<h1>UK Private Medical Cover</h1>
<h2>private medical insurance quotes</h2>
<h2>Welcome to the world of UK private medical cover!</h2>
<h2>Table of Contents</h2>
<h2>Private Medical Insurance Information</h2>
<p><b>What is private medical insurance?</b></p>
<p>Private medical insurance gives you the option of going private if you don't want to be treated on the NHS<b>.</b> With individual private medical insurance you will pay monthly<b>,</b> quarterly or yearly premiums<b>,</b> but some companies offer private medical insurance as a perk for their employees<b>.</b></p>
<p><b>What are the benefits of having private medical insurance?</b></p>
<p>Private medical insurance gives you the chance to skip lengthy NHS queues and be treated in a private hospital of your choice<b>,</b> with a leading specialist of your choice<b>.</b> With private medical insurance you will stay in a private ensuite room free from the superbugs<b>,</b> and have access to licensed cancer drugs not available on the NHS<b>.</b></p>
<p><b>What kind of health insurance policies are there to choose from?</b></p>
<p>There are three main types of health insurance policy- budget<b>,</b> standard and comprehensive<b>.</b> Comprehensive is the most expensive kind<b>,</b> and will offer full cover with no limits<b>.</b> Budget policies are much cheaper<b>,</b> but may have limits and restrictions<b>.</b></p>
<p>Some insurers also offer policies that you can customise to suit your personal needs and budget<b>.</b> You start with a basic module<b>,</b> then you can add a variety of options including cancer cover<b>,</b> full outpatient cover and dental and optical<b>.</b></p>
<p>There are also different types of underwriting to choose from- Moratorium<b>,</b> Full Medical Underwriting and Switch policies<b>.</b> Your underwriting will not affect the cost of your policy<b>,</b> but it may affect what medical conditions are covered<b>.</b></p>
<p><b>What will private medical insurance not cover?</b></p>
<p>Private medical insurance will not cover any condition you have suffered in the five years before the date you take out your policy<b>,</b> called a pre-existing condition<b>.</b> However<b>,</b> with moratorium underwriting<b>,</b> if you go advice and treatment free for two years after taking out the policy<b>,</b> the insurer will then cover that condition<b>.</b></p>
<p>Private medical insurance will not cover chronic conditions if you suffer them before the start of the policy<b>.</b> Take a look at this guide to chronic conditions for more information<b>.</b></p>
<p>Because pregnancy is not considered a medical condition<b>,</b> it will not be covered by private medical insurance<b>.</b> However<b>,</b> any complications relating to the birth or the baby may be covered on your policy<b>.</b></p>
<p><b>What about company health insurance?</b></p>
<p>It is an outdated idea that corporate health insurance is only offered by large multinational firms<b>.</b> In fact<b>,</b> business health insurance is available to companies of any size at a reasonable price<b>.</b> However<b>,</b> small companies of less than 2 or 3 employees might be better off looking at individual health insurance - it might actually work out cheaper<b>.</b></p>
<h2>Family Health Insurance</h2>
<p>Family health insurance groups a set of individual policies together into one premium<b>.</b> It provides family medical insurance for all named family members<b>,</b> including child health insurance for your children<b>.</b></p>
<p>There are many benefits to family health insurance<b>.</b> Family health insurance will give you and your family a choice of private hospitals<b>,</b> times and specialists<b>,</b> allowing you to plan appointments and hospital stays around your schedule<b>.</b> Parent accomodation is also available on family health insurance policies<b>,</b> so that you can stay with your child free of charge if you need to<b>.</b></p>
<p>When looking for a family health insurance policy<b>,</b> bear in mind that if your children are over 18 it may actually be cheaper for them to be covered by themselves- because they will be classed as adults by the insurer<b>.</b> Indeed<b>,</b> a health insurance advisor will be able to let you know if a joint quote works out more expensive than separate policies<b>,</b> and whether the level of cover is right for you<b>.</b></p>
<h2>Private Medical Insurance Statistics</h2>
<p>In 2010<b>,</b> approximately 3<b>,</b>962<b>,</b>000 people in the UK had private medical insurance<b>,</b> and 75% of these were on a company scheme<b>.</b></p>
