September – IHC news round up
National Friendly: back with mutual benefits
The 150-year-old mutual society National Friendly has reopened its doors to offer a PMI product called Your Health Fund.
National Friendly’s Diagnosis Plus product includes private specialist and GP consultations, diagnostic tests such as scans and x-rays, specialist treatments, including physiotherapy, chiropractic treatment, counselling and psychotherapy.
Inpatient Cover, which can be bought in conjunction with Diagnosis Plus, offers private hospital operations, hospital accommodation and follow-on treatment, certain heart and cancer treatments, and a maximum benefit of £25,000 a year for treatments.
National Friendly has a reputation for taking an innovative approach, and under its unique deposit principle, customers are able to claim back up to £1,500 at the end of their policies (depending on claims history).
The launch of National Friendly’s PMI products marks a return to the market for the mutual society. In 2006, National Friendly launched the Healthcare Deposit Account, but in order to meet capital obligations under new regulations it closed its doors to new members in 2011, while continuing in to take care of existing customers.
Reducing the stress with Medicash Family Care
Only a limited number of private hospitals can offer paediatric inpatient care – a discovery that can cause parents additional stress at a time when they most need matters to run smoothly. Frequently, parents find that PMI cover does not cover quite what they expected it to.
Medicash Family Care is aiming to tackle this problem in the form of a product developed in association with Medex Protect. The product offers an alternative, practical benefits package on a company-funded, flex or voluntary basis.
Whether treatment is carried out on the NHS or through a private medical plan, this whole-of-workforce product is designed to provide assistance for diagnostic tests for children, but it also covers a number of areas that are missing from typical health plans, such as overnight accommodation costs, car parking, additional childcare costs and other expenses that people frequently do not think about until facing the challenge.
Jason Dunks, director at Medex Protect said: “The plans will improve the lives of thousands of families, single parents and guardians giving them the choice, flexibility and peace of mind they need when their child is unwell, at a price point which is compelling.”
Richard Holden, commercial director at Chase Templeton, was consulted on the plans. He said: “There has been a huge and serious gap in the market that many clients and advisors will have been wholly unaware of until now. This new product addresses key issues and provides valuable, practical financial support regardless of whether treatment is given privately or on the NHS.”
Family Care is only available through a select group of intermediaries, including IHC. If you would like to find out more, contact IHC at proberts@ihc.co.uk.
Two month’s free cover from AXA PPP
AXA PPP is offering two months’ free cover to individual customers who join between 5 September and 31 October.
The free months’ cover will be applied to the fourth and fifth months of the policy for those who pay monthly, while those who pay annually will simply pay for 10 months’ cover instead of 12.
AXA PPP said the offer comes in addition to the wide array of support, care and guidance already on offer to members, including Fast Track Appointments, 50% discount on annual membership at PureGyms and great cover.
To find out more about AXA PPP’s private medical insurance and to see whether you could benefit from the deal, contact at tdart@ihc.co.uk.