You will need to be 18 or over to take your policy, however, under 18's maybe able to be added to a parent’s policy, or the parent can take a child only policy with selected insurers. Most insurers have an upper age limit but this varies from insurer to insurer.

As with all types of insurance, there may be times when further restrictions apply this can range from:

Instead of being placed on a private ward, you may have to be placed on an NHS ward.

Having Private Health Insurance does not always mean you are taking the quickest route for treatment, the NHS can sometimes be as quick if not quicker.

Whilst you will have the opportunity to pick your hospital that you are treated in, this will be dependent on the hospital list you have chosen. The more hospitals available, the higher the cost of insurance.

You can take a policy if you have a disability, however, be aware that this may be classed as a pre-existing condition and therefore may not be covered under the policy.

If you would like to add either your partner, child/children or BOSh to your policy, you would need to check with your current provider, but most insurers do allow you to do this as a joint or family policy. But be aware that this is not always the best option when it comes to cost, so you should shop around or seek advice.

Most of the time you can, but you must make sure your consultant fees are covered in full, by checking they are on the fee approved list (your insurer will help you with this).

If the consultant is not on the fee approved list and you still decide to use them, you may be liable to pay the shortfall in these costs.

Yes, however, the majority of insurers will not cover treatment related to your disability.

Regardless of whether you have health insurance or not you still have the right to use the NHS if required.

If you are happy to either wait for the NHS or there is no time saving, it is fine to use the NHS instead of your policy.

Whilst your policy does renew every 12 months, most policies have an automatic renewal process. It is, however, likely that your renewal will increase year on year, considering medical inflation and your age.

We will, therefore, review the market for you every year, to make sure your policy is still competitive and so that you know if there are any better options available.

No, but if you opt to take a Fully Medical Underwritten policy you would be asked to declare your medical details before the insurer expects the policy. If you do opt for a Moratorium policy, then you would not need to do this.

Sometimes you can benefit from paying annually a couple of examples of this are Saga will give you 7.5% discount, whilst AXA PPP will give you a 5% discount if you pay the entire premium in one payment. This, however, does not mean these are the right choices for you, so choose the policy that best suits your needs.

No, private health insurance policies are not normally designed to provide cover outside of the UK. You can on some policies add this cover, or you can take a stand-alone travel insurance policy.

There are many ways to reduce the cost of health insurance they include:

The most common would be:
You would first obtain an open referral from your GP; you would then call your insurer to make a claim and to make sure it is covered. Once your claim has been agreed your insurer will help guide you through all options available to you, from which consultants you have available to which hospitals are covered under your plan. When you have arranged this and the treatment has taken place, most of the time, the consultant and hospital will bill the insurer direct, so you will not be out of pocket. You will, however, need to pay your excess upfront."

If you have private health insurance it allows you to claim for the cost of private medical care, this is instead of you using health services like the NHS or self-funding. Every claim starts with an appointment with your GP if you suspect you have a health problem as you usually would, you should then let them know you have private health cover.

If required, they’ll refer you to a specialist. Dependant on your health insurance policy you may be able to choose private hospitals or specialists which might not be available on the NHS,

Once you have been given a referral letter, you’ll need to tell your insurance provider that you want to claim, and they’ll confirm whether the treatment you want or need is covered by your policy. If it is, they will approve your claim and you will be booked in to see a consultant and have any tests required to diagnose your condition. (This will be dependent on the level of cover you have selected on your policy)

Medical insurance costs will depend on many factors, these can include: What level of cover you require, Postcode, Age, Medical History, Family Medical History, Lifestyle, There are a couple of costs to keep in mind – the cost of your policy monthly and your excess.

If you need to lower the cost of your health insurance plan, there are several ways to do this. Reduction in the outpatient cover, Higher excess (If affordable), the NHS waiting list is less than the private one, you can have treatment on the NHS instead, prove to insurers that you’re healthy, such as going to the gym and reduce the number of hospitals you can choose from.

Excess with health insurance is not very different from other types of insurance insurances, you usually pay an excess, i.e., an amount towards the claim. The larger the excess, the cheaper the premium. So, consider what you can afford and what is the insurance there to cover.

Once you've opted for an excess, some insurers will give you the option on its frequency, they can be:

This works when any claim you make you pay 25% of the cost of the claim. I.E for a £200 consultation you would pay £50 as an excess, you, however, select a limit that you will pay over the year. This means that if you claimed £50,000, then the maximum you would pay is the upper limit which you selected.

Low cost doesn't necessarily mean best, but you can cut the cost of the premium once you've decided what cover you require.

