How to Choose Private Health Insurance?

There are an increasing amount of types of private health insurance schemes, policies and packages on the market and so choosing one that is right for you may seem bewildering or overwhelming at first. If you break it down into steps and know exactly what you want you can immediately dismiss certain types of cover and narrow your search to receive only quotes that are relevant to you. Although it may be tempting to get quotes from every company that is offering health insurance, if they aren’t actually offering the cover you need you may be wasting your time and end up feeling more confused. You need to carefully assess what the decision comes down to for you, as while cost is usually a factor for everyone there may be some aspects which are not important to everyone and your decision needs to be based on your personal needs.

Knowing What Type of Health Insurance You Need

If you look at the options first you can work out what cover you actually need. Think about why you are considering private health insurance in the first place and this can help you identify your personal objectives. For example if you are taking out private health insurance because you want to avoid NHS waiting lists make sure that you are looking at policies that guarantee you treatment within a certain period of time. There are other questions to ask yourself, such as do you just want private health insurance or do you want critical illness life cover? Are there specific illnesses or treatments you want to be covered for? If so, make a list of these before getting quotes so that you can check with the companies. Do you want a policy just to cover you, or do you want your family to receive private healthcare? Some policies include children for free so you may want to consider this. You should ask yourself what kind of service you want to receive, for example is it necessary for you to have a private room with a television, and is there a particular clinic or facility you would want to be treated at in the event of using the insurance? Once you have worked out what is absolutely essential for you, you can start looking for quotes.


You may also wish to consider anything you will need to disclose to the insurer, for example working out the dates of any serious illnesses or medical procedures you have had. This will save you panicking if you are getting your quote over the phone.

Getting the price quoted is not the only thing to consider when choosing a policy – the most important thing is what the policy contains.  The insurance company many be able to send you some information on their policy, or more likely this information will be published on their website. Always be careful to check out the full policy before buying, this includes fully understanding any wording you may be unsure of and reading any documents you are provided with. Often it is difficult to understand a policy and many are written in jargon that can be confusing or misleading. It is important that if you come across any words which you do not understand (either because of their medical specificity or because they are vague terms) you ask for it to be broken down in terms that are clearer and more concise. Any company should be able to fully explain their terms and conditions to you.

There is help available for selecting a private health insurance policy from experts who are trained in this area. Seeking advice is wise when there is so much on offer and so many choices to be made. When seeking advice do make sure it is impartial and that your advisor does not recommend any particular product or provider. They should help you realise what you want so that you can make an informed decision.

Once you are sure what you want you can go about getting a quote.

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