Protection Policies

Private Medical Insurance

Private medical insurance is attractive to people who require treatment for illness or injury in a timescale that is quicker than that available with the National Health Service or for individuals who wish to know when the treatment is available so that they can plan business and personal schedules accordingly

From the policies available, there are three main categories:

  1. Comprehensive, which provides full cover on a full refund basis for both in-patient and out-patient treatment.
  2. Standard, which provides cover for in-patient treatment, normally on a full refund basis as well as out-patient treatment. However, it is often subject to annual limits or refunded to only a proportion of the total cost.
  3. Budget, which provides limited cover for in-patient treatment, with out-patient treatment only provided if it is directly linked to the in-patient treatment.

The premiums are banded both for the level of cover provided and also, sometimes, for the standard of hospital used. This is due to the different standards of private hospital, with the top ones being similar to 5 star hotels.

In many instances the policy will not cover past or existing conditions, although some will offer a moratorium whereby existing conditions may be covered but not for say, the first two years.