These include: AXA PPP, Aviva, Benenden, BUPA, Cigna, Exeter Family Friendly, General & Medical, Helix, Health-On-Line, Medisure, PruHealth, Standard Life, Simply Health, Saga, Vitality, WPA as well as many others.
Mr Khatwa respects the approved-fee policy that most Private Insurers recommend for both outpatient consultations, investigations and operations.
New and follow-up consultations have fees. Specialist outpatient investigations have additional fees. We try to provide a one-stop clinic service for many conditions, and we may do minor procedures or tests during your first visit. This saves you time and money on return visits.
The Nuffield Health hospital in Exeter & Plymouth will levy a separate fee to cover equipment charges for any procedures undertaken and this is invoiced separately from the consultation fee.
Patients are responsible for paying all fees, but we can often arrange for your insurance company to pay the invoice directly. If you have medical insurance, you should get pre-approval from your insurance company for the referral. It is also helpful to bring your insurance information and any authorization code or number to your first appointment.
Self-paying patients are not required to continue all future care in the private system. You can transfer your care to the NHS at any time, and we can help you with this. Once your care is transferred to the NHS, you will be given the same priority on outpatient and surgical waiting lists as other NHS patients. You should be aware that NHS care may be delivered by non-consultant grade Mr Khatwas. We cannot guarantee that you will be treated by the same consultant if your care is transferred.
Insurance companies vary in their levels of reimbursement for consultations and procedures. Our fees are based on the WPA insurance schedule. We are transparent with our fees and will be happy to clarify them before your appointment. You should check with your insurance company to see if you will have an excess to pay.
The cost of surgery varies depending on the procedure. We can advise you of the fees in advance. Most insurance companies will require separate authorization for surgery from your original consultation reference.
We strongly recommend that you speak to your insurance company before attending for any appointment or surgery. You will be liable for all specialist fees for consultation, investigations and surgery. Some insurance companies have exclusions or restrictions to treatments they will fund. Obtaining a pre-authorisation is the safest way to ensure you do not have any unexpected charges to pay from your appointment.
If you are coming in for an operation, we will give you an operation code which your insurance company will need to provide the pre-authorisation for treatment and payment.
If you have health insurance we will normally arrange to settle your invoice directly with your insurance company, and all you will need to pay is any excess charge that is not covered (if applicable). If you do not have insurance we will normally arrange for an invoice to be sent to your home address.
A discount against the costs of additional procedures and investigations is available for self-paying patients who settle their invoice within 7 working days.
Some large health insurance companies promote consultants as "preferred," "authorized," or "recommended" consultant partners. Some people mistakenly believe that this means that the consultants have passed a rigorous quality review. However, the General Medical Council and the College of Surgeons are the only authorities that regulate and monitor professional practice standards. Insurance companies recommend consultants based on commercial agreements, not on quality.
Choosing the right consultant is an important decision. Price is just one factor, and rarely the most important. People often seek personal recommendations from family, friends, or their GP. Insurance companies will usually only mention the names of consultants with whom they have signed fee-agreement contracts. They may even actively discourage you from seeing consultants who are not fee-assured.
Some consultants have fee-assured arrangements with insurance companies, while others set a standard fee for all consultations. Either way, consultants strive to offer a transparent fee structure for their services. There may be a small excess to pay, which is not covered by your insurance company, as with many other types of insurance claims. You can establish this in advance by asking your insurance company what they will reimburse and comparing it to the consultant's fee structure.
Consultants believe that their primary relationship is with their patients, and that insurance companies should support rather than dictate their choice of consultant.
