The National Health Service (NHS) is something few of us would live without - a unique service that provides vital cover in case we struggle through ill health, accident or disease. However, when it comes to the crunch how many of us feel we can rely on the service in the face of a life-threatening condition?
Waiting lists, unreliable services and increasing health concerns within hospitals are leading many to look to private care when the worst happens. However, the prices of treatment in the private sector leave most with little choice but to endure the difficult conditions and frustrating delays of the NHS. The one solution to this potentially life-threatening problem is health insurance.
Health insurance varies widely both in terms of cost and cover. However, the right policy can offer massive savings at the most vital time. For example, many leading health insurance providers now offer cover for Taxotere, a chemotherapy drug proven to reduce pain and extend the lives of those in the advanced stages of prostate cancer, which kills one man every hour in the UK. With costs running as high as £1,000 per treatment, and most patients requiring up to ten courses, many are being priced out of this crucial assistance and comprehensive health insurance is the only place to turn.
It's not just men either. Drugs such as Arimidex and Herceptin have dramatically increased breast cancer survival rates yet there is a postcode lottery as to whether you will get the treatment you need quickly enough with the drug available to some and not to others. The only way to ensure you get potentially life saving treatment is to go private.
Nevertheless, health insurance does not come cheap and it's vital to take a thorough search of the market to see what policies are available. Use a price comparison tool, such as the health insurance comparison tool at moneysupermarket.com to ensure you're getting the cheapest quote and the most comprehensive cover. Many health insurers have now thrown in a number of low cost policies in response to criticism that they are too expensive, which, when combined with no claims discounts could save up to 50 per cent.
By putting a little aside each month we can be prepared if or when the worst happens. Health insurance offers crucial peace of mind in our hour of need, and may be the most important investment we ever make.
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