What is private medical insurance?
Private medical insurance provides access to high-quality private facilities and medical treatments quickly, at a time and place that suits you.
Benefits
Reduced waiting times
Get access to the specialists and treatments you need quickly.
Choose your location
Select which hospital you would like to be treated at (depends on the policy).
Flexible cover
Options to give you control over your plan and costs to suit your needs and wants.
How it works
The private medical insurance market has become very confusing, as insurers try to differentiate themselves and reduce costs. Therefore, you need to choose a policy wisely and look at the small print as it is unlikely that many policies are the same. Private medical insurance isn’t aimed at long-term care or for conditions you have already when you take out a plan.
Like all insurance, the cover you get from private medical insurance depends on the policy you buy.
- Basic private medical insurance usually covers the cost of in-patient treatments.
- Other, more comprehensive schemes may cover a broad range of conditions and could include physiotherapy and alternative medical solutions such as acupuncture.
Everyone gets free comprehensive treatment on the NHS, but private medical insurance may be for you if you want to avoid waiting lists or have surgery that may not be available elsewhere.
Speak to one of our protection advisers to see if private medical insurance is right for you.