Five reasons why now is a good time to consider private medical insurance

Private medical insurance, or PMI, is one of those things that doesn’t seem important until you need it.  At a time when other costs are rising, it may even seem like an unnecessary expense when you are trying to keep your costs low.  But if you are considering it, we’ve put together five reasons why now is a good time to think about arranging PMI.

What is PMI?

PMI pays for private treatment for new, acute, short-term health conditions. PMI gives you access to care and treatment outside of the NHS, which can significantly reduce your wait time and any potential delay in treatment.

As of 7th February 2022, 6 million people were waiting to start treatment on the NHS with an average wait of over 56 weeks. With PMI, you will continue to have access to the NHS for emergency treatment, but you won’t have to join a long waiting list to receive non-emergency treatment.

Peace of mind for your farm business

 For many of our Members, unexpected time off through illness or injury is not just an inconvenience.  It can cost you and your farm business a substantial sum whilst you or one of your team recuperate.

PMI can help to keep your recovery time as short as possible by allowing you to quickly access the best available treatment so you can get back on farm.

Fast and convenient access to medical treatment

Private treatment means convenience, whether that’s the choice of when and where you want to be treated, or the ease of knowing the bill will be taken care of.

As well as being able to take advantage of private treatment and consultations, policyholders also receive other benefits such as:

• Complementary therapies, such as physiotherapy and osteopathy
• Private rooms
• Home nursing
• Parent accommodation when staying with a child insured on the policy
• the latest drugs and medicines, including cancer care and drugs which may not be available on the NHS.

Flexible cover to suit your budget

AF Healthcare can tailor a policy to meet your individual or group needs.  We can create a bespoke policy by choosing benefits that suit your circumstances and budget. Options include:

• Full outpatient cover or include a limit, which minimises costs
• Add optional benefits such as mental health cover, therapies, as well as dental and optical cover
• Set your own excess between £0-£1000, the higher your excess, the lower your premium will be
• Cover can be transferred from another insurer subject to meeting the necessary requirements, with flexible underwriting for new joiners.

Whether you have an individual PMI policy, or are part of a group scheme, you can add your family members. This means your loved ones can benefit from the same top-class facilities and treatments as you.

A private room and unrestricted visiting hours

If you need to stay overnight, you can expect a private ensuite room, unrestricted visiting hours and a choice of menu options. You can even decide which hospital you’d like to be treated in from our comprehensive list featuring over 800 facilities nationwide.

Support at a time that works for you

As an AF Healthcare Member, you can save on lengthy waiting times to see an NHS doctor by using the Digital GP App.  This  allows you to speak to a healthcare professional from the comfort of your own home at a time that’s convenient for you.

Would you like to know more?

The AF Healthcare scheme through Aviva Healthcare offers AF Members preferential rates, which non-members do not have access to. Plus, if you’re part of a group policy that’s looking to transfer into the scheme from another insurer, we guarantee to beat your current renewal price by up to 10%*.

To find out more or to get started, call the AF Healthcare team on 01603 216385 or email them at healthcare@af.farm.

AF Group is an appointed representative of Alan Boswell Insurance Brokers Ltd who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

*Price beater guarantee is subject to not having previously received treatment or advice for a number of conditions (e.g. cancer, heart / circulatory, psychiatry, knees, back, shoulders or arthritis). Full details are available on request.