Private insurance becoming too expensive

Health Insurance - Private insurance becoming too expensive? - 20/05/2008

A new study commissioned by the Health Insurance Authority has established that one in ten consumers is concerned about the rising cost of private health insurance, and also that 40% of people feel increases in premiums in recent years are not justified.

Private health insurance has steadily become the more popular option for consumers because of the perceived inadequacy of public hospital services as well as faster access to hospital care and the comfort of having a private consultant. At present, over half of the UK population has private health insurance.

Despite the satisfaction with the actual service, consumers are becoming increasingly disenchanted with the continual rise in premiums and 40% of people surveyed said they would discontinue the private health cover if premiums rose by 20%.

The golden rule when searching for low cost health insurance is to take your time. Get several quotes. Investigate the alternatives. For a lot of people, the choice of hospital can be the defining factor. Some insurers allow complete freedom as regards which hospitals you can use. Some insurers offer the option of any hospital or a reduced price for restricting the hospitals you can use.

Make sure you investigate all the options thoroughly if you're looking for low cost health insurance.