National Friendly Health Insurance
National Friendly are a mutual society and, although they aren’t as well known as Bupa, AXA or Aviva, they were founded in 1868 so are a well-established provider. As a mutual society, National Friendly are owned and run for the benefit of their members rather than shareholders, so working towards the benefit of their members is at the forefront of everything they do.
National Friendly health insurance policy review
National Friendly offer four levels of policy, ranging from 1 to 4. Level 4 is their most comprehensive level of cover incorporating full inpatient, day patient and outpatient cover within one policy. Alternatively, they also offer other policies where clients can choose to include an outpatient only plan, an inpatient/day patient only plan, or both together.
Things you may wish to consider
National Friendly allows members to join until the age of 85 giving members an option that isn’t available with certain other insurers.
Claims made with National Friendly won’t affect your renewal premium for the first 5 years of membership.
When switching to National Friendly, they won’t exclude cancer coverage if members have been treated over 10 years ago, even if the member continues to have follow up checks with a specialist.
The Level 1 policy offers unlimited face-to-face GP consultations as long as they lead to a specialist referral.
Level 2 and 3 inpatient/day patient cover has an annual limit of £1,000,000.
National Friendly health insurance benefits
- Private GP appointments 24/7
- Wide range of hospitals
- 9.7 rating for medical claims service
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About National Friendly health insurance
First founded in 1868, National Friendly has over 150 years experience of providing healthcare to their customers. While not as famous as some providers in the UK, the offering they provide is highly rated, with a platinum service award from Feefo recognising the quality of their service.
National Friendly is also a mutual, meaning that when you become a policyholder, you become a member of the company. This also means there are no shareholders involved, so any profit made by the company is reinvested into their service.
Private GP appointments 24/7
When you take out a policy with National Friendly, you get 24/7 access to a private GP appointment. Meaning you can get medical advice, a prescription, or a referral if needed, at a time convenient to you. No waiting around.
If you choose a level 1 or 3 policy, you also get access to private face-to-face GP consultations. These are unlimited, as long as they result in you being referred on to a specialist for further treatment. Otherwise you will have a fixed amount of appointments you can use across your policy.
Cover up to the age of 85
You can apply for a policy with National Friendly up until the age of 85. While some providers are reluctant to offer coverage to older customers, National Friendly are happy to provide this protection for those not eligible because of their age elsewhere.
Cancer cover
The level of cancer coverage will depend on which policy you take out. Speak to your Clarity Health Insurance customer adviser to make sure you have the protection you need.
If you are switching to National Friendly and have had cancer in the past, then you can still be eligible for cancer coverage. If your treatment was over 10 years ago, then you can get coverage, even if you are still being checked regularly for any sign of a recurrence of the issue.
Choice of hospital
When you take out your private health insurance policy, you’ll be given guided treatment by the team at National Friendly who’ll refer you to the best consultant and treatment path.
However, if you want to have more of a say over where you’ll be treated, you have two options based on which policy you take. There is a standard hospital list selected by National Friendly which is comprised of recognised healthcare providers and hospitals. This list only excludes those providers whose charges exceed national averages.
Alternatively, you can choose to have access to an extended list of hospitals. This allows you to use any hospital facility in the country, including those excluded from the standard list.
Is National Friendly the right choice for your private medical insurance?
Whether you’re moving from another insurer or buying health insurance for the first time, National Friendly sets itself apart with its member-focused mutual model, access to 24/7 GP services, cover for older applicants, and flexible treatment pathways with a choice of hospital lists.
Get in touch to compare plans and discover how National Friendly can support your healthcare needs.
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