What is Health Insurance?

Health Insurance, or Private Medical Insurance is a product designed to cover the costs of medical treatment for people who choose to have private care, rather than relying solely upon the National Health Service for their medical treatment needs. It is there for patients who wish to safeguard themselves against acute medical conditions that are diagnosed following being accepted by an insurer for coverage through a policy.

Acute conditions are categorised as those illnesses, injuries or diseases which respond quickly to treatment, enabling the policyholder to get the medical support which they need to have a full recovery. Illnesses such as cancer or chronic long-term conditions are usually covered, and different insurers offer different services and access to treatment for various types of illness. When you first take our Medical Insurance, it’s worth reviewing the list of conditions which your prospective policy may cover, to see whether or not you are satisfied with the choice available.

The majority of people purchase Private Health Insurance to bring peace of mind that they will be treated quickly if they should be diagnosed with a chronic illness, and to ensure that they are provided with a range of choices relating to their treatment, the specialist they use, and the hospital they attend for treatment. The insurance also offers the opportunity to have a private en-suite room with a range of comforts which may not be available through NHS medical facilities.

Cover for Health Insurance is renewed annually, and treatment begins through a referral by your GP or a specialist. As long as treatment has been agreed in advance with your insurer, the insurance firm will pay for the cost of the treatment directly to the health care provider, or you will be reimbursed if you already covered the cost. Each policy taken out has a limit in terms of how much financial support it offers, and payments are made up to the value of the cover which you took out.

When you apply for cover, you’ll usually be asked to fill out a medical questionnaire, and it’s important to do this as accurately as possible to safeguard future payments. While Medical Insurance will not offer cover for existing conditions, or cover every form of illness or injury which may occur, it does offer good support for new diseases or illnesses which the policyholder may be diagnosed with, in the future.