Private medical insurance (PMI) is a policy that provides coverage for private healthcare should you require medical treatment.

The primary advantage of PMI is access to private treatment and independent advice for conditions covered by the policy, potentially avoiding long waits often associated with the NHS. Rather than paying a lump sum, PMI can cover or contribute to the costs of diagnosis and treatment directly at private healthcare facilities, where possible.

Yes, having private health insurance does not prevent you from accessing NHS services.

The cost of private health insurance can vary based on several factors, including your age, lifestyle, the terms of your policy, whether you include family members on your plan, and more. To receive an accurate estimate, it’s advisable to speak to an advisor who can offer a personalised quote.

Coversure Health can review your current coverage to ensure you’re not paying for unnecessary extras. It’s potentially possible to reduce costs by selecting a smaller hospital network, adding a waiting period to your plan, or opting for a higher excess.

1. Moratorium – Refers to a policy where pre-existing conditions are automatically excluded from claims for a set amount of time.

Different insurers may have slightly different Moratorium wording. Whether you are purchasing business health insurance or individual health insurance, you will not have to fill in a health questionnaire when applying for cover. The underwriting will be done at the point of a claim. The insurer excludes any medical conditions where you have received medication, advice or treatment, or for which you have experienced symptoms, whether the condition has been diagnosed or not in the five years before the inception date of your private health insurance policy. These are called pre-existing conditions.  Related conditions (those which are medically considered to be associated with a pre-existing condition) will also not be covered. However, if you have not had any such symptoms, treatment, medication or advice for pre-existing conditions or any related conditions for a continuous period of two years after the start date of your policy, the condition will become eligible for cover. This period is known as the Moratorium. Though the two-year moratorium is most common, some insurers offer other lengths of moratorium.

If you are looking for personal health insurance, you can compare moratorium quotes from a range of leading providers and an adviser will give you a call to assist you.

2. Full Medical Underwriting (FMU) – A health questionnaire is completed on the application form. After reviewing the completed questionnaire, whether this be for an individual or employee application, the insurer will let them know at the outset the basis on which they can offer cover, listing any pre-existing conditions they may have that would not be covered on the policy. If necessary, they may ask the member’s doctor for further information. It is important that joiners provide full and accurate information. It is important to focus on answering the questions accurately and completely to make sure that the policy provides valid cover.

3. Medical History Disregarded (MHD) – This method of underwriting is only available to business schemes with over 15 employees and can be very valuable. This method of underwriting allows for pre-existing conditions to be covered without medical exclusions but is still subject to the terms and conditions of the policy.

4. Continued Personal Medical Exclusions CPME (Switch) – Plans include continuous cover for pre-existing conditions and are as shown on your current insurer’s medical certificate. Exclusions shown on the current certificate will be continued (subject to the terms and conditions of the policy itself). As clients have had prior medical insurance he/she will be covered on CPME (Switch) terms. If there are any declarations made when answering the switch questions, exclusions may be applied. A copy of the current certificate(s) will be required with the application.

5. Continued Moratorium – The moratorium underwriting term of your current insurer will apply and the start date of the moratorium underwriting does not start again. Please note that the benefits and terms and conditions of your new policy will apply and it is only the dates of underwriting with your current insurer that will be matched. There must be no break in insurance cover since underwriting. A switch declaration will also need to be completed to facilitate the transfer. These are questions and criteria that need to be satisfied and allow the new insurer to assess your eligibility to access this method of underwriting. If the eligibility for transfer is not met, the insurer may refuse to offer cover on this form of underwriting.

Many of the policies we offer have the option to add holiday medical insurance in addition to your standard travel insurance. This will cover medical costs abroad, as well as lost passports, luggage, and trip cancellations.

It’s important to understand the exclusions in your policy before purchasing. Generally, the following are not covered:

• Chronic conditions
• Emergency treatments
• HIV/AIDS
• Fertility treatment
• Cosmetic surgery
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Organ transplants
• Treatment for alcoholism or substance abuse

Cover for pre-existing conditions may not be available, depending on the condition. If you have a pre-existing condition, it’s best to speak with one of our experienced advisors, as certain underwriting options may be more suitable for your situation.

Whether you pay an excess depends on the options you chose when setting up your policy. An excess is typically used to reduce premiums — the higher the excess you select, the lower your monthly payments will be. To find the best option for your needs, we recommend speaking with one of our expert advisors.