64-year-old retiree Margaret is married and has two children in their 20s who have flown the nest. She lives with her husband, Lance, who is also retired.
Now, enjoying their retirement, they’ve been travelling all over the world. From Prague to South Africa, and many other short trips in between; they’re making the most of it.
Margaret has always been in reasonably good health. Although she’s had some occasional blips in her eating habits (haven’t we all…), she generally leads an active lifestyle.
So it came as a bit of a surprise when she fell ill last year. It’s not something she’s used to dealing with. But her decision to buy a Joint Health Insurance policy with her husband paid off. We wanted to know more about Margaret and how she’s getting on with her policy, so we sat down and had a quick chat.
Margaret and her husband have had a joint policy before, but rarely used it. Margaret only used it once when she had to have an MRI scan on her ankle. But after that, the costs soared, and she feared she wouldn’t be able to afford cover.
Because of this, the couple cancelled the policy. Unable to justify the costs as retirees, the pair wondered if they could make do without. But Margaret tells us that it wasn’t a risk they were willing to take at their age, especially as the NHS isn’t what it used to be.
The lasting impact of Covid-19 has also influenced her decision to get Health Insurance. The pandemic has led to longer waiting lists and even longer delays in treatment.
Soon after coming to the realisation that they couldn’t do without the extra support of a Private Health policy, the search for a more cost effective policy began…
I don’t feel that comfortable going to an NHS hospital, to be quite honest, and that’s a big issue for me. Having cover gives me peace of mind, knowing that if I do end up as an emergency patient in the NHS, I can get transferred to a private hospital.
We all have our own individual health needs, some of which hold a stronger focus than others. Margaret mentioned cancer care while chatting with us and it’s a topic that crops up often.
Getting older is the way of life. But this does mean that more health issues can pop up. Margaret and her husband, Lance, are well aware of the higher risk of developing serious conditions or suffering a fall. This is why the retired couple wanted a policy which would cover basically everything they may need health-wise in the future, including cancer.
Her philosophy is accurate. If you’re going to take out a Health Insurance policy, you might as well opt for the highest amount of cover possible within your budget. You never know when you might need private medical treatment or extra support.
After some online research, her husband discovered Drewberry. He contacted us and one of our Independent Protection Experts provided them with a quote from health insurer WPA.
This quote included full Cancer Care, which Margaret emphasised a need for. Cancer is a big health issue and having significant cover for any eventuality was vital.
I hadn’t heard of WPA but Drewberry’s write up of it sounded very supportive. So my husband decided to go for that and the quote was good compared to our other one.
At Drewberry, providing a great service is what we’re all about. So hearing that Margaret had a positive experience with an adviser is the best news ever.
Employee Benefits Consultant Matthew helped the couple set up their Joint Health Insurance. But the service didn’t end there. Margaret receives regular email updates from Matthew. And she knows if she has any issues regarding her policy, she can give him a quick call.
Matt has also ensured that Margaret and her husband are making the most of the free additional benefits that come with their policy.
Part of Margaret and Lance’s policy includes a 24/7 virtual GP service. As Margaret had already told us, getting a GP appointment recently is a nightmare. The nearest available appointment is often weeks away and when you’ve got a health problem, you want to be seen as quickly as possible.
With a virtual GP service, Margaret can get the medical attention and advice she needs at a faster pace. She can book an appointment at a time that suits her best. It also means she can receive advice from the comfort of her own home, as appointments are through video or telephone calls. This is a fantastic extra benefit UK health insurers now offer.
Having a Virtual GP service is really good. It gives you the option to speak to a GP quickly. Usually on the same day you request an appointment. It can often just put your mind at rest by giving you reassurance.
On the lead up to Christmas one year, Margaret had been feeling unwell. Concerned about her symptoms, she tried to get an appointment with a GP, but it was proving difficult.
When she finally managed to speak to an NHS GP, they suggested a diagnosis of diabetes or an issue with her B12 levels. Margaret then had a blood test, but the results got lost. With concerns about a diabetes diagnosis, Margaret wanted answers.
At the time, the festive season was in full swing. It should have been a jolly period, but with diabetes on her mind, she stopped eating sugar all the way up to Christmas Day.
I had pins and needles in my feet, fingers and toes. My feet felt like I was walking on cauliflowers or spongesm and it was getting worse every day for about four or five weeks.
The NHS said it was probably diabetes or B12. The thought of diabetes was very concerning so over the Christmas period I ate no sugar.
Using her policy for the first time, the remote GP service allowed her to get the answers she wanted and the care she needed. The private GP had the time to listen to her questions and talk her through her symptoms, without feeling rushed. She was then reassured that it wasn’t diabetes, which was a massive relief.
But after no improvements in health, she decided to get a referral for a specialist through her policy. Despite how busy the Christmas season often is, the specialist went through everything with Margaret and concluded that her issues were the result of a virus she had had.
Now out of the woods, she was very glad to have the protection and support of Private Health Insurance. It made all the difference to her, knowing her symptoms weren’t as serious as she thought they might be.
Her experience with the remote GP service made her feel so much better. Not just that, but her husband also has the support readily available for him. He can phone WPA for an appointment and get the healthcare he needs. He can even set up the appointment online!
Something we hear a lot about our expert advisers is their genuine care and concern for the people they help get cover. Everyone who walks through the door (or rather, calls us up) gets Health Insurance they value.
When it came to a time where Margaret needed to use her policy, she was unsure whether seeing a private specialist was the right decision. She didn’t want her premiums to be impacted the following year. A quick phone call to Matthew and she felt confident enough in his advice to book the specialist appointment.
Matthew’s been supportive. The regular emails are helpful, even though I might not be interested in whatever’s coming across, it’s good to know. That’s the main thing.
Not one retirement is the same and we know this is something to consider when our clients are retirees. For Margaret and Lance, affordability was important.
To combat her worries, Margaret plans to use the NHS as much as she can. Private healthcare is a godsend, yet it’s important to remember that it’s designed to supplement the NHS, not replace it. Margaret will still use the NHS for emergencies and chronic conditions, for example.
There’s nothing more Margaret enjoys in life than the outdoors and going for walks. But oftentimes she feels this makes her more prone to injuries, not just because of the walking but her age too.
Strains are a common issue for avid walkers, but that shouldn’t deter anyone from enjoying the outdoors. With her Private Health Insurance, Margaret has peace of mind knowing no matter what happens, she has health coverage to support her. Happy days!
Margaret shared her philosophy with us and we couldn’t agree more. Sometimes just knowing you have cover is the most comforting aspect.
Her WPA Health Insurance has supported her more than anything. And she finds peace in knowing she could talk to somebody at length about her health without feeling like a nuisance.
In this life, most of the time, you get what you pay for. And you have to decide what your priorities are. It’s quite important, especially getting older to have your health covered. Especially with the current NHS situation, too.
If, like Margaret and her husband, you’d like a Health Insurance policy set up but don’t know where to start, please get in touch with us. You can pop us a call on 02074425880 or email help@drewberry.co.uk. We’d love to replicate Margaret’s positive experience with others who want health cover.
Our team of experts can help guide you through the maze that is Private Medical Insurance. We can compare the whole UK market and ensure you get cover that’s best suited to your particular needs and budget. This means you’ll have peace of mind knowing you can get the right treatment when you need it most.
We started Drewberry™ because we were tired of being treated like a number.
We all deserve a first class service when it comes to issues as important as protecting our health. Below are just a few reasons why it makes sense to talk to us.
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