Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 March 2010 16:57
Health Insurance Guide
This Medical Health Insurance Guide, developed and published by the Association of British Insurers, is designed to help you understand more about what private medical insurance (PMI) in the UK is, why people buy it, and how it works, so that you will be able to make an informed choice before you buy a policy.
The Association of British Insurers publish this guide on behalf of all insurers who offer PMI, whether they are our members or not. The ABI is the recognised trade association that represents insurance companies working in the UK. Their members make up more than 90% of the UK's insurance business.
As well as this guide, the information you receive from PMI companies will tell you more about the products that you are considering buying. They
outline what is, and is not, covered.
Remember that products from different companies will vary. If you have any questions, your financial adviser or insurance company will be able to answer them.
What is private medical insurance?
Private medical insurance is designed to cover the costs of private medical treatment, for what are commonly known as 'acute conditions' that start after your policy begins.
Most insurers define an acute condition as a disease, illness or injury that is likely to respond quickly to treatment and aims to return you to the state of health you were in immediately before suffering the disease, illness or injury, or which leads to your full recovery. Your
insurer can tell you about their cover for this and other conditions, such as cancer and chronic (long-term) conditions.
Why buy private medical insurance?
Most people buy this type of insurance to:
- be reassured, knowing that treatment is available quickly if they become ill or are injured;
- have a choice about when treatment will take place, the specialist who treats them and the hospital; and
- have the privacy of an en-suite room with a TV and other home comforts.
How does private medical insurance work?
Although policies can be different, medical treatment usually has to start with a referral by your GP to an appropriate specialist.
Before you arrange any private treatment, you should call your insurance company to check that you are covered for the treatment. In fact, most insurers need you to do this.
Stay in touch with your insurer at each stage of your treatment. Your insurer will confirm if you are covered. Treatments for some illnesses, including pre-existing conditions (conditions from which you are already suffering, or have already had) will not be covered by a private medical insurance policy. It is also important to remember that private medical insurance is designed to work alongside, not to replace, all the services offered by the NHS. Some services, such as accident and emergency, are not available at most private hospitals.
Next: How do I buy private medical insurance?
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How do I buy private medical insurance?
Private medical insurance is provided only by insurers and may be bought:
- direct from the insurer;
- through an independent adviser; or
- through an agent (bank, building society or retail outlet, such as a supermarket).
You can apply for insurance:
- over the phone;
- face-to-face;
- using the internet; or
- by post.
If you’re using the internet, try searching under ‘health insurance’ as well as ‘medical insurance’. An insurer, or an agent who sells policies on an insurer’s behalf, is only able to discuss that insurer’s own policies. An independent adviser offers policies from a range of insurers. Independent advisers give you recommendations after assessing your needs. They are responsible to you for the advice they give. If you buy direct from an insurer or an insurer’s agent they will also assess your needs. But, they can only give you advice on which of their own policies best suits you. Your adviser must explain whether they are:
- independent;
- advising on a range of insurers; or
- a representative of one insurer.
If you buy direct from an insurer or insurer's agent without receiving advice, it is your responsibility to choose a policy that is right for you. You will be asked to fill in an application, and will probably be asked for information about your health. Your application, or any declaration you make to your insurer, is very important. In fact, it forms the basis of your contract with your insurer. You must answer any questions you are asked as fully and as accurately as you can, to the best of your knowledge and belief. If you don't, your insurer may refuse to pay your claim and could cancel your policy. Once your application has been
accepted you will be told when cover will start.
Cancellation period
Your insurer will send you policy documents when your policy has been set up. You have at least 14 days from the day you receive them to decide whether the product is suitable for you. If you want to cancel your policy, you must do so within the stated period and tell the insurer that you want to cancel your cover. If you have made any payments you will usually receive a full refund unless you have made a claim.
Next: Will I need to give details about my health?
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Will I need to give details about my health?
