For many years my wife and I paid into private health insurance. Unfortunately the only times we needed any extra help over and above National Health services, they refused because any problems we had were always deemed to be 'pre-existing' - you have to have brand new, never before heard of sickness before they will pay out, and even then they bend over backwards to avoid paying, using amongst other things the iniquitous ploy of researching back into your history to find any insignificant thing you may have consulted a doctor about umpteen years ago then forgotten about.
They call this 'failure to disclose' and even though it's got absolutely nothing to do with whatever you're claiming for, they refuse to pay.
It's a con. All these things are cons. You pay in for year after year and then when you need to call on them they s**t on you.

Put your money in a decent savings account and then when you need it you can actually get at it