Alliance Surgical as.one
Alliance Surgical is the largest independent group of senior clinical doctors and specialists in the UK.
It now offers as.one as an alternative to conventional private medical insurance (PMI). The plan is available to anyone resident in the UK, regardless of age, lifestyle or previous medical conditions. The plan includes one free specialist consultation a year, without going through the normal gatekeeper route of having to be referred by a GP. After speaking with the Consultant Triage team, Alliance Surgical guarantees an appointment with a specialist within five days. Those specialists comprise over 1,200 of the UK’s most eminent medical consultants, each one of whom is peer recommended, and practices in the NHS as well as privately.
All tests, procedures and treatments are arranged by Alliance Surgical.
If treatment is needed, as.one organises that treatment free of charge through the NHS or, if it is not available through the NHS, then the customer pays for the treatment and treatment is arranged as quickly as possible. If no claim is made in any year, 40% of the fee is converted into as.one healthcare credits, which can be used to pay for extra consultancy visits or private treatment in future. Cover is available to individuals, couples and extended families and for families and couples, visits and credits can be shared and they get two free consultancy appointments a year.
The plan costs £29 a month for individuals, £51 a month for couples and an additional £13 a month for each additional family member (which can include siblings, immediate dependants and grandparents).
Commission for intermediaries is 10% initial and renewal on the individual plan.
Comment: Care needs to be taken whenever considering any alternative to PMI, especially of it looks to be significantly cheaper. So far as as.one is concerned, that means more than one specialist consultation a year is not covered (unless more than one person is insured or if credits are brought forward) and if the treatment is not available on the NHS (or you wish to have private treatment) the plan won’t pay for that.
But the upside is that many people will not need even one consultation a year, they don’t need a GP referral and, if they are happy with NHS care, there should be no additional costs (although they may have to travel further than to their local hospital). Clients with pre-existing conditions are accepted and there are no age limits. Other family members can also be covered – including grandparents (why is conventional PMI so restricting when it covers to covering other family members?).
The emphasis throughout appears to be on quality rather than price and the plan could even be used alongside conventional PMI (especially PMI without outpatient cover).
A single consultation could cost well over £200 so an annual cost of from £348 (with no IPT as this is not an insurance policy) looks to be good value too.
The plan won’t suit everyone, but it does offer an interesting alternative to increasingly expensive PMI.
Plus points: Available to all regardless of age or health; Undercuts PMI; Guarantees fast appointments with peer recommended experts; Part of unused fees carried forward; Useful as a second opinion service too.
Not so plus points: Customers could be out of pocket if they need more than one appointment a year or need (or choose to have) non-NHS treatment.
Website: www.betterasone.co.uk.
Rating (max 10): Innovation: 9. Overall: 9. Platinum
Tags: Alliance Surgical; PMI