Why health insurance?

Your health insurance protects you from paying the full costs of medical services when you're injured or sick and it works the same way your car or home insurance works: you or your employer choose a plan and agree to pay a certain rate, or premium, each month. 

There are lots of reasons for choosing private healthcare. You might want to get private medical treatment when:

• A private healthcare provider offers the treatment you want
• You want fast access to treatment
• You want to choose the date for a hospital operation
• You want to be treated by a consultant or specialist of your choice
• You want a health screening

Health insurance covers a wide variety of care for acute medical conditions, which are curable and short term. That care is likely to be in a private, en-suite room with excellent facilities – such as your own TV and a choice of menus too.

The insurer will cover some or all of the costs. The insurer will also pay, directly, for scans, surgery, drugs – including some drugs that might not be available on the NHS – and all kinds of diagnostic tests. It will usually cover the costs of specialists or consultants, too. 

Most health insurance policies won’t pay to treat a medical condition that you already know about, when you buy the policy. The insurers call this a pre-existing condition.

Nor will they pay for visits to Accident and Emergency, drug abuse, non-essential cosmetic treatments, organ transplants, or treatments associated with a normal pregnancy.

When choosing whether to go private, you should consider:

• If the hospital specialises in the treatment you need

• How you plan to fund your treatment either by paying for yourself or using a health insurance policy which covers the treatment you need

• Your consultant’s qualifications, accreditations or affiliations with industry bodies, for example the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons

You are still entitled to free NHS care if you choose to pay for private care. More information is available at nhs.uk.

There are many variables that impact the cost of health insurance. These can include your age, where you live, whether or not you use tobacco, how many people are covered by the plan and the type of plan you have. Choosing the best health plan for your budget will depend on your unique circumstances.