More so than ever, insurance price hikes in the US are becoming common place. The insurers are fighting back in many cases, albeit in vain as it is only to defend profit margins as opposed to something more conceivable such as cost of operations increasing or anomalies in the amount of claims being submitted.
However, in the UK, BUPA recently made a very risky, yet honourable amendment to their corporate plans. This amendment saw the Open Referrals Process forced upon corporate clients. The Open Referrals process means that, instead of referring these patients directly to a consultant, GPs will have to provide them with an open referral (a referral for a procedure with no named consultant).
Now this has come under criticism, mainly from BUPA's intermediaries who were shocked that they had no prior knowledge of this change and potentially some doctors who will view it as another attempt to interfere in the referral process and reduce choice.
The point of the matter is that this represents a bold move.
Prior to this, BUPA polled their intermediaries, existing open referral clients and some 12,000+ members, resulting in the majority preferring to make private medical insurance more sustainable above all other wishes, such as premium increases.
This shows that two industries, both facing huge health policy shake-ups on their respective sides of the Atlantic acting in very different ways in response to potential industry crisis; one protecting margins by reducing service delivery costs, the other pushing premiums up.
It would be unfair to compare the two in complete isolation which points me to recent news that Aviva UK has revamped its cancer cover in response to demand for a more comprehensive offering. It could be argued that this is nothing more than a PR exercise following the Mercer report, a study that found elements of cancer cover and care are confusing to corporate decision makers selecting medical plans, as well as claimants covered by those plans.
However Aviva not only responded to those claims by removing limits, but also added "aftercare" benefits including cover for consultations with dieticians and help with the cost of wigs (up to £100) and external prostheses (up to £5,000).
There is more evidence of innovation among UK Private Medical Insurance companies issuing money back guarantees as a method of gaining competitive advantage.
Whether UK or US based, Private Medical Insurance companies need to utilise the recent bravery and innovation which Aviva and BUPA have both displayed, especially now that the recent Health and Social Care Bill has been passed by the House of Lords, which will see a level of private healthcare competition incorporated into the NHS.
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