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Private Health Insurance: Two-tier Health Care

The National Health Service (NHS) has been providing government-run health care coverage to the citizens of the UK since 1948. But at the same time, the UK also has a two tier healthcare system. What this means is that residents who have the financial means are free to purchase private health insurance in addition to their regular NHS coverage.

Why do people need both types of insurance? Well, most of the citizens who obtain private insurance are interested in certain medical procedures and services that are not covered by the NHS. For example, cosmetic surgery is not covered by the government in the UK. Therefore, an individual who has the financial means may choose to purchase some additional insurance.

At present, about eight per cent of the population has some kind of private insurance. Ancillary coverage is often obtained through employers and it is used far less frequently than normal NHS coverage. That is because private insurance companies will often refuse to cover procedures that are already paid for by the NHS, such as childbirth or prenatal services.

So, if this kind of service is limited, why are more and more UK residents paying for it? That’s right! For the first time in decades, the private insurance industry is on the rise in the UK. What does this mean? We can only speculate. But what we do know is that most folks who paid for this insurance in the past did so to avoid long queues and waiting lists.

In the past, queues for NHS patients could be backed up for several months. Though waiting times have undeniably improved, many patients are worried about the recent declines in hospital workers all over the UK. This fact has led many to assume that hospital waiting times are bound to increase once again and that private insurance may be the only option.