What are the benefits of health insurance?

There are several benefits of health insurance; the most significant of these are outlined below:

Access to treatments and medications: private health insurance can provide access to certain treatments and medications that may not be available on the NHS. In some cases, whether or not a medication is available depends on the location of the Primary care Trust; this is commonly known as the postcode lottery. With private health care, this inequality between regions does not occur and each patient will be entitled to the medication they need.
Shorter waiting lists: pressure on the NHS means that patients often have to wait to have the treatment they require. Private hospitals are often less busy so waiting lists are significantly shorter and there may be no wait at all. This is particularly comforting for patients who need to have tests to determine whether or not they have a particular illness, such as cancer for example; the wait for treatment is also significantly shorter, which can make the difference between life and death in certain circumstances.
Cleaner hospitals: although staff work extremely hard to maintain high standards of cleanliness in NHS hospitals, they are often much more crowded than private hospitals and are therefore much harder to keep clean. NHS hospitals are usually older than private hospitals and much less concerned with the aesthetics of the institution. Private hospitals are often modern with clean, bright interiors and additional touches to make the hospitals look more attractive and welcoming.
Private rooms: for many people having their own room is a huge bonus. Staying on a busy ward can often cause problems with sleeping and the lack of privacy can get to some people. Having a private room means you have complete privacy, can watch whatever you want on television or listen to the radio without worrying about disturbing others and have quality time with relatives and friends that come to visit you. Rooms in private hospitals are often better equipped, with televisions, DVD players and stereos provided to make the patient�s stay more pleasant.
More personalised care: private treatment often ensures a more individual approach as staff have the time and resources available to make your treatment pathway as smooth and successful as possible. Care is often tailored to the individual, rather than being a general solution to a specific illness.
Access to the same consultant: private care provides a treatment pathway that is designed to give the patient the most consistent, seamless treatment possible. Consultants who work for the NHS often have a much larger number of patients under their care and patients are therefore much more likely to see different members of staff throughout their treatment; private treatment often ensures the patient has contact with the same consultant throughout their treatment; this is often much more efficient and effective than seeing a number of different consultants.