Private health insurance

Private medical insurance pays for private healthcare, so you can be seen, tested and treated faster than NHS waiting times often allow, usually in a private hospital. We'll explain how each stage works in plain English and find the level of cover that suits your life and budget.

Outpatient care is treatment without an overnight stay, like consultations, tests and scans, while inpatient care is when you're admitted to hospital for at least one night. We'll make sure the cover you choose matches the kind of care you're most likely to need.

Private health insurance is worth it for the speed, choice and comfort it brings: being seen and treated faster, choosing where, when and who treats you, and recovering in a private en-suite room rather than on a busy ward. What that peace of mind is worth is personal, whether it's getting back to work, back on your feet, or back to the people and things that need you, and we'll help you weigh it up honestly.

There's no single price for private medical insurance, because the cost depends on the cover you choose, your age and health, your excess and where you live. We'll compare the market and show you the options side by side, so you only pay for what genuinely matters to you.

Private medical insurance typically covers consultations, tests, scans, surgery, cancer care, mental health support and therapies, but not emergencies or long-term, chronic conditions like diabetes, asthma or arthritis. Cover varies between insurers, so we'll go through exactly what's included before you decide.

Pre-existing conditions usually aren't covered, because private health insurance is designed to protect you against future health problems rather than ones you already have. That can sound harsh, so we'll talk you through how your history is handled and what it means for you before you commit.

Full medical underwriting means you share your history upfront and your cover is confirmed from day one, while moratorium underwriting excludes recent conditions for a set period, often two to five years, until you've been symptom-, treatment- and advice-free. Both are common, and we'll help you choose the one that makes most sense for your situation.

With most private health insurance you can choose your own hospital and consultant, though the exact choice depends on the policy and the insurer's hospital list. We'll match you to the level of choice you want, whether that's a specific hospital or a guided option that keeps the cost down.

An excess is the amount you pay towards a claim, and outpatient limits cap how much you can spend on consultations and scans across the year, so raising either one lowers your premium. We'll help you find the balance between a price you're comfortable with and cover you can actually rely on.

Private health insurance can be especially valuable if you're self-employed, because there's no employer sick pay to fall back on and your income depends on you being well enough to work. That said, faster treatment helps anyone with a full life, and we'll shape cover around how you actually live and work.

For new conditions, private medical insurance cover usually starts shortly after you join, and making a claim normally takes just a GP referral and a quick confirmation from the insurer. We'll walk you through exactly how to claim, so there are no surprises when you need it.

Cheaper, diagnostics-focused policies tend to cover finding out what's wrong, while comprehensive cover also pays for the treatment, surgery and recovery that follow. We'll help you decide how much support you'd want around you if something happened, rather than just chasing the lowest price.

Comparing private health insurance properly means looking past price to things like hospital access, cancer and mental health cover, and how each insurer handles underwriting. That's a lot to weigh up, so we do it for you and explain the differences that actually matter.

Buying through us costs you nothing and means the whole market is compared for you, with cover shaped around your life rather than sold off a shelf. And we don't disappear once you've bought: we're here at renewal, when things change, and on the day you need to claim.

Setting up cover is usually quick, often the same day once we have your details. If you're switching from another insurer we just need your current policy documents, and we'll keep you posted at every step.

Yes, we'll review your existing cover against the wider market and tell you honestly whether to stay put or switch. If you're already on the best deal we'll say so, and if a better one exists, we'll handle the move for you.

Renewal increases are mostly driven by rising healthcare costs, new treatments and an ageing population, not just your own claims. That's exactly why a review is worth your time, and we'll check whether your increase is fair before you simply accept it.

In many cases you can switch insurers and keep the cover you've built up through Continued Personal Medical Exclusions (CPME), so conditions accepted under your current policy stay covered without fresh underwriting. We'll weigh up whether CPME or starting afresh leaves you better off, and tell you straight if switching would ever cost you cover.

There's no automatic answer: staying can make sense if you've recently claimed or your insurer is still competitive, while switching can improve your value or service. We'll look at both honestly and recommend whichever genuinely leaves you better off.

At renewal, we explain your new terms, compare your policy against the rest of the market, and handle the back-and-forth so you don't have to. You'll always know what your options are and why we're recommending one over another.

Yes, we review your renewal increase, challenge it where it looks unfair, and check whether your current insurer can offer a better deal. Where another insurer is the smarter move, we'll lay that out for you too.

It's best to review your renewal around four to six weeks before it's due, which leaves time to look properly without rushing. We'll get in touch when your renewal terms arrive, so it's one less thing to remember.

Because we already know your policy and history, our review is more personal than going straight to an insurer, and it's free and genuinely impartial. We act for you, not the insurer, including challenging your renewal terms and checking for a better deal.

To review or switch your policy we usually just need your current renewal terms, often straight from the insurer, plus anything that's changed in your health or circumstances. From there we take care of the rest and keep you updated throughout.