Saga Health Insurance

 

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  • Prices From: £16.12
  • No Claims Discount: 60%
  • Excess/Co-pay: Upto £1,000
  • Max Total Cover: Limited

Summary

For more than 20 years, Saga has offered affordable healthcare plans to adults over the age of 50. There are four plans currently offered by Saga with unlimited levels of in-patient cover with varying levels of out-patient and day-patient cover designed to be a better fit for different budgets and lifestyles. Saga works closely with customers to ensure they understand your experience not only in healthcare, but with Saga itself.

Saga specializes in the unique needs of adults 50 years of age and older. Among the many offerings and services provided by Saga, private medical insurance is available with varying degrees of coverage and affordability. Saga also is unique in that they have excellent customer service in their call centers without any press button telephone menus. In an April 2010 survey, 100 percent of customers ranked Saga as good to excellent in customer service.

Healthcare Plans

Saga offers four healthcare plans designed for adults over the age of 50. The plans range in coverage options and corresponding premiums.

Super:

This top-of-the-heap plan offers you a full, comprehensive level of coverage. The Super plan covers in-patient and day-patient treatment as well as full out-patient coverage for consultations, scans, diagnostics and physiotherapy. The Super plan includes other therapies such as osteopathy and homeopathy, provisions for home nursing and a private ambulance, and dental benefits. The plan also includes an option for hypertension coverage with an increase in premiums and a letter of medical disclosure. There are no limits on the total amount you may claim in a year, although certain coverage areas are limited for the year such as major dental and psychiatric treatment.

Secure:

The middle option offered by Saga offers you cover for eligible in-patient and day-patient treatment as well as cover for radiotherapy, chemotherapy and out-patient CT, MRI and PET scans. Under the Secure plan, you have up to £900 for out-patient treatment, including consultations, diagnostic tests and physiotherapy and up to £300 towards post-operative physiotherapy following related in-patient treatment. There are also provisions for home nursing and a private ambulance included in the coverage. Psychiatric treatment is not offered under the Secure plan.

Saver:

Popular among Saga customers, the Saver option is a low-cost plan that offers good, all-around cover for private hospital care. While you’re in the hospital, the Saver plan covers your eligible costs like surgeon fees and accommodation costs if you’re there as an in-patient or a day-patient. The Saver program includes coverage for in-patient and day-patient treatment such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy as well as post operative CT, MRI and PET scans and one scan prior to the related in-patient treatment. With the Saver plan, you’re also covered for £450 for pre and post-operative consultations and tests that are hospital related.

Support:

The base package offered by Saga, the Support program covers just hospital in-patient and day-patient care in private hospitals. Under the Support program, you’ll have access to the private hospitals with easy access to private treatment as well for the lowest available premiums.

Benefits

Hypertension coverage:

Designed specifically for older adults who may be afflicted with hypertension, Saga plans offer additional coverage for those who have hypertension – a service not readily available by other healthcare coverage providers.

Optional excesses:

By opting for an optional excess you can reduce your premiums significantly by up to 30 percent. The higher the excess, the lower the premiums you’ll pay, but you’ll be required to pay the excess at the time of the service. Excess options range from £100 to £1,000.

4-week wait:

If you’re willing to be treated by NHS within 4 weeks of being diagnosed for a condition, you can reduce your premiums by opting for the 4-week wait program. Under this program, you commit to using NHS for your procedure if it is available within 4 weeks. If it is not available, you will receive the procedure in a private hospital using your Saga healthcare plan. The 4 week wait is considerably less than the 6 week industry standard. There are some conditions covered without a 4 week wait, even if the wait option is selected. These options are:

• Cataract surgery
• Varicose veins surgery
• Removal of gallbladder
• Haemorrhoidectomy
• Removal of bunions
• Correction of squint
• Insertion of grommets
• Tonsillectomy
• Adenoidectomy

No claim discount:

Under the no claims discount, you can work your way up to 60 percent off your premiums by not making a claim each year. The longer you go without a claim the higher your savings rise. If you make a claim, however, you lose some of the savings, but you can protect yourself from this by adding a no claim discount protection option to your premium.

No upper age limit :

Working exclusively with older adults, Saga does not include an upper age limit on its healthcare programs.

Save 10 percent and 2 months free:

If you sign up for a new healthcare plan, you get 2 months free by paying monthly Direct Debit as well as 10 percent off your premium. This offer is good for the first year only.