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UK Patient Medical Records to Go Fully Digital

George Blandford

October 23, 2024

The UK is set to make a major shift in how patient medical records are stored and accessed, with the NHS announcing plans to digitise all patient details. Historically, the NHS has been slow to adopt such digital advancements, which has often made it difficult for patients to access and share their medical history. This new development could have a significant impact on the health insurance industry, particularly in terms of streamlining the claims process.

For many health insurance policies, insurers require access to a customer’s medical history before approving claims or providing coverage. This is especially important for policies with underwriting types like a moratorium.

Under a moratorium, any symptoms, treatments, or advice a patient has received in the five years prior to the policy start date are excluded from cover for two years. After this period, if the customer can prove no recurrence of the condition, the policy may cover claims related to that condition. This often means the insurer needs detailed medical evidence to approve claims, which currently relies on GPs providing the necessary information.

At present, this process can be slow. GPs may take up to a month to respond to insurer requests, delaying claims approvals and payouts. With digital medical records, this timeframe could be significantly reduced. Patients could potentially share their NHS records directly with insurers, cutting out the need for multiple back-and-forths with their GP. This could lead to a faster, more efficient claims process.

The shift to digital records may also reduce the administrative burden on GPs, who are often bogged down by the need to provide medical information for insurance claims. This, in turn, could free up more time for GPs to focus on patient care. Insurers may also benefit from reduced administrative costs, which could have a knock-on effect for policyholders. Could this lead to a reduction in premiums? It’s a possibility insurers may consider, given the potential efficiency savings.

However, the integration of this new NHS digital system with private insurers is not expected to happen overnight. The full rollout is planned to take place over the next ten years, giving insurers time to adapt their systems and explore how they will securely access and use this information. Questions remain about how seamless the process will be, and how much access insurers will be granted to patient records. Data security and privacy will be key considerations as the NHS moves forward with its digitisation plans.

For health insurance customers, this development could be transformative. Faster claims approvals, reduced paperwork, and potentially even lower premiums are all on the horizon. However, much will depend on how quickly insurers adapt and integrate with the new NHS digital system.

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