Health insurance

Key questions

• What does private health insurance cover?
• How does medical underwriting work?
• How does private health insurance work in the UK?
• How much does private health insurance cost in the UK?

Topics in this section

Everything in health insurance

• 
  What does private health insurance cover?

  Private health insurance pays for eligible private treatment of new conditions that begin after your policy starts. Most policies cover diagnostic tests, specialist consultations and…

• 
  How does medical underwriting work?

  Medical underwriting is how an insurer decides what your medical history means for cover. Most UK policies use either a moratorium, which automatically sets aside…

• 
  How does private health insurance work in the UK?

  Private health insurance is an annual contract: you pay a premium, and the insurer pays for eligible private treatment of new, acute conditions. The journey…

• 
  What does private health insurance not cover?

  Standard exclusions include chronic conditions needing ongoing management, pre-existing conditions unless agreed in writing, emergency care, routine pregnancy and childbirth, and cosmetic treatment. Every policy…

• 
  How much does private health insurance cost in the UK?

  There is no single honest figure: premiums depend on age, postcode, cover level, excess, hospital list and underwriting basis. Market context is verified — 6.5…

• 
  What affects the price of health insurance?

  Insurers price on age, postcode, cover level (especially outpatient limits), the excess you accept, the hospital list you choose, your underwriting basis and, on some…

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  Moratorium vs full medical underwriting: what’s the difference?

  Moratorium underwriting asks no medical questions but automatically excludes conditions from a recent look-back period until you complete a set trouble-free period. Full medical underwriting…

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  Can you get health insurance with a pre-existing condition?

  Yes, you can usually buy a policy — but the pre-existing condition itself is normally excluded. Under a moratorium it may become covered after a…

• 
  How do no-claims discounts work on health insurance?

  Many policies run a no-claims discount scale: each claim-free year moves you up the scale and cuts the claims-related part of your premium; claiming moves…

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  What are outpatient limits and hospital lists?

  An outpatient limit caps what the policy pays for consultations, tests and scans without a hospital admission — unlimited, a set annual amount, diagnostics only,…

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  How do health insurance renewals work, and why do premiums rise?

  Health insurance is an annual contract: at renewal the insurer re-rates your premium for your new age, any claims on a no-claims scale, and movements…

• 
  Individual, family and business health insurance: what’s the difference?

  Individual policies cover one person on personal underwriting. Family policies add a partner and children to one contract. Business schemes cover employees, often on more…

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  Health insurance for over-50s: what changes and what to check

  Over 50, premiums rise because age is the strongest rating input, and pre-existing conditions become more likely to sit inside exclusions. The contract itself works…

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  Health insurance for over-60s and retirees

  Insurers generally accept new older applicants, but premiums are at their highest and exclusions likeliest in your sixties and beyond. Many people first face this…

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  Health insurance for young adults: cheap years, real choices

  Your twenties and thirties are the cheapest years to hold health insurance because age drives the price, and a short medical history means fewer exclusions.…

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  Health insurance for families with children

  Family policies put parents and children on one contract, usually cheaper than separate policies; some insurers price children cheaply or include younger children at low…

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  Health insurance for couples: joint or separate policies?

  Couples can hold one joint policy or two separate ones. Joint policies sometimes price below two separate premiums, but not always — compare written quotes…

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  Health insurance for the self-employed

  For the self-employed, personal health insurance premiums are generally not a tax-deductible business expense — you pay from taxed income. The practical case is stronger…

• 
  Health insurance for company directors: personally or through the company?

  A limited company can pay a director’s health insurance: the company usually treats the premium as a business expense, but the director is taxed on…

• 
  Health insurance for single-parent families

  Single-parent policies cover one adult plus children on one contract, priced below two-adult family policies. On one income, the levers matter most: excess level, outpatient…

• 
  Leaving a job? What happens to your health insurance

  Employer health insurance normally ends when you leave. Many schemes offer continuation onto a personal policy, often preserving your underwriting position — but strict deadlines…

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  Is private health insurance worth it? An honest framework

  Worth it depends on what you are buying: prompt access to planned treatment and diagnostics, not better emergency care or chronic-condition management — those stay…

• 
  Can you get private health insurance for a child only?

  Yes, some insurers offer private health insurance for a child on their own, with a parent or guardian as the policyholder; others only cover children…

• 
  Is private health insurance a taxable benefit?

  Yes. Private health insurance paid for by your employer is usually a taxable benefit in kind. You pay Income Tax on its cost to your…

• 
  Does private health insurance cover dental treatment?

  Usually not for routine care. Core private health insurance rarely covers check-ups, fillings or crowns, though some policies cover accidental damage or hospital oral surgery.…

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