Private Medical Insurance

Private Medical Insurance is designed to pick up the treatment costs after the initial diagnosis of a covered medical condition. You will typically still see your GP first to have the problem diagnosed, it is when they make a referral to a specialist most private medical policies start to provide help. 

Having Private Medical Insurance is all about getting faster and more convenient treatment for non-emergency medical conditions. It does not guarantee better treatment, however, as the conditions are usually dealt with far earlier the damage they do is often greatly reduced. With illnesses like cancer, faster treatment can greatly increase your chances of survival. 

In the event of an emergency you will still attend an NHS Accident and Emergency department. It is highly likely that it will in your best interest to receive all of your inpatient treatment in that NHS hospital. In these cases, many policies will pay a cash allowance for the nights you spend in an NHS hospital. Once you are discharged they takeover in more depth, covering the costs of ongoing specialist care. 

Policies do not usually cover pre-existing conditions, so you can't take a policy today for an operation you may need in a years time. Most Private Medical Insurance providers will require you to provide details of your current and past health, failing to disclose a material fact may result in their not paying a claim you subsequently make. Private Medical Insurance providers also do not tend to cover treatment for alcoholism, drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, infertility, normal pregnancy and cosmetic surgery. 

As health generally gets worse the older we get, the cost of private medical insurance policies are age based and will therefore generally increase every year. 

Unlike most other insurances, Private Medical Insurance does not have a clearly accepted industry standard. In the UK its still a relatively new form of insurance and this shows in the wide variation of different schemes available. Each private medical insurance policy differs from the next, making it a relative mine field to negotiate when choosing the correct plan for you. It is strongly recommended you seek advice when buying Private Medical Insurance.

If you are considering Private Medical Insurance, please feel free to contact us for Independent Private Medical Insurance Advice. We are able to provide home appointments across the whole of West Sussex - Brighton, Hove, Haywards Heath & Crawley, East Sussex, Surrey - Croydon Sutton, Reigate, Redhill,  South London - Wimbledon, Fulham, Chelsea and Hammersmith and Central London.

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