Health Insurance
A comprehensive guide on health insurance
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What is health insurance?
Health insurance, commonly referred to as private medical insurance (PMI), allows UK policyholders to access a range of private healthcare services. Different levels of cover are available and often cover everything from diagnostics to treatment.
As a policyholder, you will pay a monthly premium to a policy provider, and in return, when you need healthcare, you can use the insurance to cover the cost.
Although the NHS covers all UK citizens for the majority of their healthcare needs, you might want access to private healthcare treatments, which can be expensive without insurance to cover. With private medical insurance, you can benefit from shorter wait times, faster diagnosis and better facilities.
Health insurance policy coverage can include cover for a wide range of options, including dental, optical, physiotherapy, and doctor/hospital appointments. Depending on the policy you take determines what the insurance will cover.
Health insurance doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll stop using the NHS services. It can act as a supplementary service that provides access to treatments and services not fully covered by the NHS.
As a policyholder, you will pay a monthly premium to a policy provider, and in return, when you need healthcare, you can use the insurance to cover the cost.
Although the NHS covers all UK citizens for the majority of their healthcare needs, you might want access to private healthcare treatments, which can be expensive without insurance to cover. With private medical insurance, you can benefit from shorter wait times, faster diagnosis and better facilities.
Health insurance policy coverage can include cover for a wide range of options, including dental, optical, physiotherapy, and doctor/hospital appointments. Depending on the policy you take determines what the insurance will cover.
Health insurance doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll stop using the NHS services. It can act as a supplementary service that provides access to treatments and services not fully covered by the NHS.
Working with an Independent Qualified Advisor
Although the agreement is between you and the insurance underwriter, it's often common and beneficial to work with an Independent Qualified Advisor, who will act on your behalf to find the best deal on the market for your circumstance. The advisor will act as a bridge between you and the underwriters, so they will ask you the questions required by the underwriter to generate a quote. The advisor will be rewarded by getting a pay-out from the underwriter, often there would be no cost to you for the use of their service and you get the benefit of their access to the whole market, which won’t be accessible to you without them.
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What are the main benefits of health insurance?
The potential main benefits of PMI, when compared to the NHS, are
- Faster access to healthcare
- Better treatment environment Not sure about this?
- Better timing of treatment as well as a greater choice of facilities, locations and medical specialists
- Access to private rooms if requested (cover dependent)
- Spread costs - If you are covered and require a lot of treatment at one time,won’t have to pay for it all at once, you’ll just continue to pay our monthly insurance premium and the treatment will be covered by your insurer
- Faster access to healthcare
- Better treatment environment Not sure about this?
- Better timing of treatment as well as a greater choice of facilities, locations and medical specialists
- Access to private rooms if requested (cover dependent)
- Spread costs - If you are covered and require a lot of treatment at one time,won’t have to pay for it all at once, you’ll just continue to pay our monthly insurance premium and the treatment will be covered by your insurer
Further reading:
What is an IFA? 
What are the steps to taking out health insurance?
01
Fill in a web application
02
Speak to an independant advisor
03
Find a product that works for you
