Saga health insurance review

Saga is a specialist health insurance provider that has been in business for over thirty years. Its products were historically designed for the over 50s and has one numerous awards for the cover it has made available in that time.

What Is Saga’s Health Insurance Product-Offering?

Saga Health Insurance offers four different health plans, with each one covering hospital in-patient, day-patient treatment, and care.

The four plans offered are:

• Saga HealthPlan Support
• Saga HealthPlan Saver Plus
• Saga HealthPlan Secure
• Saga HealthPlan Super

Saga HealthPlan Support

This first product is the most basic level and as such, offers the most affordable coverage. Saga HealthPlan Support pays for access to eligible in-patient and day-patient treatment from a good choice of private UK hospitals, and with all-day twenty-four hour access to the Saga GP Service, complimentary service that allows you to speak to a qualified GP at any time of the day. The Support plan is fairly limited in its coverage in order to make it as affordable as possible. It does not offer out-patient cover, and only pays for the surgical aspects of cancer treatment, rather than any diagnostic testing or investigation. indeed if you needed other aspects of treatment, such as chemotherapy, you would have to look to the NHS for treatment.

Overall, this plan essentially concentrates on in-patient and day-patient treatment, plus some surgical procedures, but at the same time, gives you prompt access to be treated at a private hospital. If you’re looking for an affordable basic plan, then Saga HealthPlan Support could be for you.

Saga HealthPlan Saver Plus

The next stage up in coverage from the Support plan is the Saver Plus plan. Including all the benefits of Saga HealthPlan Support, you also receive up to £1,000 in out-patient treatment, cover for one out-patient scan, plus treatment of mental health conditions. You also have further access to cancer treatment such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other eligible out-patient cancer treatment following diagnosis. In addition, you will have access to home nursing support if recommended by your specialist consultant.

Saga HealthPlan Secure

Building on the level of out-patient treatment offered from Saga HealthPlan Saver Plus, Saga HealthPlan Secure increases your benefit levels, with £2,000 for out-patient consultations, and additional payouts for therapist, homeopathic and acupuncture treatments that you wouldn’t receive otherwise. You will also receive full cover for out-patient CT, MRI and PET scans (rather than just the one available on the Saver Plus policy. If you’re perhaps looking for a more comprehensive healthcare policy but don’t necessarily want the most expensive option out there, this policy provides enough cover for consultations, diagnostic tests and physiotherapy to provide you with the means for a swift recovery.

Saga HealthPlan Super

This plan is the most extensive and comprehensive healthcare offering Saga has to offer. It provides its policyholders the highest level of protection available, with all coverages included in the previous plans, as well as unlimited cover for eligible out-patient treatment including consultations, diagnostic tests, scans and physiotherapy, as opposed to the benefit limits imposed by the other plans. Super also includes cover for complementary therapies like homeopathy and osteopathy, and treatment of mental health conditions. Policyholders can also get use of a private ambulance, home nursing, recuperative care and some assistance towards some major dental work.

This plan is rated 5 Star by Defaqto, the independent financial services reviewer, but for the money you will be paying it is no surprise. At the same time, it is a very popular plan for new customers to Saga, especially those looking for the ultimate private healthcare protection.

Optional Extras

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You can enhance all your plans and make your monthly insurance premiums go further with these additional options:

• Extended Cancer Cover: this pays for upgraded cancer treatment, i.e. radiotherapy and chemotherapy when not usually available to your plan, as well as drugs that might not be available to the NHS. You might also gain access to experimental surgery if it is available.
• Health Cash Benefits: this provides cashback to your everyday routine costs so that it’s not just in emergency treatments when you benefit from your policy. With this benefit you can claim reimbursements from Saga for health assessments, dental check-ups and optical care.
• Pre-Existing Hypertension cover: hypertension can lead to strokes or other heart conditions, and many healthcare insurance providers don’t cover this as a pre-existing condition due to its associated risk-factors. At Saga however, you can enhance your coverage option by adding this to your policy (for an additional cost).
• Protected No Claim Discount: Saga offers a good no claims discount reward program, but of course some policyholders might want extra protection in this regard. For an additional payment, you can make a single claim on the policy without it affecting your no claims discount.

Conclusion

Whilst the more basic healthcare plan that Saga offers might be left a little wanting, the Secure and Super plans certainly provide comprehensive and trusted protection for access to private healthcare – indeed their extra coverages and additional benefit options ensure you should have access to the medical professionals you need to get you recovered as quickly as possible.