Private Medical Insurance

What is private medical insurance?

Private Medical insurance provides cover for private medical care. It takes away the lengthy delay often experienced by those needing treatment and means you don’t have to put your life on hold or face a worrying wait.

Private Medical insurance is also known as health insurance and pays for treatment if you’re ill or have suffered an injury or accident. It enables you to get a faster diagnosis and to start treatment sooner than you might expect on the NHS, and also offers other benefits such as a choice of hospitals or treatment centres, your own private room and appointments at a time to suit you.

You can choose from different types of private medical insurance depending on your own circumstances, such as individual cover, family health insurance, company health care or international health cover. Compare private medical insurance quotes online from leading health insurers to find a policy that meets your budget.

How does private medical insurance work?

Private medical insurance works in exactly the same way as any other domestic insurance policy you most likely already have in place for your home or your car. Policyholders pay a monthly or an annual premium, which is set out depending on the level of cover that person requires, and the insurer pays out for any treatment covered by the plan as and when is necessary.

The cost of private medical insurance depends on factors such as your age and overall health at the time of taking out the policy, the stated excess and even things such as whether or not you have gym membership. Your address can also make a difference, as treatment can be more expensive in some part of the UK than others, and it might pay to travel further afield for care to keep costs down.

Private medical care works alongside the services provided by the NHS and treatment often takes place within NHS hospitals. If you suspect something is wrong, visit your GP to discuss your concerns and let him or her know you have private medical insurance. If you then need to see a specialist, private healthcare will be arranged and you can make a claim with your insurer.

What does private medical insurance cover?

Private Medical insurance typically covers the cost of treatment for acute conditions that occur after your policy has begun. It can include cover for treatment as an inpatient, an outpatient, and a day patient, depending on the level of cover you choose to put in place.

Some health insurers also let you pick exactly what is covered from a range of options, such as:

• Physiotherapy
• Treatment for specific diseases like cancer
• Psychiatric treatment
• Dental treatment
• Optical appointments
• Medical treatment and nursing at home

What are the benefits of private medical insurance?

There are many benefits to private medical insurance, including:

• No NHS waiting lists
• Receiving a quick diagnosis from a consultant
• Getting fast access to treatment
• Being able to choose the hospital and the doctor
• Choosing appointments to suit your schedule
• Recovering in a private en-suite room, often with WiFi and your own TV
• Unrestricted visiting hours
• Freshly prepared, healthy meals
• Physiotherapy
• Alternative therapies and complementary medicine
• Access to drugs and treatment that may not be available on the NHS

How do I buy private medical insurance?

As with any domestic insurance policy, the best way to make sure you’re putting the right cover in place for your individual needs is to compare private medical insurance quotes from a number of providers. As the leading health insurance comparison website in the UK, ActiveQuote partners with Gocompare, Uswitch and MoneySavingExpert to bring our customers the best cover at the right price.

When you compare private medical insurance quotes with ActiveQuote, you will be asked a few simple questions including your name and address, your date of birth, whether or not you smoke and your ideal monthly health insurance budget

Different policies offer different benefits, so making sure that the level of cover suits your needs is essential in order for you to maximise on the cover available to you. You will also be required to disclose any pre-existing and chronic conditions, which may affect the level of cover you’re offered depending on what these are.

Why compare private medical insurance with ActiveQuote.com?

Buying private medical insurance can be daunting and we understand how important it is for you to feel confident you have the cover that’s right for you and your family. Whilst the majority of our policies are straightforward and can be bought online, we pride ourselves on our excellent customer care, with a highly trained team ready to take your call and answer any queries you have.

We usually need to speak in person to customers when it comes our life insurance products and are always happy to do the same for health insurance, depending on your requirements. We’re rated by customers as the number one health insurance broker in the UK, so you can rest assured you’re in safe hands!

With ActiveQuote you can:

• View more than 50 quotes online
• Compare the UK’s leading insurers
• Tailor your quotes online with live price updates
• Buy your chosen private medical insurance online
• Get free advice from a private medical insurance specialist

Our private medical insurance partners

With ActiveQuote, you can compare private medical insurance quotes from the leading insurers in the UK, including:

• April UK
• Aviva
• AXA PPP
• Bupa Healthcare
• Exeter Family Friendly
• Freedom
• General & Medical
• Vitality
• WPA (Western Provident Association)

You can tailor your quotes online to suit your needs and budget and you can buy your chosen policy online. You can also speak to an advisor for free if you would like help choosing a policy.

How much does private medical insurance cost?

The cost of your private medical insurance policy depends on:

• Your age
• Your medical history
• Your family's medical history
• Your lifestyle
• What you want covered

Is there anything that private medical insurance doesn’t cover?

Most private medical insurance providers have a definitive list in place of scenarios they are not able to provide for. These can include a selection of pre-existing conditions, chronic illnesses, drug abuse treatment and more. Elective treatments such as cosmetic surgery and fertility treatment can also be excluded but it’s important to remember that the terms offered will always vary between providers – and to compare private medical insurance and the full range of policies available to you is therefore extremely important.