Use our quotation comparison.
On our link to private health insurance you can obtain no-obligation quotes, this is a comparison quote that shows you the best prices across our panel of insurers, you will also be able to change your level of cover and your excess to make sure you get the best price.

Speak to your friendly advisers
If you're not sure which policy to get, or have conditions making it difficult to find the right one, contact one of our advisers. It does take a bit longer, but they will be able to give you a much more bespoke quotation and clearly explain the exclusions connected to your policy. They also have access to the panel of insurers to make sure you are getting the best price.

Is there a fee?
No by obtaining quotes either online or over the phone, you will not be charged. We offer a free impartial service.

Private health insurance’s best cover is known as comprehensive. It’s thought about as the best because it covers in full your tests, scans, consultations and In and Day patient treatment. However, this is not always the cheapest option.

Medical insurance policies normally let you pick what they cover, which hospitals you want access to and how much your excess is and base the price around this. After you’ve decided on what you want, you can compare health insurance policies on our website or by speaking to our advisers.

Healthcare cashback plans are very different, but you can have BOSh private medical insurance and a cashback plan, so don't worry about choosing.

Healthcare cashback plans cover regular, everyday treatments including a visit to the dentist and optician, as well as therapies, physiotherapy and sometimes even massages.

You pay a monthly fee to an insurer and they are different because you need to pay for NHS or private treatment upfront, and you, therefore, claim some or all of the cashback depending on your policy, up to an annual maximum limit.

If your employer already provides you with health care insurance as part of your employment package it is unlikely you will need extra medical insurance. However, you should check what level of cover they are providing. If your employer does not provide cover your family then you may want to take a policy out for them.

Which hospital list is best for you will depend on what hospitals you want to have treatment in. If your chosen hospitals are covered on a reduced or standard list, then it may not be the extra premium to cover more hospitals.

This said, if you do require cover for a hospital that is only covered on an extended list then it maybe worth adding an extended hospital list whilst this will increase the premium, you will have the cover you require. Ultimately, this is your choice and based on what you need and can afford.

Instead of paying an insurance company and you feel you are fit and healthy you might want to save what you can each month into a top savings account instead of buying medical insurance. If you were to need treatment, you could just pay for it with your savings. Please bear in mind that treatment for some conditions, cancer, for example, can cost six-figure sums. It could be worth paying for private health insurance, so you can be assured of quick treatment and so you are not spending more money than you can afford on just one treatment.

Some providers might give you a discount for paying annually and some might charge more for monthly premiums, however, there may be an offer like 1 month free which is only applicable if paying monthly. It’s up to you how you’d like to pay, but insurers will generally let you know which the cheaper option is.

Some insurers will reduce your cost of cover if you can prove you can stay in good health with regular exercise and healthy eating. Non-smokers will also benefit from preferential prices.

Aviva's Healthier Solutions, allows you to save up to 15% if you answer some lifestyle questions when you renew and remain in shape, while Vitality Health offers perks and discounts off your renewal if you can show you're leading a healthy lifestyle. However, be aware that you might save more by switching provider.

No claims bonus is a way or rewarding customers that do not claim on the policy, for every year you do not claim a discount will be applied at renewal. The downside to this is if you must claim the no claims bonus will be reduced and possibly have an effect on your renewal premium. If you would like to avoid this you could look at insurers that are community rated, or simply have a no claims bonus system.

Private medical insurance generally gives you:

Quick access to consultants, tests and treatment.

Control over which hospital you go to, and when you are seen.

A lot of insurers give you, access to treatment and drugs that aren’t always available on the NHS.

Private hospitals which can make your stay more comfortable with amenities, such as a private room, your bathroom TVs and better visiting times.

If you’re self-employed or have a job where timing is an important factor, because you can often choose when and where you’re treated, access to private healthcare can be invaluable.

The treatments that are commonly claimed for are:

Private health insurance will help you pay healthcare-related costs, what cover you get will be dependent on the cover you purchase.

Comprehensive
A comprehensive health insurance policy normally includes, full cover for outpatient cover as well as In or Day patient cover, you may also get some therapies or mental health cover included.

Mid-Range
A Mid-Range health insurance policy generally covers some outpatient care, like consultations and tests, as well as the In or Day patient cover. When reviewing this cover be wary of the level of outpatient cover being offered.

Basic
Basic health insurance policy will normally pay for treatment and any related costs while you’re an In or Day patient at the hospital. Be careful of the cheapest policies may limit the amount of cover you get for this.

Extras
You usually add extras to any level of cover to make the policy, this can include Dental, Optical, Therapies and Mental Health.

