I am furious.

I have an on going back condition which means I have steroid injections and then probes placed down my spine and the nerves are literally cooked so they die off ( they grow back after about ten to twelves months )

I am allowed two lots per year under my private health cover it they are getting increasingly difficult to get authorisation and the increase in the premiums has increased almost 70 % year on year.

So the last lot cost over £2K. So I am going in this evening to have it done and enquired how much it would be if I paid it myself. Answer £250 for 15 minutes of the Professors time and £450 for the hospital cost.

Apparently the contract Nuffield have agreed with insurers is the higher amount (£1.3k more ) and who ends up getting shafted for it ? Yes , us it is criminal. I think I may write a letter to the insurance ombudsman as this just seems a very dodgy practice and no wonder we all seem to be getting shafted by insurance premiums :-(

No wonder you are furious.  I would complain.  But is it maybe like my vet?  If he knows your pet is insured, he goes all out with tests and stuff but if you tell him their is no insurance, he just does what he needs too.  I hate this as it puts the dogs through unnecessary suffering.

Hope your feeling better after your treatment tonight  :)

Our annual Private Health insurance charges increased by so much once my husband reached 60 that we decided to stop it and save the money towards paying for any treatment out of our own pocket if difficult to get on the NHS without a delay.  We are quids in already!  A funny story though was after I had my hysterectomy privately, paid for by our insurance, I had a letter from them saying that any further uterine operations would not be covered!  Did they think that I had more than one uterus do you think??  :)  :)

>we decided to stop it and save the money towards paying for any treatment out of our own pocket if difficult to get on the NHS without a delay

I had BUPA cover for many years, and, to be fair, had 2 operations on my hands, but the actal cost did work out a whole lot less than all my contributions over the years.  So BUPA were quids in really. 

Then I divorced in 1998 and had to start cutting my outgoings.  BUPA and Denplan had to go.  I did cancel my RAC cover, but eventually went back to it once I knew my budget.

I needed a quick appointment in oncology recently, and was amazed how fast it all happened.  Letter received on Saturday for surgery on Tuesday, so NHS comes up trumps for anything urgent.  I did wait about 10 weeks last year for a consult in the eye department, but would have asked for a private consult and paid if it was needed.  I realise now just how much money BUPA had from me!!  :-(