You won't normally be covered for any illnesses you are currently suffering from, or have already had. These are known as 'pre-existing conditions'. You must answer all questions as fully and as accurately as you can, to the best of your knowledge and belief. There are two main methods that PMI companies use to deal with your application for cover. These are:
- full medical underwriting; or
- moratorium underwriting.
All PMI companies will offer you the full medical underwriting option. Only some companies offer the moratorium option.
Full medical underwriting (medical history declaration)
You are asked to give details of your medical history. The insurer may write to your doctor for more information, but they do not do so in every case. You must give all the information you are asked for. If you don't, your insurer may refuse to pay any claim that you make in the future, or may cancel your policy.
If you are not sure whether to mention something, it is best to do so. If you have a medical condition that is likely to come back, the insurer will issue a policy, but that condition (and any related to it) might not be covered.
This condition may never be covered, or not covered for a set period of time.
Moratorium underwriting
You are not asked to give details of your medical history. Instead, the insurer does not cover treatment for any medical or related condition that you have received treatment for, taken medication for, asked advice on or had symptoms of.
In other words, you will not be covered for any condition that existed in the past few years. Five years is the usual time period.
These conditions may automatically become eligible for cover. But this will only happen when you do not have symptoms of, or receive treatment, medication, tests and advice (from your GP, a healthcare professional or a specialist) for that condition, usually for a continuous period of two years after your policy has started.
You do not need to tell the insurer about your medical history when you take out the policy. Your insurer might ask for medical notes that are needed to decide if your claim can be covered.
There are some conditions, for example chronic conditions, that will probably never be covered. This is because you will always need treatment, medication, tests or advice for them. You should not delay getting medical advice or treatment, simply to get cover. Your insurer will give you information explaining how their moratorium works. You may also want to ask the insurer or adviser, to explain this.
Next: How do I choose the right cover?
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How do I choose the right cover?
You should check to see if you already have PMI cover. Some employers include PMI as part of their benefits package. Even a club or professional organisation might have arrangements to offer you (and your family members) cover at better rates.
If this is not the case and you want to take out cover yourself, you need to think about what benefits are most important to you. When looking at cover, it is seful to know how much medical treatment costs, so you know how much cover to buy.
There are lots of different sorts of policies, from low cost, offering limited cover, to those that offer wide-ranging cover and benefits. Most policies offer cover for inpatient and day-patient treatment, but not always outpatient treatment and diagnostic tests.
You will need to decide what sort of cover you want. There are a number of things you will have to consider.
- How much do you want to spend?
- Do you want to pay for part of your treatment?
- Do you want your cover to includes seeing a specialist and having diagnostic tests (for example, X-rays and blood tests) as an outpatient?
- Do you want a choice of hospitals, or would you be happy to have any treatment that you might need, in a hospital available from a limited range chosen by your insurance company?
- What am I not covered for?
The answers you give to questions such as these, could have a significant effect on how much you pay.
The more your cover includes, the higher your premiums are likely to be.
Next: What is and is not covered?
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What is and is not covered?
Remember, private medical insurance is designed to cover treatment for curable, short-term illness or injury. These are called 'acute conditions'.
Some illnesses and treatments are rarely covered. PMI isn't designed to cover the long-term treatment of chronic conditions for a number of reasons.
The private-hospital sector's main purpose is to treat conditions that can be cured, or mostly cured, quickly. A large part of the NHS's funding is to care for patients with long-term conditions. So, for example, patients with diabetes can go to clinics, be regularly monitored and have their insulin needs met. This will often happen locally, in a primary-care setting such as their GP surgery.
As well as the practical reasons mentioned before, insurers also have to balance how much cover they provide with what you are willing to pay for that cover. So, insurers don't cover the treatment of long-term (chronic) conditions. This is because their premiums would become too expensive for most people.
The following conditions or treatments are normally not included in your cover.
