Benenden Healthcare Health Insurance Review

I had a bowel problem and was referred to a NHS hospital by my GP. They gave me a brief Gastroscopy and Endoscopy within a week, telling me that the results were negative. A letter followed saying that I would need to be admitted for a CT scan. There was a minimum 6 weeks waiting list for the CT scans so - as I had Benenden Insurance - I called them up and explained all this, reading the hospital letter to them. They said that I was covered and gave me a list of BMI hospitals to go to (Benenden are also BMI). It was made clear that I could have the CT scan but that for any other service I was to get back to the Benenden office for approval. That made perfect sense.

I phoned one of their hospitals, arranged a time and went in. Thay told me I'd need to see a consultant first, which I did. He arranged a CT scan and arranged for a return visit. He said I'd need a MRI scan, and I know I'd have to get authorization from Benenden for that. When I phoned Benenden, they said that they had approved a CT scan but not a consultancy. I asked how on earth was I going to walk into a hospital and get a CT scan without it being approved by a consultant. I said that it seemed fairly obvious to me that the CT scan must involve whatever that hospital deems necessary to complete a CT scan, but Benenden disagreed. I am now liable to pay for 2 private consultations.

If anybody is thinking of taking up healthcare insurance with Benenden, I'd suggest they think again. If you do select them, I would get from them every detail about what they are approving in writing.

Before you go private, remember that the NHS consultants are so stretched at the moment, that they are only going to liaise with a BMI hospital when they have cleared down their NHS lists. Which is never. So if Benenden send patients to private hospitals, they will not get NHS consultants to authorize treatment unless the NHS hospital has sent the patient there. Which means the private hospital will have to approve the procedure, which means consultancy. And all that means that you might as well either wait in the NHS queue, or pay for the treatment yourself.