Cignpost Private Diagnostics Insurance
PDI is marketed by new provider Cignpost as an alternative to PMI. It effectively pays for diagnostics only, and has an overall annual plan limit per person of £5,000. The benefits provided by the plan include:
• Outpatient or day case diagnostic investigations and consultations with a specialist: Full refund.
• Of that, the therapeutic action limit is £500.
• MRI, CT and PET scans: Full refund.
For a full refund, the diagnostic investigation costs must be reasonable and customary and within any section or overall scheme limits.
The plan excludes pre-existing conditions within the past five years (or ten years for cancer).
Comment: Cignpost’s PDI plan takes a different approach to budget PMI cover compared to most plans. Instead of excluding things like consultation, this plan is designed to pay just for those.
As many people undergoing tests do not go on to need hospitalisation, this enables them to get to a decision quickly. If treatment is then needed, they can then drop back into the NHS for care or pay for treatment themselves (or use traditional PMI inpatient or daypatient cover).
Waiting to undergo a test or waiting for the results can be frustrating and is hardly conducive to maximum employee productivity, so this plan offers a useful new option for employers – and at low cost per employee too.
Plus points: A different type of budget PMI; Patients can drop back into the NHS (and its waiting lists) after they have had their tests; Low cost; May be more sustainable than traditional PMI.
Not so plus points: Does not cover the really expensive stuff – hospital treatment; Some may be uncomfortable at dropping back into NHS care after initial ‘queue jumping’; Low benefits overall.
Website: http://www.cignpost.com.
Rating (max 10): Overall: 7.5. Silver
Tags: PMI; Cignpost