- Going to a general practitioner (GP)
- Going to Accident and Emergency
- Drug abuse
- HIV/AIDS
- Normal pregnancy
- Gender reassignment (sex change)
- Mobility aids, such as wheelchairs
- Organ transplant
- Injuries you get from dangerous hobbies (often called hazardous pursuits)
- Conditions you had before taking out the insurance (commonly known as pre-existing conditions)
- Dental services
- Outpatient drugs and dressings
- Deliberately self-inflicted injuries
- Infertility
- Cosmetic treatment
- Experimental or unproven treatment or drugs
- Kidney dialysis
- War risks
Your insurer will give you a summary of your policy, or Key Features Document, and a full policy document, either before or straight after your insurance contract starts.
The summary of your policy or Key Features Document will set out any important or unusual limits of the policy, as well as the main monetary limits.
Next: Will my premiums increase over time?
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Will my premiums increase over time?
Even with the wide range of PMI policies available, it is likely that whatever policy you choose your premiums will rise above the rate
of general inflation.
Advances in modern medicine mean that doctors are able to identify some conditions earlier than ever before. For example, a patient who had a heart attack 20 years ago might have been treated with a heart bypass operation. Today they might be offered a pacemaker before a bypass is considered. The cost of healthcare will increase when:
- new drugs, such as Herceptin and Avastin for the treatment of cancer, become available;
- the methods used to diagnose conditions become more advanced, which means patients can be treated more quickly, and are used more; and the technology used in surgery becomes more advanced.
PMI tries to keep up with new medical developments, as they become established medical practice. As you get older you are more likely to need treatment.
Premiums usually increase with your age to reflect this. You can always ask your insurer to give you advice about their current rates at different ages.
Can I reduce my premiums?
You may be able to reduce your premiums by choosing from:
- a reduced level of benefits, such as limited outpatient cover; a specific range of hospitals;
- an excess on your policy, where you pay the first part, say £100, £200 or £500 of any treatment, either each policy year or each claim;
- a policy with ‘co-insurance’ where you agree to pay a set percentage of any claim and the insurer pays the balance until you have paid an agreed yearly amount (after this the insurer pays 100%);
- a policy that offers a no-claims discount or a discount that depends on your commitment to health, including exercising regularly and
not smoking;
- having treatment on the NHS, if this is available within 6 to 12 weeks of being diagnosed, rather than in a private hospital; and
- receiving a discount by changing how you pay.
Next:
What if I want to change to a new insurer?
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What if I want to change to a new insurer?
You can change your PMI company. If you want to switch, there are four main things you need to consider.
Existing conditions
Some insurers may match your exclusions (what is not included in your cover) and add these to your new cover. They will not add any new ones. However, some insurers might not cover illnesses or injuries you have had in the past or any condition that you suffer from now, even if these are covered by your current insurer.
Comparing your cover
Even if your personal medical exclusions stay the same with your new insurer, the overall cover is likely to be different. You should:
- compare the benefits of each insurer;
- compare any cover limits or monetary amounts; and
- ask questions about how the cover works.
Paperwork
Paperwork varies from one company to another, but there’s likely to be an application form to sign and you might need to provide a copy of the policy certificate from your current insurer as proof of your current cover.
When you choose to switch
Usually, private medical insurance is offered through an annual contract. If you are thinking of switching to another insurer, it’s best to consider doing this at your renewal date. At any other time, check if you will lose any payments.
Next: Points to remember
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Points to remember
You must give full and accurate information to your insurer or adviser. This will avoid your claim being refused or your policy being cancelled.
You should read all the policy documents and terms carefully, now and in the future. Keep all documents safe.
You need to keep your payments up to date. If you don’t your cover will stop and only eligible treatment costs from before the cancellation date will
be included.
If your policy is a yearly contract, you will be sent details of changes to benefits, rules or premiums before your renewal date. Your insurer cannot cancel your policy just because you have claimed or your health has got worse.
Before you change insurers you should check the benefits, policy terms and underwriting position carefully to understand the consequences. The cover offered may not be the same.
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