Are you protected financially if surgery goes wrong?

So, the stakes are high. You’ve paid for treatment privately, and things have not gone as well as expected. You’re told you need another operation as one of those risks explained by your surgeon before surgery has occurred.

Firstly it must be said, complications requiring further treatment are relatively infrequent and mostly just terrible luck. But what can you do?

1. Stay with your provider whose warranty may cover further diagnostics and treatment - but warranties can be too short to cover things going wrong a few months down the line through no fault of your own.

2. Return to the NHS who will definitely treat you, however unless it’s an emergency, you may be joining another queue, potentially waiting in as much pain or worse than before.

3. Pay again privately for a revision or repeat surgery with the same or another surgeon or hospital. So, not only could you be in pain needing more treatment after surgery, but you are likely to be required to pay.

Currently, in all three scenarios you’re still out of pocket and back where you started. Not to mention the continuing pain, extended rehabilitation and potentially more time with life on hold.

Private hospitals, pricing and a unique, new refund mechanism

The not so good news is that every hospital is different in terms of what’s included or excluded in prices, and how additional medical costs are dealt with. However, Compare my Care can help you understand the bottom line in most scenarios.

All inclusive pricing

Nowadays, in some cases, patients can opt for all-inclusive pricing which may or may not cost slightly more than fixed prices for the standard treatment. For instance, every clinical need might be covered for the first 30 days after a procedure. Or, sometimes, advice and treatment for any problem relating to the original treatment, is without timeframes although that is rare.

Refunding patients’ costs if further surgery is required

No hospital offers a refund if further surgery in theatre is required, such as to revise the original surgery. However, paying for treatment through Compare my Care means that if you need more treatment in theatre, you will receive a refund. This insurance cover is for 12 months after discharge from hospital.

This gives patients the ability to: 1. seek further treatment from the same surgeon, 2. go to a different provider, or 3. seek treatment within the NHS - whilst keeping the refunded costs of the primary surgery.

Furthermore, Compare my Care customers will have access to a private GP online, 24/7 for the 12 months after leaving hospital. Please note, for any immediate questions related to your surgery, your first port of call should be to contact your surgeon's office. If out of office hours, please contact the ward at the hospital you were treated.

Insuring our customers with Protect my Care at no extra cost

To fund this simple policy, Compare my Care has negotiated with hospitals to cover these insurance costs. So, there is no additional premium to be paid by patients.

Whilst no one can take the pain and disappointment away when complications described earlier require more surgery, the improving cost-inclusivity of treatment packages alongside our own complementary cash back insurance mean better protection all round for the self-payer.

Please note: no surgeon is specialised in every procedure, so make sure you’re in the right surgeon’s hands for your treatment in the first place. Ideally, this will be with a surgeon who is performing your specific procedure in high volumes; who is a super-specialist, i.e. the narrower their focus the better, and who is willing to share their independently audited results.

Do call our concierge team for more information on surgeons' performance data, or if the treatment you need isn’t listed.