Chronic conditions are not covered by private medical insurance. These are generally defined as something that:

The dictionary definition of a pre-existing condition is a medical condition already suffered by a proposer before the starting date of an insurance policy. Some insurers may have slightly differing explanations, though the term normally applies to any conditions which present symptoms or which you’ve been treated for in the last five years. This usually includes any conditions you were diagnosed with over five years ago.

Some insurers may set the year limit higher or lower, so it always pays to read policy documents or check with your adviser before purchasing.

Private Health insurance is available to complement NHS care and is not designed to usually cover you for pre-existing conditions, or chronic conditions, unless confirmed when taking out the policy. You should always make sure you know what your policy covers and that you’re happy with any exclusions.

Private medical insurance is not designed for accident and emergency and if you require an ambulance for anything life-threatening, you should therefore still use these NHS services.

Some extras you can choose, some of these may be included as standard while some may not be options at all. However, you’ll usually be able to choose to add: Homeopathy, Dentistry cover, Mental health support, Physiotherapy, Eyecare cover.

Across most insurers, they offer a lot of perks from gym discounts, free weekly cinema tickets to shopping discounts and discounts on health check-ups.

This should not be the main reason for purchasing the policy, but these discounts and offers can be great if you already use the services.

Private health insurance will help you pay healthcare-related costs, though what cover you get will be dependent on the cover you purchase.

Basic
Basic health insurance policy will normally pay for treatment and any related costs while you’re an In or Day patient at the hospital. Be careful of the cheapest policies may limit the amount of cover you get for this.

Mid-Range
A Mid-Range health insurance policy generally covers some outpatient care, like consultations and tests, as well as the In or Day patient cover. When reviewing this cover be wary of the level of outpatient cover being offered.

Comprehensive
A comprehensive health insurance policy normally includes, full cover for outpatient cover as well as In or Day patient cover, you may also get some therapies or mental health cover included.

Extras
You usually add extras to any level of cover to make the policy, this can include Dental, Optical, Therapies and Mental Health.

If you want health insurance that covers someone other than yourself, you might want to find out about child health insurance, family health insurance or joint health insurance.

Some important points to consider when comparing health insurance.

What level of cover you require - a comprehensive policy will cover you for most eventualities without a cost limit. Less expensive policies will set a cap on how much you can claim for, and these caps will vary according to the treatment involved

London Hospitals – might increase the cost of your premium. It’s worth considering how far you’re willing to travel to receive treatment, or whether the extra cost is worth it.

Some insurers have incentives - such as price reductions on gym memberships as well as discounts on other types of insurance with the same provider but also be aware that some offer introductory offers like 1 month free or partner goes free, this can give you a great new business price the but at renewal will increase.

Basic policies are available - take the time to read any exclusions and make sure that you’re comfortable with what’s included – you could find the list of covered out-patient treatment is very limited, or it might not be included at all. It may also come with limited cover where other policies cover it in full.

As you get older the cost will increase - so don’t be surprised if your premium rises after each birthday there is sadly a greater chance of you needing to make a claim. It also considers inflation and advances in medical technology.

If you're thinking of purchasing private medical insurance, you can check out your options on our website where you'll be asked questions about your lifestyle, your occupation, where you live, your age and whether or not you smoke. You'll then be shown a list of insurers and quotes to choose from. Once you've chosen your policy and made an application, we will submit this for you and supply you with all policy information that you require.

Alternatively, you could give one of our advisers a call and we can talk you through all your options as well as search a comprehensive list of the UK's top insurers who may not be on any comparison site.

They do not compare like products. Private health insurance is designed to pay for medical treatment that you need for diseases, illnesses, or injuries to get you back on your feet as quickly as possible. Critical illness pays out a tax-free lump sum to help offset any loss in income due to serious illness. You'd usually need to select this as an add-on and pay extra.

A critical illness could be:

When purchasing the policy, you will normally be given the choice of different hospital lists, if you then came to make a claim you would only have access to the hospitals you had chosen.

Regarding consultants, this may be chosen by your GP, by you or the insurer, they would, however, need to be on the fee assured list for their full costs to be covered.

It will depend on what the medical condition is and when you last took medication or had a visit to a consultant. To make sure that you know if this is covered or not, we would recommend that you speak to one of our advisers. With this in mind a health insurance policy will still cover you for other illness and medical conditions you do not have before you take the policy out.

No, but if you opt to take a Fully Medical Underwritten policy you would be asked to declare your medical details before the insurer expects the policy. If you do opt for a Moratorium policy, then you would not need to do this.

Existing health conditions can influence the price that you pay, this is, however, dependant on the insurer. With some others, it will only affect the price if you want to cover these conditions.