National Health Service complaints rise

Reported across a number of media today is the news that the NHS's complaints level has risen at a record rate over the last year.

A staggering 42% of the complaints were made against medical professionals.

It's not easy to see how the government will navigate their way through a situation with this level of dissatisfaction on the one hand, and the "reshaping" of the organisation on the other. I put the word "reshaping" into quote marks there, as I'm unsure what shape it can eventually be under the circumstances, except 'cheaper shaped'.

As an occasional service user, I've (thankfully) had little reason to complain, but things have definitely been less than perfect. Definitely time to think about getting a health insurance quote - makes sense now more than ever.

But it's not all doom and gloom, and after the birth of his new baby yesterday, PM David Cameron was all smiles.

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The future

Believe it or not, I used to follow my daily horoscope. Sometimes (very occasionally) the horoscope was accurate. But I think it's fair to say that the future is necessarily unpredictable - that's half the fun. The FTSE never quite behaves the way anyone expects. And if it could be predicted, everyone would be rich - and while that would be great, it remains the material of daydreams.

In an unpredictable world though, there are thankfully some cushions and safety nets that we can rely on without the need for prescience or a mystical third eye. Many of these, such as pensions, savings and whatonot are second nature to us. But while they are great to have, we also need a cushion against the unforeseen/ unforeseeable. So while it's great to watch a small pile of savings grow, or a pension fund (hopefully) perform, we also need insurance. As self-employment looks to be a more attainable option for many of us in the coming years, and with growing numbers already joining the ranks of the self employed, it's time to think about self employed health insurance. A little peace of mind can go a long way. And as being self-employed is often an enjoyable challenge, it's good to know that some things will always be there to assist.

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Living Abroad, Get Health Insurance

More and more British Citizens are deciding that they wish spend at least part of their lives abroad, reasons include, work, study, volunteering and retiral.

Among the more popular places to relocate are EU countries skirting the Mediterranean Sea, but there are also growing expatriate communities in Hong Kong, China, Australia, Canada, USA, Germany, India and Singapore.

Expatriate health insurance plans are increasingly important, as politicians across Europe seek to control runaway health budgets, by limiting what non-citizens can have.

If you are planning to move abroad, you may think that the reciprocal arrangements which exist between EU countries will protect you. And it may, but it can only be relied upon for emergency treatments. State healthcare abroad is often done on a system of Health Insurance, quite unlike the system which exists in the UK: it is common to charge for many treatments.

Some countries now insist that all expatriates have international health insurance, or buy the same cover as locals.

Holland is the latest country to require foreign nationals, whether working in the country or simply resident, to have cover. Everyone aged over 18, irrespective of medical history and age, must buy an insurance plan.

Particularly if you are keeping a home in the UK, you may think you do not need to buy health insurance as you can return to the UK for treatment. But, following a crackdown on medical tourism, Britons in the EU who spend less than six months a year in the UK are denied access to the National Health Service, except in emergencies. Britons living outside the EU are ineligible for NHS services if they are abroad more than three months a year.

There are lots of international health insurance plans to choose from. They range from those offering very wide cover with lots of extras, to fairly basic plans aimed at covering in-patient treatment only. There are huge differences in cover and price. The only way to find out what suits your needs and your budget is to get lots of quotes. There are packages, plans where you have a core cover and a variety of options, or top-up covers for the difference in what the country you move to pays for and what you get charged by medical services.

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Ten Great Health Sites

As you ar no doubt aware, there are a huge amount of blogs and websites covering every niche within the health sector. However, there are a few which stand up more than other to repeated visits - we thought that we would list them here!

These are ten health related websites that we visit regularly.

1. Health on the Net – established and relevant guide to useful and reliable health websites
2. AXA PPP Health Insurance – UK insurance company with a great deal of health information on its site
3. Surgery Door – Commericial UK based website with a wealth of health information and advice on a range of health topics
4. Intute Medicine – thousands of links to academic medical resources, collated from top universities
5. Allcures – online pharamacy, you can get your prescription from the comfort of your computer desk
6. Web MD – well presented and hugley popular website, features loads of information on a huge variety of conditions
7. NHS 24 – much maligned, but on balance its probably helped thousands of people in need
8. Real Age – take the real age test and get a personalised plan to improve your health
9. Medgadget – the latest healthcare technological innovations
10. Insureblog – blog focusing on the us healthcare industry and health issues in general

If there any other health websites that you would like to see on the top 10 list? Please let us know.........

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Health Insurance for Children

It goes without saying that the health and wellbeing of our children is a crucial aspect of life.

When taking out childs health insurance policies it is important to evaluate what the major health insurance providers can offer with any policy you take out. There are a few central policy elements that you should ensure are in place before entering into any agreement:

1. A series of thorough Tests to diagnose your child’s condition
2. Medical Treatment in a Private hospital (such as surgery)
3. Private ambulance provision
4. Consultations with a specialist before diagnosis of any condition
5. Private treatment such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy and CT, MRI and PET scans
6. Some insurers will pay for you to stay with your child at the hospital where they are being treated (if they are under 11 years of age)

These are some points that could be considered vital.

Are there any other worthwhile options that you feel the major health insurers could offer in their childrens medical insurance policies? We are keen to discover your ideas.

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