CONFIDENTIAL QUESTIONNAIRE-SEPTEMBER 2008
INSURANCE STRATEGY AND INDEPENDENT PRACTICE
The information from this form will be kept strictly confidential and no individual will or can be identified. Data will be used only in a composite format and the release of all or part of this data will remain under the control of FIPO. Individual confidentiality is assured.
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Please complete all sections and tick the appropriate answers
Outline Demographics
(Please tick correct answer) Yes No
- Are you a consultant?□□
- Do you work in the private sector? □□
- If YES give number of sessions (half days) ______
- How many years have you been in private practice______
- In which area of the country do you work? Yes
- Scotland□
- Wales□
- Northern Ireland□
- North West England□
- North East England□
- The Midlands□
- East Anglia□
- London (M25 boundary)□
- South East England□
- Southern England□
- South West England□
- Please indicate your broad specialty
- Surgeon □
- Gynaecologist□
- Physician□
- Anaesthetist □
- Radiologist □
- Pathologist□
- Paediatrician□
- Other□
- Please also specifically indicate if you are one of the following
- Oncologist/Radiotherapist □
- Intensive Care Specialist□
- Orthopaedic surgeon□
- Ophthalmologist□
Consultant Fee Arrangements
Yes No Unsure
- Do you set your out-patient fees toany of the following rates?
- BUPA Rates □ □ □
- WPA Rates□ □ □
- Rates dependent on the specific patient insurance □ □ □
- Your own rate□ □ □
- Do you set your in-patient fees toany of the following rates?
- BUPA Rates□ □ □
- WPA Rates□ □ □
- Rates dependent on the specific patient insurance□ □ □
- Your own rate□ □ □
- Please broadly estimate what percentage of your fully insured patients have a short-fall
- i.e. a patient with no excesses on their policy has to make up the balance of your fees
- For out-patient charges______
- For in-patient charges______
- Has PPP in the last three years
- Challenged you over the level of your fees? □ □ □
- Flagged you as an “over charger”? □ □ □
- Threatened to derecognise you?□ □ □
- Actually derecognised you? □ □ □
- Insisted on an agreed personal fee arrangement with PPP□ □ □
- Approached you already about their new Fee Schedule□ □ □
- Do you see any merit in having a permanent package deal with an insurer
for your consultant services and losing your contract with the patient?□ □ □
- Do you think that package prices from an insurer would in the next three years
- Remain static irrespective of inflation or costs?□ □ □
- Rise with medical inflation?□ □ □
- Rise at a rate above medical inflation?□ □ □
- If you are an ophthalmologist are you being affected by PPP’s new strategy?□ □ □
- If you are an orthopaedic surgeon
- Are you a sole trader?□ □ □
- Are practising within a “Chambers” arrangement□ □ □
- Have you or your group been approached by BUPA for a package priced deal?□ □ □
- Are you or your group likely to accept a BUPA package price deal?□ □ □
- Overall do you
- agree with the BUPA strategy for networking clinical specialties? □ □ □
- agree with the concept of third party intermediaries (brokers) arranging package prices for a fee? □ □ □
- agree that the new PPP Fee Schedule is a threat to the consultant’s independence and contract with the patient? □ □ □
- intend to keep your primary contract with your patient? □ □ □
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