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IT Contractor Insurance Professional Indemnity insurance, Public / Employers liability - Hiscox.

Private medical insurance (PMI) for contractors

Published on Jan 26, 2010 |

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Contractors looking to cover themselves and any dependants for specialist and hospital treatment costs may be interested in find out more about private medical insurance.

Although the National Health Service is "free" to use, many people experience delays and restrictions when trying to book appointments. Additionally, many medical treatments are limited in scope on the NHS, and you may have to wait an age before being provided with operation dates.

In the private sector, you are free to choose the service and treatment you would like to receive, and importantly when you receive it. You will have access to many services and treatments not fully provided in the state sector. You will also have access to private hospital wards. The obvious downside is that you have to pay for the privilege of being treated privately.

So what is Private Medical Insurance?

With PMI, you sign up for an annual insurance policy to cover you and your family. Once a medical problem has been identified, you will be referred for specialist treatment by your NHS or private GP, at which stage you contact your insurance provider.

Once you have been recommended a specialist to visit, medical tests of hospital treatment will be arranged with the help of your insurance provider.

The amount/scope of the cover you receive will depend on the the PMI provider you sign up with, and the package you are covered under.

At Contract Eye, we are happy to recommend the services of WPA - we have worked with the team for over ten years on a number of contractor sites we have operated. Not only is the company a non-for-profit organisation, they have created tailored insurance packages specifically for contractors and freelancers. The service is transparent, avoiding the confusion we've encountered with some other scheme providers.

About WPA

Some of the benefits of using WPA are:

- The company is non-for-profit, and has been providing cover for over a century.

- The company won 'Best Insurer for Customer Care' at the British Insurance Awards 2005 & 2009.

- You will not get penalised for claiming, no matter how much you claim (unlike many other schemes).

- Shared responsibility allows you to make significant savings without limiting your insurance cover

- You can be treated at any hospital or by any specialist in the UK, providing freedom of choice.

- 'Health Top-up' enables you to reclaim regular medical costs such as private GP consultations, dental treatment, prescriptions, etc.

Further information

For more information on WPA's offering, please visit Contract Eye's microsite.