24/02/2023
Private mental health cover with top insurers such as Bupa, AXA, and Aviva, will enable you to avoid long waiting lists and quickly access the very best specialist treatment from the very best medical professionals. We have outlined the key benefits that you can expect from top insurers below.
Quick access: Gaining quick access to GPs and medical professionals for initial assessments and treatment, such as counselling or psychiatrist sessions, will mean gaining the support you need early and reducing the risk of your condition worsening. It can give you peace of mind that if you were to need mental health treatment that access would be immediate. More and more people in the UK are considering and turning to private health insurance to ensure they are gaining quicker access to appointments with top UK medical professionals and treatment that they need in locations of their choosing.
So what does quick access mean in terms of support and treatment? Private mental health cover provides you with quicker access to therapy and appointments with GPs. The NHS provides mental health support and key areas include talking therapies but the waiting list for talking therapies can often be long and you may be waiting for over a month. With private cover you will have far quicker access to support such as this.
Flexibility: Quick access to treatment and medical professionals is a plus but what else can mental health cover provide? It can provide you flexibility with the support you require or seek so everything is on your terms and fits around your schedule and convenience. Top UK insurers will typically offer access to private psychiatrists of your choosing in your local area. So, you can rest assured that you can get the best of the best and on your door step too. Therefore limiting the time you need to take out of your day to attend appointments and providing the reassurance of accessing support from top medical professionals.
Extended treatment: The NHS provides treatment that will be over a set period of time. To use the example of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), this will generally consist of between 6 and 20 sessions with a therapist with sessions typically being 30-60 minutes long. This limit however is not in place with mental health cover and instead there is the option to pursue more intensive support and for treatment to last longer too. Ultimately, this means you can access more support, for longer, when you need it so you can have peace of mind that treatment is tailored around you.
Specialist treatment: Access to therapy, treatment, and support with mental health cover is extensive and extends to both inpatient and day-patient treatment. Also, treatment that may not be available on the NHS will often be an option with insurers such as specialist therapy and attending private hospitals with state-of-the-art facilities.
What can the UK leading insurers offer?
Top UK insurers have extensive offerings for mental health cover. Insurers often provide access to a plethora of resources such as articles, blogs, and tips; and that is before you’ve even become a member. So just imagine the plethora of support available when you do become a member.
With so many different insurers out there and many layers behind their mental health cover, we have broken down three of the top insurers that Usay Compare are partnered with and sit on their panel of insurers for their comparison service. We will outline the key offerings for AXA, Aviva, and Bupa.
How AXA cover mental health?
AXA sit as one of the UK top insurers and are well known for offering private health insurance that is extensive and of great quality. The optional add on of mental health cover is available with AXA which covers both in-patient and day-patient mental health treatment. Mental health cover with AXA also provides:
- Psychiatric treatment
- Accommodation for psychiatric treatment
- Treatment includes diagnostic tests and drugs
- Treatment is covered for at either a hospital or day-patient unit in one of AXA's Directory of Hospitals
What is the limit for psychiatric treatment? AXA do not impose a yearly limit on specialist fees for psychiatric treatment.
AXA’s offering doesn’t stop there. Support is available around the clock for members with AXA’s 24/7 Health at Hand service which is only a phone call away. Whenever you have a health question for yourself or for a member of your family you can call the Health at Hand service to get advice and support with:
- Checking your medication with a pharmacist
- Talking to a counsellor about how you’re feeling
- Discussing your symptoms with a nurse
How Aviva cover mental health?
Aviva also sit as one of the UK top insurers and are well known for offering private health insurance that is extensive and of great quality. The optional add on of mental health cover is available with Aviva which covers both in-patient and day-patient mental health treatment if you’re diagnosed with an acute psychiatric condition.
Aviva offer both standard and additional mental health cover for their policies. Mental health treatment that will be covered will extend to:
- Inpatient and day patient accommodation and nursing costs in full up to 28 days
Quick access to GP’s when you need support with your mental health is important and this is available through the Aviva Digital GP app. This digital GP service will mean you will be able to get a digital appointment 24/7 with an NHS-registered private GP. You’ll have five video consultations for each member every policy year to use.
Talking to a counsellor may be your preferred option, so what counselling services are on offer? Aviva have a Stress Counselling helpline where you can contact and talk to trained counsellors privately about anything that’s been on your mind or is affecting you.
How Bupa cover mental health?
Bupa also sit as one of the UK top insurers and are well known for offering private health insurance that is extensive and of great quality. Bupa differentiate themselves apart from other insurers as they claim to cover more mental health conditions than any other insurer. The Bupa By You service claims to cover all conditions apart from dementia, learning, behavioural, and developmental conditions. Bupa By You health insurance also includes mental health cover as standard.
Similar to Aviva, Bupa offer quick round-the-clock access to mental health support via their Digital GP app. This digital GP service will mean you will be able to get a digital appointment with a GP, 24/7.
What specialist mental health support is on offer? A specialist mental health team is available through Bupa who have the ability to do the following:
- Provide specialist mental health advice
- Transfer you through to a mental health nurse for support
- Direct you to a mental health specialist without the need to see a GP*
Why is mental health cover important?
Mental health affects how we come to make choices, relate to others around us, feel, think, and act. Mental health is intrinsically linked to our quality of life. Mental health should be invested in as equally as your physical health, even if you are not experiencing any issues, so you are equipped to manage any future difficulties and ensure your wellbeing is taken care of.
We have been navigating the ever-present cost of living crisis in the UK amongst industry, education, and NHS strikes as we have been settling into 2023. All of which is sending ripples of uncertainty and concern throughout communities. It is more important than ever to be checking in with yourself, practising self-care, and seeking resources and help to support your mental health and wellbeing.
An astonishing 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England. We all have mental health to look after and this statistic from the MIND charity evidences the high probability of many of us experiencing a problem at some stage. Mental health conditions are vast and vary for an individual with the most common conditions including anxiety and depression. Professional medical advice and treatment tailored to your needs are not just valuable but are essential.
Considering mental health cover
If you are considering private health insurance with mental health cover than look no further as Usay Compare can find you policies that will meet your needs and budget. Usay Compare is a market leading comparison service for health and life insurance. We compare policies and provide competitive quotes on the market with access to UK leading insurers so you can avoid unnecessary concern and confusion. We can provide you with an expert advised service, with knowledgeable, professional, and experienced advisers, to guide you through the comparison service. Read more about the benefits of speaking to an adviser in our blog post: how can an insurance adviser help you.
We also have a blog post, being kind to you, which is all about being kind to and looking after yourself and includes tips around eating well and keeping active.
*This will depend on your policy and may not be included as standard.
