Health insurance news: November 2006

This is the first monthly Health Insurance News Brief from Private Healthcare UK. The Health Insurance Centre on Private Healthcare UK is one of the most comprehensive online resources for all types of health insurance. This monthly e-newsletter will keep you up to date on company and product news in the health insurance sector.

This month's Hot Topic

Cancer treatment under private medical insurance

Thanks to increased and improved screening, middle aged people who get cancer have an improved chance of survival and recovery. Cancer treatment can last for a long time. The cost to the NHS and private medical insurance companies is considerable.
Read more...

This month's Health Insurance News

Tesco to launch own brand private medical insurance

Tesco is moving into the private medical insurance market. The UK's largest supermarket chain is planning to offer policies to its customers in partnership with AXA PPP healthcare..
Read more...

PruHealth taking off

PruHealth, the innovative health insurer, is taking off big time. Over the last year, the number of customers went up from 7,400 to 58,912, a 700% increase.

Health-on-Line offers discount for buying online

Health-on-Line is offering a 5% discount to customers who buy individual private health insurance on its redesigned web site.
Read more...

Income Protection Insurance : New policy from British Insurance

British Insurance has launched a new short term income protection policy. It offers unemployment and incapacity cover at only £ 5 a month per £100 of cover.

First time buyers run risks

Research for the Post Office says that one in two first-time buyers would only be able to meet mortgage payments for six months if they suddenly lost their regular income due to illness or unemployment .

Pensioners not planning for long term care

The vast majority of pensioners are not planning for long term care, says a survey from long term care insurers GE Life.
Read more...

Prudential launches sales team for Lifetime Mortgages

Insurer Prudential will introduce a dedicated sales team for Lifetime Mortgages to visit clients at home from October 2006.
Read more...

Employees are 30 days from financial crisis, says Prudential

According to research from Prudential, 18 per cent of Britain’s workers were signed off last year due to long-term illness. Despite this, 36 per cent have little or no savings to tide them through emergencies.
Read more...

Norwich Union cuts prices on critical illness insurance

Norwich Union Life has cut prices on many of its combined Life and Critical Illness policies. For Life and Critical Illness cover premiums on a guaranteed basis, there is an average decrease of 0.3%, with 88% of prices cut.
Read more...

BUPA reduces prices on income protection

BUPA has cut income protection prices. BUPA is reducing its premiums by up to 30 percent.
Read more...

Consumers lack understanding of critical illness insurance

Consumers have a worrying lack of understanding around the critical illness application process, according to a survey by critical illness insurers Scottish Equitable Protect.
Read more...

Improvements to Norwich Union Healthcare PMI for small companies

From 1st September, there are improvements to the Solutions private medical insurance product for small companies.
Read more...

Other news areas

Many sections on Private Healthcare UK now feature current news items. For example:

Cosmetic surgery news
Private hospital news
Treatment news
Dentistry news

SIGN UP for special offers, discounts, news and updates from Private Healthcare UK