Patients still confused by unclear fees for private healthcare
Efforts to improve fee information for patients seeking private healthcare have a long way to go, according to findings of major research from the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN).
It says participants reported a lack of clarity and completeness in how private healthcare costs are represented, particularly the full set of in-hospital fees, as well as financing options.
‘This prevents patients from making an informed choice and managing trade-offs. This was especially true for self-pay patients who felt that costs often seemed opaque, if not misleading,’ it warns.
The data body’s new publication, Patient priorities: research into patient confidence and choice in the UK’s private healthcare sector, was compiled following research among hundreds of patients.
Transparency needed
PHIN reports: ‘The clear request from patients to hospitals was for much greater transparency about the full set of costs, and what factors might affect them, so that meaningful comparisons can be made.
‘Patients recognise that a precise figure may not be possible where there are several variables – such as having multiple health conditions – but ‘even a ballpark number would be helpful’.
PHIN chief executive Dr Ian Gargan revealed: ‘Although cost can be a barrier to using the private sector, some of our focus group participants were surprised that it was not as expensive as initially thought.
‘They wanted more guidance on base prices and factors that might affect the full cost, which could allow them to make more informed decisions weighing up the health cost against the financial cost.’
Easy-to-access information
People searching for treatment also want easy-to-access information about financing, such as interest-free loans, payment plans or other options to help.
Information about safety and clinical outcomes was also welcome while patients experiencing previous problems with their care particularly wanted to know from hospitals whether special facilities, such as intensive care units, were frequently used and how well-trained their staff were in their use.
Turning to insurers, patients asked for reminders at the beginning of their healthcare journeys that they should inform their GPs they had private healthcare. NHS GPs are thought to rarely ask about this unless prompted and PHIN says this information can significantly affect the direction of the process.
Insurers were also asked to provide more clarity about what procedures qualified for self-referrals and which did not; what was considered as a ‘pre-existing’ condition, plus exclusions such as any hospitals not covered by policies, or where ‘hidden costs’ might be likely.
People needing aftercare – especially chemotherapy patients in one of PHIN’s focus groups – wanted to know if insurers would still be there for them after their treatment and for how long.