OFT should consider healthcare trusts – Healix

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) should consider healthcare trusts as the most transparent form of corporate private medical insurance (PMI), specialists have said.

At the end of 2011 it was reported that the OFT was recommending an investigation into the PMI Market because it believed it is not competitive.

Concerns include lack of transparency and comparable information for patients, GPs or health insurance providers on the quality and costs of private healthcare services.

The OFT believes this means the cost of treatment may not always be transparent.

Bruce Eaton, business development manager at healthcare trust specialist Healix Health Services explained: "The key to an effective healthcare trust is the expertise and knowledge that goes into case management.

"This means that the patient is provided with all the options available to them in terms of treatment - helping them make informed decisions about treatment they might want to have privately and treatment they can receive through the NHS.

"And this, in turn, means that employers who are providing this vital healthcare to their staff, know that their employees are provided with flexibility and choice in their treatment whilst we have a focus on cost, without it undermining quality of care."

Healix added it hoped the OFT would take account of this alternative if it decides to conduct a complete investigation of the PMI market.