Private Healthcare: PPP or BUPA?
 

British Airways have decided to choose BUPA to run the company group scheme with effect from 1st. May 2000. Does anyone out there have any reports of BUPA, good/bad/ indifferent?

The snag is not with the scheme administrator but the change itself.
Let me explain.

If you get a medical problem, for example a lung complaint. The insurance company will cover you on a continous basis. If the scheme moves to a new vendor say BUPA then they probably will decline existing medical conditions ie your lung problem.
If you then suffer complaint No 2. and then move schemes again you will find that the new insurance company will cover neither the old lung problem OR complaint No2.

The outcome is that you end up with none of your clinical problems being covered by private healthcare. You're *******!

Normally, when a large company moves its group scheme the new provider has to accept all existing conditions. BUPA Intl certainly did this when it came to my company.

BUPA provide a good service. I have had four claims. On each occasion early treatment of the condition helped my flying career. The claims procedure is brilliantly simple. A claim number is given over the phone and you write this on all receipts and send them off th Head Office and that is the end of the matter.

If you are transferring into Company scheme then check that the scale of cover is the same. Also have confirmation, in writing, that if you leave the airline BUPA will still cover any pre existing conditions.

I decided not to transfer to a Company scheme because my own personal scale of cover was, for me, better. I pay £30 pcm for myself and £20 for my wife. The peace of mind really is worth it. These days you can wait an awful long time for treatment. The condition might not be serious but could stop you flying in the interim.

Good health is everything in in flying.

Dry Clean - That comment about exclusions only applies for personal HealthCare insurance.
All company schemes are 'underwritten' under a "No Worse Terms" agreement and this means that regardless of health, as an employee under a new scheme chosen by your company - You WILL be covered.
I live with a Health Care Insurance Broker who says that PPP are no different to BUPA apart from one thing.
She says that PPP's administration is AWFUL.

To the creator of this thread - You are in good hands there's nothing to worry about.

I've been with BUPA for the last 16 years with 8 claims, all of which have been dealt with OK apart from one minor glitch where they lost the invoices from the consultant. My former employer changed to BUPA many years ago and the changeover included all pre-existing conditions.

When I retired I took out personal cover with BUPA and retained cover for pre-existing conditions as there was no break in cover. Costs me £62 per month (at age 54).

Could have got a cheaper deal through my wife's employer's scheme but this would have meant losing all the pre-existing condition cover.

One point to watch if anyone takes out personal cover with BUPA and opts for the annual premium scheme. I am almost 100% certain that if you do this it is seen as the start of new cover and you lose the pre-existing condition benefit.