Private medical insurance
Private Medical Insurance (PMI) is designed to cover the cost of private treatment for acute conditions. An acute condition is a disease, illness or injury that is likely to respond quickly to treatment and lead to a full recovery or return someone to the state of health they were in before the condition started.
There are several benefits to having a private medical insurance scheme for your business. Private cover will typically provide access to reduced hospital waiting times, increased medical resources and a wider range of specialist treatments, helping your staff get back on their feet and back to work quicker. Having a healthy and productive team is at the foundation of your success and having healthcare cover can not only help keep your staff fit and boost their productivity, it can also help attract and retain the best people.
If you already have a private medical insurance scheme, we can review your cover for free to see if there are competitive solutions available.
Step 1: Get a GP referral or contact the Bupa claims line if you have any symptoms relating to cancer, muscles, bones or joints, or cataracts
Step 2: Call the Bupa claims line on 0345 6060802. You will need your membership number and details of the condition you are claiming for
Full details of the claims process and Bupa's terms and condition are available on request
Services
Getting help, treatment, and support as early as possible about health concerns is vital for any medical condition. The earlier you get help, the better the prognosis and outcome. That’s why our Private Medical Insurance schemes include the following services.
ECIS Scheme members can access In-patient, day-patient and outpatient care as soon as they need it. In many cases, members can choose where they’re treated and the specialist they are treated by. If treatment involves a stay in a hospital, members can access private hospitals with private rooms giving them the privacy they need to recover.
The Digital GP Service through the Bupa Touch app quickly deals with your employee’s health concerns and is available on the ECIS and Value Private Medical Insurance schemes. The app lets your employees book and speak to a doctor on the same day, with appointments available 24/7. Bupa can send prescriptions straight to a chosen pharmacy for collection within the hour or delivery to the door. If necessary, referral letters can be issued within minutes and used with Bupa and some NHS pathways.
Whether it’s concerns over cancer, cataracts, mental health or muscle, bone and joint conditions, Direct Access services allow PMI scheme members to call Bupa without the need for a GP referral. Employees can directly speak to a specialist team at Bupa about their symptoms. The clinically led team will assess their condition and guide your employees to the most appropriate course of action, which could include being referred to a consultant.
The Bupa Employee Assistance Programme is a free, confidential telephone service there to support your employees with issues that may be impacting their wellbeing and work performance. The service is available 24/7 and the helpline provides support from qualified experts. Employees can get practical support by accessing an online resource offering self-help topics to help them manage their issues.
ECIS scheme members with any worrying heart symptoms can access the Bupa specialist cardiac team who will ask a series of questions about their condition to determine the right course of action. If required, they will refer your employee for a video consultation with a cardiologist appropriate for their symptoms. If the cardiologist needs further tests to support the diagnosis, the latest diagnostic tests, such as an ECG monitor or a blood test kit, can be sent to their home.
If an ECIS scheme member is worried about a mole or skin lesion, they can call Bupa’s dermatology team who can organise a Remote Skin Assessment. Your employee may be sent a home test kit that allows them to take high-resolution photos of their moles or skin lesions and send them to a dermatologist for review. If further investigation is required, they’ll receive a call to discuss the course of action, which can include onward referral.