If you were to ask yourself what five things you deemed important in life, good health would surely be one of them.
Better health is central to happiness and wellbeing and provides an opportunity to develop other important spheres of life.
Having a long-term health condition can cause many challenges. This can include the physical impact of the condition (such as pain or limiting activities), practicalities (such as managing medication and side effects) and lifestyle issues (such as driving, work and leisure). It can also affect friendships, family dynamics and intimate relationships.
A diagnosis of a health condition can also have a significant impact on one’s mental or psychological health.
This may be for many different reasons, but could limit activities such as your social life and interaction with others. Also, the associated concerns about how a condition may affect you now and in the future can also have an impact.
Benefits of private healthcare
You don’t have to wait to receive a diagnosis and treatment. Choosing private healthcare can give you rapid access to a consultant who is specialised in their field of practice.
However, private healthcare can seem unrealistic and unaffordable if you don’t have a private medical insurance policy.
Accessing private healthcare is no longer a case of having to make full payment before receiving treatment. Arrangements can be made to allow patients to pay in instalments so that previously unaffordable treatments are made more readily available.
BMI Healthcare offers two flexible finance options making paying for treatment more affordable than you might think.
1 BMI Card
This credit card offers interest-free payments for the first 12 months and thereafter you can choose to pay off the remaining balance or continue to make flexible monthly payments with a typical APR of 9.9%.
Applications for up to £20,000* can be made with no annual charge, membership fee or deposit required.
2 Fixed Monthly Repayment Plan
A fixed-term loan provided by Chrysalis Finance allows you to have interest free monthly repayments if spread over 12 months. However, you can choose to spread the cost for up to five years with 9.9% APR after the first 12 months has passed.
Applications can be made for amounts of £350 to £50,000* with repayment taking place from 12-60 months. (*Subject to eligibility.)
Waiting for treatment?
If you are currently waiting for treatment and are finding your symptoms are affecting your quality of life, BMI Albyn Hospital can offer rapid treatment.
Located in the west end of Aberdeen, it is the only independent hospital serving Grampian and the north of Scotland. It provides a wide range of consultant-led specialities, supported by an experienced team of professionals.
Examples include:
Hip replacement
A hip replacement is usually recommended as a result of osteoarthritis and can cause pain in the hip, thigh and sometimes the knee. Commonly, you can see a restriction in mobility and ability to walk longer distances, as well as sleep disturbance in many people.
There are many simple measures which can be taken to improve the pain in osteoarthritis of the hip before surgery is required, which include painkillers, physiotherapy, weight loss, use of a walking stick and injection into the joint.
Typically, the operation can cost up to £13,650 (Robotic Assisted hip replacement). However, if you chose the fixed-term repayment option over five years, the monthly payments would amount to £286.53. The package price also gives you the reassurance of six months’ aftercare.
Cataract surgery
Cataracts are usually associated with the ageing process and will start to develop after the age of 65, but there are certain things that will make it more likely for this to develop.
These are:
- Diabetes
- Trauma caused by an eye injury
- Medications such as steroids
- Previous eye surgery
- Eye conditions such as glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa or uveitis
- Being short-sighted
When a cataract develops you may notice your sight will be misty or cloudy, that you are more sensitive to light, you may feel that your glasses are dirty and need cleaning (even though they don’t) and that everything looks a little more “washed out” than it should be.
Unfortunately, the only treatment available for this condition is surgery.
The cost of cataract surgery to one eye can start from £2,073, and with a fixed-term repayment plan you could choose to pay this in monthly, interest-free instalments of £172.75 or over five years for £43.51.
For further information on finance options please visit the BMI Healthcare website.
