PHI accepted on special terms - is it worth having?

Yorky

Someone I know has just been accepted on a public-sector union- negotiated income protection scheme but with special terms imposed. They already have Serious Illness insurance but applied for PHI as a "cover-all" and intended to cancel the SI insurance on acceptance. The exclusions relate to depression,which was a short problem many years ago, and anything to do with back pain which was an intermittent problem over the last few years. There was never any time off work for these ailments. Their GP has appealed to no avail.

In the persons job there is manual dexterity and alot of driving required.

My questions are:
Is it worth taking out this policy?
If so, is it worth replacing SI with PHI considering the exclusions? Back ache is statistically the most likely reason for a claim.

The public sector provide six months full pay and six months half pay in the event of absence from work.

Any advice/experience would be appreciated.

Sponge Bob

they excluded pre-existing conditions from what I can see so the other PHI companies will do the same. They must have admitted these conditions or authorised their doctor to so do.

all PHI _really_ does is guarantee a queue jump over public in hospital

Yorky

I think you have misunderstood PHI: Permanent Health Insurance as in income protection not Private Health Insurance.

Sponge Bob

same applies, existing conditions are not covered .

dingding

Get your union to take up the case on your behalf. They may load your policy to give you full cover but this will be absorbed into the group scheme.

The higher you go in the union the better.

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

never heard of the scheme - sounds good though. Any link with more info?

also, i'm moving this to work&jobs forum