it is vital to receive treatment as quickly as possible so you can get back to running your business promptly after illness.

Take advantage of a whole range of private health plans to suite all budgets, from a basic policy to the most comprehensive

For those who work long hours in front of a computer or in a manual working environment you may also want to include cover for physiotherapy and osteopathy.

With potentially sizable NHS waiting lists most businessmen and women need to receive treatment much faster than these waiting lists will tend to allow as the success of their business depends on their ability to continue working. A self-employed health plan gives you the option of receiving treatment when it suits you best, and not when the NHS can fit you in.

NHS waiting lists

In January 2010 there were 632,108 people waiting for inpatient treatment.
Of this number, 133,587 had been waiting for 10 weeks or longer.
There were also 910,595 people waiting for outpatient treatment in January 2010.
Of this number, 21,080 had been waiting for 10 weeks or longer.

Source: Department for Health Commissioner based statistics for England, January 2010.

Reasons to Consider Self Employed Medical Insurance

In January 2010, Department for Health Commissioner based statistics showed that over 133,000 people in England had been waiting for inpatient treatment on the NHS for at least 10 weeks.

These same statistics showed that over 21,000 people had been waiting 10 weeks or longer for outpatient treatment. The simple reality is that most business people cannot afford to spend this long away from their business waiting for diagnosis and treatment.

A large number of employers will provide private medical insurance to their staff to reduce the length of time they are away from work should they suffer an illness or injury.

Being self-employed you do not have the benefit of employer provided health cover but the personal insurance market is ideally placed to provide you with the cover most appropriate to you and your working situation.

Cover Provided by a Private Health Plan

Whether you decide to take out a basic plan or the most comprehensive policy, all health insurance options for the self employed provide full cover for inpatient healthcare. An inpatient is someone who requires an overnight stay in hospital and all medical plans will cover the full cost of tests, scans, consultations and treatments where is this the case.

The more comprehensive the cover you decide upon the greater the level of outpatient cover and additional benefits, including the likes of physiotherapy, psychiatric cover and overseas cover.

Self employment health care cover, keeping the costs down

Let's not beat around the bush, working for yourself is no walk in the park and for the vast majority it means watching the pennies. We all should keep a close eye on our finances however it is even more important for those going it alone.

You'll be pleased to know their are many options available in the health plan market to suit all budgets, whether it is reduced outpatient benefits or adding an excess there are options available to help you stick to your budget.

Important to remember
Please note health insurance is not a replacement for the NHS, health insurance is designed to work in tandem with the NHS. Admissions to Accident and Emergency, GP services and the treatment of chronic conditions still tend to be provided by the NHS.

Self employed medical policy overview

Although all self employed health care plans provide full cover for inpatient treatment, individuals may wish to take out a comprehensive plan and include cover for a number of additional benefits which may be of particular relevance.

Outpatient cover
The main difference between basic, mid-range and comprehensive health plans relates to the amount of outpatient cover and additional benefits provided. An outpatient is someone who does not require a hospital bed or an overnight stay.

Generally, with the exception of scans and radiotherapy & chemotherapy, outpatient healthcare is only covered by more comprehensive plans. If you would like specialist consultations and more advanced diagnostic tests to be covered as an outpatient you should select a comprehensive plan.

Comprehensive option
One of the main benefits of private medical insurance relates to the speed of which diagnosis and treatment can be undertaken. Taking out a comprehensive plan means that cover would be provided for tests, scans, consultations and treatments as an outpatient.

Including this cover would therefore allow you to gain the necessary outpatient healthcare quickly and at a time most suitable to you and your business schedule.

Physiotherapy & alternative medicines
Working long hours in front of a computer or in a manual related workplace can be very stressful on the body, especially the back and neck. Including physiotherapy and alternative medicines (particularly osteopathy) can help to correct these medical conditions and allow you to continue working at the same intensity.

Overseas cover
If you spend time working overseas you may wish to include overseas emergency medical cover in case something happens to your health whilst abroad.

The addition of this option would also cover your repatriation to the UK for further medical treatment should that be needed.

Useful Resources

There are so many things to consider when moving to self employment, your health and financial protection being just one.

The citizens advice bureau has compiled a really useful self-employment checklist for those considering self employment.

There are many other useful resources available for the self employed which can be found at DirectGov.

Our aim is simply to provide you
with the best possible service.

Drewberry Insurance are a London based independent insurance brokerage providing insurance services to individuals and organisations
throughout the UK.

Our health insurance site is a dedicated resource for individuals seeking information, advice and private medical insurance quotes comparing all of the UK's leading insurers.

We are here to help, if you can't find what you are looking for just give us a call.

We would love to hear from you, whether you are enquiring about our services, a career, or a business partnership.

+44 (0) 20 8432 7333

enquiries@drewberryltd.com

Drewberry Ltd

Vantage House

1 Weir Road

London

SW19 8UX

Self Employed Health Insurance

Self Employed
Private Health Insurance

Benefits to You

What is Covered?

Policy Options

Drewberry Insurance

Summary

Types of Health Insurance

Quote