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Saga Health Insurance customers will now benefit from:

• Access to Clinical Support Services from the comfort of their own home. Saga are working with healthcare firms to provide customers with access to a panel of leading specialists and practitioners from the comfort of their own home. The bespoke panel includes cancer, cardiology, ENT, gastroenterology, gynaecology, orthopaedic and paediatric specialists, many of whom are among the most senior and expert consultants in their respective fields. The panel of specialists will have the ability to review diagnostics and patient records electronically and direct care based on their findings. Policy excess will not apply to any treatments using these services.
• Increased NHS cash benefit value: Effective from 1^st April 2020, this cash settlement for each night spent in hospital where an insurance claim could have been paid will be increased by an additional £100 per night. HealthPlan Super customers will therefore be able to claim £250 per night while all other HealthPlan customers will be able to claim £200 per night. Customers hospitalised for Covid-19 will also be eligible for this payment, with the opportunity to donate their cash payment to ‘NHS Charities Together’[1].

Saga will take action to ensure that any exceptional profits that may ultimately arise from Covid-19 are returned to its customers. Once the actual impact is more certain Saga will act to appropriately compensate customers who have seen their treatment delayed or had services affected by the crisis.  Saga will keep its customers updated on an ongoing basis and the approach taken will be independently audited to ensure fairness. 

All these changes will be clearly communicated to all Saga health insurance customers.

Because the impact of Covid-19 continues to change, Saga remain committed to reviewing health insurance policies on a regular basis. Customer feedback will also be sought on a regular basis to ensure Saga policies continue to adapt to needs. Further updates will be made when appropriate over the coming weeks to ensure customers receive the right support and help.

Kevin McMullan, Head of Product, Saga Health and Travel Insurance said: “Covid-19 is a global medical crisis of the like not seen in our lifetimes. It’s only right that we respond for our health insurance customers and demonstrate our commitment to them. That’s why the changes announced today increase benefits available on our policies and open up new ways for our customers to access medical expertise. They also ensure that we offer these benefits in a fair, responsible way. We will not seek to gain financially while our customers deal with the threat of coronavirus.”

ENDS

Editors notes:

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[1] NHS Charities Together is working with the NHS England and various individual NHS charities on a nationally coordinated response to support the NHS through Covid-19.