The importance of getting a second medical opinion
Being diagnosed with a critical illness isn’t in anyone’s life plan. But no one knows what’s around the corner, and as we all know, the future is unpredictable.
So if the worst came to the worst, and you found yourself facing a serious illness diagnosis, you’d want to be 100% certain that it’s accurate.
What is a second medical opinion?
A second medical opinion is pretty much what it says on the tin. You would be getting a second opinion from a medical professional, following a diagnosis of a serious illness.
Why do people get a second medical opinion?
There are so many reasons why you may want a second medical opinion following the diagnosis of a critical illness, such as cancer. Here are just a few examples of why you might want a second opinion:
- To confirm your diagnosis
- To ensure you’re receiving the right treatment
- You don’t feel as though you can talk to your current doctor
- To support what you’ve already been told about your diagnosis
The pros and cons of getting a second medical opinion
The advantages of getting a second medical opinion could be:
- Reassurance, and confirmation of your diagnosis
- Having different treatments to choose from, if the second doctor offers an alternative treatment
The disadvantages could be:
- A delay in starting treatment
- Having to travel further away, if your treatment is changed and moved to a different hospital
- Having to hear your diagnosis again which could be triggering
How do you get a second medical opinion?
There are no legal rights that entitle you to a second medical opinion but Cancer Research UK say that doctors will rarely refuse to give you one.
If you decide you want a second medical opinion, don’t be scared to reach out to your specialist doctor or GP and ask. You could also register to another GP, if one is available. Another option is paying for a private doctor to give you a second medical opinion.
Or you could use your life insurance policy
So many of the UK’s leading life insurance providers now offer free additional benefits when you take out a policy with them.*
One of these providers is AIG. When you choose to take out cover with them, you’ll gain access to their health and wellbeing app, Smart Health, where one of the 6 core benefits is a second medical opinion from experts.
Available to every customer who takes out a policy with them, Smart Health is no ordinary app. Aside from being available to yourself, your partner, any of your children (up to the age of 21), - you’ll be able to access these benefits 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Super six
AIG’s Smart Health has six core benefits that you, and your loved ones can make use of all year round. As well as the second medical opinions, you can also access the following with the Smart Health app:
- 24/7 online GP appointments
- Mental health support
- Tailored nutrition plans and advice
- Fitness plans designed by sports coaches
- Online health checks
Whether it’s a term life insurance policy, mortgage protection, critical illness cover, or income protection insurance, if you have an AIG life insurance policy - you’ll be able to access Smart Health.
How AIG’s second medical opinions work
The second medical opinion service from AIG is one of the 6 free services included with their free added benefit service, Smart Health, and here’s how it works:
1. Firstly, you need to get in touch with Smart Health, by either giving them a call or heading online.
2. Talk to one of the Smart Health UK based GP’s to chat about your medical history and concerns.
3. Once you’ve spoken to your GP, they will be your case manager. They’ll assess your medical notes, look at your current treatment plan, and diagnosis. Then you’ll be handed over to one of Smart Health’s 50,000+ experts.
4. You’ll be paired with someone who is an expert in your illness. Your designated expert will then take a look over your records, and make their recommendations about your treatment and diagnosis.
5. You’ll then be sent an easy-to-understand report, detailing the experts findings and recommendations.
6. You’ll then go over the report with your GP case manager, who will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.
Once you’ve gone through this process, it’s recommended to share your second opinion with your current doctor, especially if a new plan has been suggested. Fingers crossed, that after receiving your second opinion, you’ll have some peace of mind about your diagnosis.
Why we’re here
When you come to Busy Bee for help taking out life insurance, we’re with you every step of the way.
After our life insurance experts have found the right cover for you, our customer care team will be on hand to help you with any questions you may have, our trust team can help you complete your life insurance trust forms, and if the worst happened, our claims team are here to support you, or your family through the claims process.
To start your free life insurance quote, click the button below to kickstart your journey today!
*Additional benefits are not contractual and may be changed or withdrawn at anytime