<p>The same year<b>,</b> private health insurers paid out a total £2<b>.</b>8 billion in claims on diagnosis<b>,</b> treatment and aftercare<b>.</b> By our estimate<b>,</b> 82% of these claims would otherwise have had to be funded by the National Health Service<b>.</b></p>
<p>If just 5% more people took out a health insurance policy over the next twelve months<b>,</b> the NHS could save an extra £2<b>.</b>5 billion on last year from its budget<b>.</b></p>
<p>The NHS costs £30k earners around £1<b>,</b>350 a year in tax<b>.</b> The average premium in the UK for individual health insurance was £1<b>,</b>026<b>.</b></p>
<h2>10 Surprising Health Insurance Facts</h2>
<p>1) Health insurance does not replace the NHS</p>
<p>Many people think that health insurance is trying to replace but the NHS<b>,</b> but the truth is the private sector and the NHS can work hand in hand<b>.</b> Private hospitals offer a chance to avoid long NHS waiting lists for diagnostic tests<b>,</b> cancer treatment and physiotherapy<b>,</b> but the NHS is unrivalled when it comes to emergency treatment and treatment for chronic conditions<b>.</b></p>
<p>2) Health insurance is not a 'luxury' product</p>
<p>In the UK<b>,</b> healthcare on the NHS is free<b>,</b> so health insurance was always considered a luxury product<b>.</b> But with insurers adapting and adding discount schemes like excess and six week wait<b>,</b> it can actually be very affordable<b>.</b></p>
<p>3) Health insurance is not one size fits all</p>
<p>Health insurance is no longer a singular product with strict rules and modules<b>.</b> Now<b>,</b> health insurance can be adapted to suit you<b>,</b> adding and removing particular areas of cover or applying discounts to lower the price<b>.</b></p>
<p>4) Using a broker can be cheaper</p>
<p>Whilst you would think that going direct is the cheapest way to buy health insurance<b>,</b> brokers actually often get a special discount from the insurers because they have a bigger share in the market<b>.</b> Go to an FSA authorised broker for your quotes to be guaranteed the best price<b>.</b></p>
<p>5) You can haggle for your premium price</p>
<p>Many brokers or insurers offer a 'lowest price promise'<b>,</b> meaning they will match or better another quote for the same policy<b>.</b> Don't be afraid to haggle!</p>
<p>6) Chronic conditions could be covered</p>
<p>A chronic condition is a long-term illness that has no known cure<b>,</b> whilst an acute condition is a considered short-term and curable<b>.</b> Whilst private medical insurance will not cover chronic conditions that are pre-existing<b>,</b> it might cover flare-ups of a chronic condition in the future<b>.</b> For example<b>,</b> if you are diagnosed with asthma after taking out a policy<b>,</b> your health insurance will cover the private diagnosis of the condition<b>,</b> and the treatment of any acute attacks in the future<b>.</b> However<b>,</b> it will not cover the costs of maintenance and routine check-ups<b>.</b></p>
<p>7) Cancer is not classed as a chronic condition</p>
<p>In many articles and literature found online<b>,</b> cancer is described as a chronic condition<b>.</b> However<b>,</b> when it comes to health insurance<b>,</b> cancer is actually classed as an acute condition<b>.</b> This is good news<b>,</b> because it means that depending on your policy<b>,</b> private cancer diagnosis and treatment will always be paid for by your insurer<b>.</b></p>
<p>8) You can switch policies without losing cover</p>
<p>Some people stick with the same insurer thinking that they will lose cover if they change<b>.</b> However<b>,</b> if you apply for a 'switch' policy you can change insurer without losing cover for pre-existing conditions<b>.</b> This can save you considerable amounts of money if your new policy has cheaper premiums<b>.</b></p>
<p>9) Pre-existing conditions can be covered</p>
<p>Whilst health insurance is not designed to cover pre-existing conditions<b>,</b> it could cover them in the future if you go for a moratorium policy<b>.</b> With a moratorium policy<b>,</b> your insurer will automatically exclude cover for conditions you suffered in the previous 5 years<b>.</b> But if you go advice<b>,</b> symptom and treatment free for a continuous 2 years<b>,</b> your insurer will reinstate cover<b>.</b></p>
<p>10) Bupa is not the only health insurer on the market!</p>
<p>When people think health insurance<b>,</b> they immediately think Bupa<b>.</b> But in fact there are over 10 different health insurers out there<b>,</b> each offering their own products at a great range of prices<b>.</b></p>
<h3>private medical insurance quotes</h3>
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<div style="display:blockfloat:leftmargin: 10px"><h1>UK Private Medical Cover</h1><a href="http://insurance-quotes.meximas.com">INSURANCE</a></div><br><br>
