New Exeter Friendly Plan

Exeter Friendly has launched a new health insurance product with a catchy and relaxed name: "Health and Stuff." Its clear and easily understood policy document is excellent and should enable prospective customers to easily understand what they are purchasing.

The new offerings are designed with an awareness of the cost conscious nature of the current economy. Richard Wyatt-Haines, sales and marketing director at Exeter Friendly, said:

'Our research shows that the needs and demands of customers can vary hugely according to their stage of life. With Heath & Stuff, we have built a plan which reflects this, allowing customers to buy their plan according to what is important to them and what they can afford. From there on it's simple. No hidden limits, no small print.'

"Health and Stuff" has several levels of cover: £2,500, £5,000, £10,000 or £20,000. Claimants have to pay the first 10% of any treatment. Cover includes: Cancer cover, in-patient and day-case hospital charges, CTI/MRI/PET scans; out-patient surgery specialists fees, specialist fees diagnostic tests, consultant fees, diagnostic tests, physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic, podiatry, private ambulance, home nursing, parental accommodation, 24-hour GP helpline.

Unusually the cover provided enables parents to stay with their sick children up to the age of 18. Most policies only provide this cover when children are 12 or below.

They are currently offering two discounts:

• 10% discount if your body mass index between of 18 to 25
• 10% discount if you have not smoked for the last 12 months

The Exeter Friendly distinguishes itself by having a very clear policy document which warns prospective claimants that some of the more expensive treatments may not be covered by their annual limits. They detail the costs of common procedures so that consumers can see exactly what they can expect with each of the levels of cover. In fact the whole policy document is clear and leaves consumers fully aware of what is and isn't covered.

The Health and Stuff policy is likely to be a pioneer in clear and understandable policy documents which enable consumers to see exactly what they are and are not going to get when they sign on the dotted line. Well done Exeter Friendly Society!

10 Disadvantages of Medical Insurance

1. Chronic conditions are not covered
Health insurance is designed to cover you for an acute illness and restore you to the health you enjoyed prior to the illness or injury. Should you be left with chronic symptoms after this they will not be covered by the insurance.

2. Your current health issues will not be covered
Any illness or even symptom of an illness that you had five years prior to taking out a policy will not be covered should you become ill from this. Even symptoms that do not seem related to any illness you have had can be included in this.

3. Health insurance can be complicated to purchase
There are many private health insurance providers and their policies can vary greatly from one another. Even within a company there can be several types of health insurance available with a variety of options to choose from. Because policy documents are legally binding agreements it is very important to read the small print so that you know what your rights are. Getting the help of a financial advisor is recommended when you are choosing a private health insurance policy.

4. Cancer is not well covered on all policies
Cancer cover is very varied. Some companies do not cover cancer at all and others provide fully comprehensive policies that cover palliative care should it be needed. As cancer is a one the main causes of death in the UK this is a factor which you need to consider carefully when looking into health insurance.

5. Comprehensive cover can be expensive
The most comprehensive policies are the most expensive. Most are also weighted depending on your age, sex and lifestyle. Its important to shop around and get the best deals.

6. There are many exclusions
Health insurance exclusions are great in number. Most are standard and are related to obvious risk factors for example alcoholism or drug use, dangerous occupations or hobbies, HIV. Others are less obvious - some policies will not cover mental health or pregnancy.

7. Mental Health is poorly covered
The statistics show that at any one time one out of ten UK citizens are suffering from a mental health condition at any one time. Some policies cover mental health others do not. Usually it is the top-of-the-range policies which include mental health cover.

8. Health insurance companies can be very stringent in following their rules
The health insurance industry has a reputation for repudiating claims on very minor details. Even though they have tried to remedy this reputation by providing guidelines which means that consumers are treated more fairly you still need to keep on your toes. If you have a claim that is rejected do not give up. Go back over the small print and see if there have been misunderstandings that can be rectified. You are within your legal rights to complain.

9. The NHS is improving
Some believe that the NHS has improved dramatically over last ten years and that therefore the private sector no longer has the pull it once had. The NHS has improved but it still lags far behind in the speed at which it can provide treatment compared to the private sector.

10. There are no official statistics for private health establishments
NHS statistics are published all the time. It enables the public to see what's going on. This does not apply to the private health insurance industry which is notoriously bad at transparency.