The stars allocated in this section are an indication of aspects that may be important to you. It is not intended to make an overall judgement on which scheme option is better than another.

For example, if you value your freedom to choose a hospital, a five star rating next to “Can I go to any hospital? would suit your needs. One star would mean you do not have a choice. However, the hospital your scheme has chosen for you (one star) may be perfectly fine for your requirements.

Sometimes people may accept a trade-off of with more limited benefits in one category, and more comprehensive benefits in another. For example, not having take-home medicine paid for may be fine with you (this will get a one star), but having more than the 26 CDLs funded may be very important (five stars or four stars). Also, having limited choice, but not having to make any co-payments may be better suited for some people than for others.

Therefore one category may compensate for another, depending on what you, as a member or potential patient, would find important.

The rating does not provide detail information, and two options may rate equal on all aspects or on some aspects which are important to you. For more detail-information on a scheme, please go to either the “get summaries of scheme information” button, or click on the “my scheme in context of others” button where specific types of detail-information may be found.

1. The purpose of the star rating is to point out aspects that might affect the suitability of a particular scheme or option in addressing specific needs an individual identify for him- or herself.
2. A five-star rating is used because it allows for greater sensitivity in demonstrating the extent of cover of benefits and/or the freedom of choice it allows.
3. Where there is a choice of two answers in a particular field, the positive answers will receive five-stars, and the negative answer will receive one star. Where the information is infinite, all options have been ranked and each fifth constitutes a star band.
4. All significant benefits or fields are rated.
5. Aspects that are impossible to rate, have been excluded.
6. Offerings that do not constitute a healthcare benefit, such as loyalty programmes, disease management and credit cards, are not rated.