Private healthcare insurance for the over-50s
27/09/2009
Over two million over-50s in the UK now have some kind of private medical insurance policy. Recent research has shown that the reasons that the over-50s take out private healthcare insurance are changing.
The research from a UK insurer compared the reasons the over-50s invested in health insurance in 2007 with their reasons now. In 2007, the top reason the over-50s gave for buying private medical insurance was to avoid NHS waiting lists. Second most important was the freedom to choose when and where to receive medical treatment.
However, due to factors such as the rise in coverage of MRSA cases in NHS hospitals, many people are now focusing on the "cleanliness of hospitals", which jumped to being the 3rd most important concern in 2009. 68% of respondents said they were worried about cleanliness and hygiene levels and 10% were happy with the levels of hygiene in NHS hospitals.
"Recuperating in comfort" is also much more important now than it was in 2007. The vast majority - 90% - of over-50s said they were comfortable or very comfortable receiving guests in private medical accommodation, compared to just over a third (36%) in NHS accommodation. More over-50s also said they were happier for their grandchildren to visit them in a private hospital than in an NHS one. A third of patients over 50 said that they would not be comfortable to receive visitors in an NHS hospital.
Patient Choice provides easy-to-understand, cost-effective private health plans for individuals and businesses. For more information visit the Patient Choice website
