Many of our therapies are covered by private health insurance policies, which means you can claim for your treatment, but before coming to the clinic you need to find out:
– Is the therapy you want covered by your insurance?
– Is the therapist you want to see covered by the company you are with?
– Do you need a GP referral to get treatment?
We ask (very politely) that you pay for your treatment yourself, and claim the money back from your insurance company. This means we can concentrate on looking after you in the clinic, and not waste hours chasing insurance payments – they seem to take longer to pay us than they do paying the patient!
Unfortunately, from now on, osteopathy patients insured with Bupa or AXA PPP will only be able to see specific practitioners. A large number of osteopaths across the country have either removed themselves from AXA and BUPA’s register. You can see the actual numbers by clicking here
If you are thinking of signing up with Bupa, they will tell you that osteopathy is covered under their policies provided the practitioner is registered with them. What they won’t say is that most osteopaths and physiotherapists have refused to accept their conditions and therefore the number of available practitioners is small.
A couple of years ago Bupa announced that they would be changing the arrangements for osteopaths and chiropractors who treat members of Bupa. They said that they were doing so after consultations with our governing and professional bodies, but this was not true. Further, they said that this was not an attempt to impose a nationwide cap on fees, but this was also untrue: they have actually imposed a limit on consultation fees across the whole of the UK which is well below the current market rate (and substantially less than the fees charged by osteopaths in their own clinic).
They have also introduced conditions in the new contract which are extremely onerous, meaning that even more time has to be devoted to each appointment. As a result, many osteopaths, including those at The Ashgrove Clinic, have withdrawn from offering consultations under Bupa cover.
This means that, even if you are currently covered for treatment by your own osteopath under Bupa, there is no guarantee that this will continue and the number of osteopaths accepting Bupa insurance in your area may well be severely reduced.
Bupa’s new terms & conditions will mean that, in future, you may not be able to choose the osteopath you wish to see.
Our charges are broadly in line with other osteopaths in this region and over the last 6 years, these fees have increased by an average of just 1% annually. Bupa is now trying to bully osteopaths and physiotherapists into accepting an overnight cut of 30% (more in some areas of the country).
But money is not the only issue here: In addition to the fee cut, the increase in the amount of administration required means more time being tied up with paperwork. So they are actually demanding an increase in the work required per patient. This is not sustainable.
There have certainly been cases in the past where practitioners (not necessarily osteopaths) have hiked their fees for insured patients. This is clearly unacceptable and is forbidden by our governing body, The General Osteopathic Council. It is not something we have ever done and we support efforts to prevent it. But Bupa’s action goes beyond what is needed to deal with this potential problem and effectively means that uninsured patients would be charged at a higher rate – equally unacceptable.
At The Ashgrove Clinic we will always do our best for all our patients, but unfortunately Bupa clients will only be able to recover their costs if they see specific practitioners, so please do check when you book your appointment. You can rest assured however that you will receive the best possible care from us and that we will complete your course of treatment in as few sessions as possible.
Finding an osteopath or physiotherapist, particularly one you know and trust, under the new rules is going to be more difficult for Bupa clients. If you are with Bupa and would like to register your concern, we suggest that you let them know. You can call them on 0845 609 0111, email them at customerrelations@bupa.com, or best of all, write to:
The Medical Director
BUPA Health & Wellbeing UK
Willow House
Pinetrees
STAINES
TW18 3DZ
Almost all health insurers recognise osteopathy, not least because it is a more cost-effective way of addressing many problems than conventional options. We have been particularly impressed with the policies offered by WPA. They seem to offer affordable cover for medical, dental and optician expenses, and extremely good service. We have no financial interest in this company and receive no benefits of any sort from referrals, but if you would like to find out more, click here to see their website, or if you’d prefer to chat to someone, call Lynda Buntin on 07843 632594.
Our clinic is located in Higham Ferrers, close to Rushden, Northamptonshire. We are also within easy reach of Wellingborough, Bedford, Kimbolton, Northampton and Kettering.
If you would like to learn more, or have any questions about which insurers do cover osteopathy, please contact us today.
