HEALTH INSURANCE

We know that being diagnosed with cancer can lead to some very difficult times. That's why we want to take away as much of the stress and worry as we can. With a Saga HealthPlan you have access to our team of experienced and dedicated healthcare professionals, who will support you and your family through the challenges you may encounter during treatment.

If you are diagnosed with cancer you will be referred to one of our specialist nurses in our Cancer Care team. They will be able to provide information on the treatment options open to you and dedicated support throughout your treatment.

If your treatment is eligible under the policy as a private patient, but after discussion with the Cancer Care nurses you choose to have NHS treatment instead, our specialist nurses can also offer other services to support you financially whilst you receive NHS cancer treatment, for example domestic help or assistance with travel costs to and from the hospital. They can also signpost you to relevant support services available through other organisations such as cancer charities.

One of the benefits of taking out Saga Health Insurance is that you can use our GP service for unlimited access to private telephone and video GP consultations. All our private health insurance plans include the service, which means you can speak in confidence with a qualified general practitioner day or night, 365 days a year from wherever you are in the world.

• Book unlimited telephone or video GP appointments from anywhere in the world – there’s no need to wait in a doctor’s surgery as you can book your appointment online. If you prefer to call, our phone line is always open. We know getting a same day appointment with your GP, or at a time that’s convenient for you, can be tricky. With our GP Service you can talk to a GP in complete privacy and confidence from the comfort of your home or wherever you are in the world.
• We can arrange a doctors appointment at a time that’s convenient to you – fast access to a GP can bring additional peace of mind and unlike appointments at many surgeries, you’re not limited to a 10-minute time slot and can use the Saga GP Service as many times as you like.
• Get an open referral to a specialist – we’re always looking for ways to make Saga HealthPlans even better for our customers, If you need further tests or advice, either your GP or our Saga GP Service can give you an open referral to a private specialist if necessary.
• Order private prescriptions direct to your door – call the Saga GP Service and they can arrange for your private prescription to be fulfilled and delivered to your door, which means you don’t have to leave the house if you're feeling unwell.
• Quality guaranteed – all the doctors you'll speak to are experienced GPs who are GMC registered, licensed, on the NHS Performers list, GP Register and have full Medical Council of Ireland registration, qualifying them as "fit to practise".

Saga GP Service is provided by HealthHero Solutions Limited, specialists in 24/7 Private GP services.

Find out more about the Saga GP Service

If you want to get advice from a specialist healthcare professional other than a GP you can call this line 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and we can arrange for you to talk to the nursing team.

With 'Mental Health Direct Access' you can get prompt access to mental health care and support. It's included with all our health plans except Support.

If you experience stress, anxiety or any mental health concerns, call the Claims Helpline. We may need to make some checks before we can transfer you through to our Mental Health Direct Access team.

Once cover is agreed they will arrange for you to speak to a Specialist Team.

The Specialist Team will carry out an initial clinical needs assessment then recommend a treatment plan which is clinically appropriate for you.

This could be telephone or face-to-face counselling, a psychiatrist or psychologist consultation or simply some self-help advice.

We will pay for counselling arranged by the Mental Health Direct Access team if this is recommended, and this will not affect your excess, NCD or out-patient limits.

However, if our Mental Health Direct Access team recommend treatment such as with a specialist or practitioner it will be subject to the terms of your policy. These payments will be made direct to the provider.

Please note: This service is available to 18 and over only.

When you experience muscle, bone or joint pain, it is important that you get the most appropriate support early.

With ‘MSK Direct Access’ you can get access to advice and treatment without the need for a GP referral. It’s available with all Saga HealthPlans apart from Support.

How does it work?

If you develop a problem, just call the Claims Helpline, who will first check your cover and then offer a free telephone or video physiotherapist assessment, within 48 hours.

If you use MSK Direct Access for advice this will not affect your current benefits, as it works alongside these benefits.

However, if a MSK Direct Access physiotherapist recommends treatment, then we may need to go through some checks before any treatment can be authorised and claims are paid, subject to the terms of your policy.

Please note: age limits apply to who can use the service. Further details about the Direct Access service, including the age limits that apply, can be found on Bupa's website or you can contact us.

Get in touch

If you are an existing customer and you feel you would benefit from speaking to the MSK Direct Access team, please call your Claims Personal Advisory Team on 0330 018 0778. This number is free to call from both landlines and mobile phones.

We calculate the basic cost of your cover by taking into account which Saga HealthPlan and hospitals you have access to, whether you require cover for just yourself, yourself and spouse, or your children as well (up to the age of 21, or 25 if in full-time education).

We also take into account a range of statistical factors including the age of the eldest person to be covered and the geographical region you live in.

The cost can be reduced if you choose to add an excess to your policy or choose our unique 4-week wait option on your chosen Saga HealthPlan.

We also offer a 6-week wait option, but this is not available online. Please call 0330 094 6361 for more information.

Like most other private health insurance policies in the UK, all Saga HealthPlans are intended to cover the costs of treating medical conditions that arise after the date you join. Please refer to our Policy Books which help explain how we assess any pre-existing conditions that you may have, and also explains in more detail the three methods of underwriting that we use.

Generally, we automatically exclude treatment for any medical condition or certain specified conditions you (or anyone you wish to be covered) have experienced or had symptoms of during the three years prior to joining. Whichever method of underwriting you choose, you will of course be covered for any new, eligible conditions that arise after the policy starts.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition and would like to speak to one of our friendly health insurance team about the cover options available please call 0330 094 6361

When you are considering health insurance, it's important to understand all the options available to you.

We offer a choice of three types of underwriting method:

• Moratorium – we will provide cover for new medical conditions that occur after the policy begins. However, any pre-existing conditions you had, or experienced symptoms of, during the three years before your policy started will be excluded.
• Full Medical Underwriting – this option is similar to Moratorium. However, when it comes to exclusions for pre-existing conditions, we will base these on the answers provided in response to our full medical history assessment.
• Continued Personal Medical Exclusions – this option is only available if you already have cover with another health insurance provider, subject to your medical history over the last 12 months.

Depending on which option you choose, we may be able to cover you for pre-existing medical conditions.

Read more about our health insurance underwriting methods.

If you have completed a quote online the Moratorium method is used. This is because no medical declaration is necessary. We'll simply exclude treatment for any medical condition and certain specified conditions you or anyone on your policy has had in the three years prior to joining.

If you have pre-existing medical conditions and you'd like to speak our friendly health insurance team about our Full Medical Underwriting or Continued Personal Medical Exclusions please call 0330 094 6361

There are many ways you can reduce your premium whilst still maintaining a great level of cover.

Our unique 4-Week Wait and Guided Care options will give you a lower premium when selected. Plus, you can opt to increase the excess you have to pay if you make a claim which helps to reduce your overall premium without affecting your chosen level of cover.

Take a look at options to reduce your premium to find out more.

We also offer a 6-week wait option, but this is not available online. Please call 0330 094 6361 for more information.

Saga HealthPlans Super, Secure and Saver Plus all provide cancer cover for the access to latest drugs and treatments. This includes chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments as standard, with up to 18 months cover for biological therapies.

For customers who want total peace of mind, our Extended Cancer Cover option removes the time limit completely for cancer drugs that are used within the terms of their licence.

For more information about our cover for cancer, simply call our friendly, UK-based team on 0330 094 6361

Alternatively, you can get a quote online in minutes.