Exploring your options
If you are considering private medical insurance for the first time, we can talk through your priorities and explain how we can help you assess the choices.
Private medical insurance
Health cover that starts with you.
The right conversation starts with what matters to you. We help you consider private medical insurance with a clearer understanding of the cover, its limitations and the cost.
Look beyond the premium
Private medical insurance can help meet the cost of eligible private treatment. What is covered depends on the policy and its terms.
Choosing cover involves more than comparing a monthly price. We help you look at the details so you can make an informed decision about what may suit your needs and budget.
What we can discuss
Understanding the details
Benefits, limits, exclusions and any excess can affect how a policy works for you. We help you identify the details that deserve attention before you decide.
Reviewing existing cover
Your needs and budget may change over time. A review gives you an opportunity to look at your current arrangements and ask whether they still fit your circumstances.
What private medical insurance can cover
Private medical insurance generally helps pay for eligible treatment of acute conditions: illnesses or injuries for which treatment is intended to help recovery. It can sit alongside NHS care. It does not replace every NHS service or mean that every private appointment will be paid for. The policy wording determines which treatment, providers and costs are eligible.
In-patient cover relates to treatment involving a hospital stay. Day-patient treatment does not usually involve an overnight stay. Out-patient benefits can include consultations, tests and treatment without admission, but the scope and financial limits vary. Cancer care, therapies and mental health benefits also need to be checked individually rather than assumed to be included.
Think about the care you would want to access and the locations you could reasonably travel to. A hospital or consultant list can be as relevant as a headline benefit limit. Before booking treatment, check the insurer's referral and authorisation requirements so you understand what you may need to pay yourself.
Medical history, underwriting and exclusions
Underwriting is the process used to decide the terms on which cover is offered. With full medical underwriting, an insurer asks about medical history before setting those terms. With moratorium underwriting, certain recent conditions are initially excluded under a defined set of rules. Whether they can become eligible later depends on the policy and the required period without relevant symptoms, treatment or advice.
A moratorium does not mean that medical history is irrelevant or that an existing condition will automatically be covered after a waiting period. Read the definition carefully. Different approaches can produce different exclusions even where the headline benefits appear similar. Answer any questions accurately and ask for clarification if you are unsure what needs to be declared.
Long-term or chronic conditions are commonly outside the main scope of private medical insurance. Conditions you already have may also be excluded. The important question is how the proposed policy would apply to your circumstances, including any exclusions recorded specifically for you.
Comparing costs and reviewing an existing policy
A useful comparison sets the premium beside the excess, treatment limits, hospital access and underwriting terms. An excess is the contribution you agree to make towards eligible claims. Check when it applies, whether it is charged per person or under another basis and how it interacts with benefit limits. A lower premium can involve accepting more of the cost yourself.
At renewal, look at both the new price and the cover you would retain. Consider which benefits you value, which you could fund yourself and whether the premium remains affordable over time. Ask how changes to benefits, claims history or age may affect the terms being offered. A policy should remain manageable beyond its first year.
Switching insurer needs care if your health has changed. Existing exclusions, ongoing treatment and the basis on which a new insurer accepts you all need checking. Keep your current policy in place until you understand the replacement terms and the consequences of a change. Your renewal documents provide a useful starting point for a review.
How we work
A conversation is a good place to start.
- 01
Tell us what matters
Talk to us about your circumstances, your questions and what you want to achieve.
- 02
Understand your options
We explain how we can help and discuss the next steps, including any relevant fees.
- 03
Agree a way forward
You can decide how you would like to proceed with a clearer understanding of what is involved.
A little clarity
Questions you
may have.
Can I talk to you if I already have a policy?
Yes. Get in touch to discuss your existing cover and what you would like to review. Do not cancel a policy before understanding the consequences of making a change.
Will a policy cover an existing medical condition?
Do not assume it will. Cover depends on the policy, the underwriting and any exclusions. We can discuss how these points affect the options being considered.
Can you tell me the cost before discussing my needs?
The cost depends on the cover and the circumstances involved. A conversation helps establish what needs to be considered before looking at suitable options.
A wider view
Related services
Your next chapter
Make sense of your health cover options.
Whether you are starting from scratch or reviewing a policy, we are here to talk through the next steps.