Private Medical Insurance

Private Health care when you and your family need it.

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What is Private Medical Insurance?

Private Medical Insurance (PMI) provides healthcare on your own terms. This means you can choose when and where you get treated, and who treats you. PMI is an annually renewable policy, giving you the flexibility and control over your healthcare decisions.

  • Skip long GP and hospital queues to receive quicker treatment
  • Benefit from private rooms and premium healthcare provided by top UK consultants.

The Difference Between PMI and the NHS

The NHS offers comprehensive healthcare services, but it often involves longer waiting times and limited choices. With PMI, you avoid these delays and restrictions. You can access treatments not readily available on the NHS, ensuring quicker and more personalised healthcare.

"With PMI, you have the power to choose your healthcare path. It’s about getting the best treatment without the delays, tailored to fit your lifestyle and needs."
~ Liam, Cover Direct

How Does PMI Work in the UK?

PMI in the UK is straightforward: you choose a policy that fits your needs, pay monthly or annual premiums, and access care when needed. When you require treatment, you simply contact your provider to arrange it.

To help you along, here are a few key terms you should understand when it comes to purchasing Private Medical insurance:

  • Inpatient: Treatment requiring an overnight stay.
  • Outpatient: Treatment that does not require an overnight stay.
  • Excess: The amount you pay upfront when you claim.
  • Moratorium: A period during which pre-existing conditions may not be covered.

Benefits of PMI in the UK?

One of the main advantages of PMI is faster access to specialists and treatments. You can also choose your private hospitals and consultants, ensuring you get the best possible care.

Private medical insurance often includes private rooms and additional comforts, enhancing your overall healthcare experience. Additionally, PMI covers specialist treatments for illnesses like cancer that may not be available through the NHS.

Making Private Healthcare Accessible

Today’s policies are highly adaptable, allowing for adjustments to suit your needs and budget. You can choose to wait 6 weeks for NHS treatment, adjust your excess from £0 to £5000, select from various hospital options, and add coverage for mental health, dental, audiological services, and therapies. This flexibility enables customisation to fit a wide range of budgets.

Other PMI Questions

Yes, businesses can offer PMI as part of their employee benefits package. Providing PMI can enhance employee wellbeing, reduce absenteeism, and increase job satisfaction. Business PMI policies can be tailored to cover the specific needs of employees, and often come with additional benefits like wellness programs and mental health support. Take advantage of special offers like Vitality’s two months’ premiums back for new customers, showcasing our commitment to finding cost-effective solutions for you.

The cost of PMI varies depending on factors such as age, health status, level of coverage, and chosen provider. Policies can range from basic to comprehensive plans, with premiums paid monthly or annually. Some plans include an excess, which is the amount you pay towards a claim before the insurer covers the rest.

PMI generally covers a wide range of treatments including consultations with specialists, diagnostic tests, surgeries, and hospital stays. Many policies also cover outpatient treatments, physiotherapy, mental health support, and specialist treatments for serious illnesses like cancer. However, coverage details can vary, so it’s essential to review the terms of your specific policy.

Coverage for pre-existing conditions depends on the type of underwriting used by the insurer. Some policies may exclude pre-existing conditions for a set period (moratorium underwriting), while others may offer coverage after a certain time without symptoms (full medical underwriting). It’s important to discuss your medical history with your provider to understand your coverage options.

PMI can be highly beneficial for families, offering coverage for children and dependents. Family policies often provide access to a wide range of paediatric services, specialist treatments, and hospital facilities. Having PMI ensures that your family receives prompt and high-quality medical care, giving you peace of mind.

Yes, critical illness cover and private medical insurance (PMI) can work together effectively. Critical illness cover provides a lump sum payment upon diagnosis of a covered condition, which can be used for any purpose, such as making necessary home adjustments after a stroke. Meanwhile, PMI offers access to specialist treatments and rehabilitation services, supporting your recovery and complementing the financial support from the critical illness cover.

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Every day people are making life changing decisions.

A young customer, in her early twenties, living with her mother and without children, faced the reality of minimal sick pay from her job as a marketing manager earning £30k annually.

Aware of the need to safeguard her earnings and savings, especially for future life events like homeownership, she opted for Income Protection. Understanding that being signed off work due to illness could jeopardise her financial plans, she embraced the policy.

Just six days after activating her income protection, she experienced an unexpected fainting incident on the London underground, resulting in hospitalisation and a diagnosis of fatigue, exhaustion, and vitamin D deficiency. Despite the distressing news, knowing she had the right cover in place provided a sense of reassurance.

Every day people are making life changing decisions.

A customer, aged 58, suffered a stroke four years ago, leaving him with residual effects such as loss of function in his right arm and leg.

Additionally, he was diagnosed as borderline diabetic with elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, and a high BMI. His family history, including his sister’s stroke at 58 and his brother’s benign brain tumour at 54, made it challenging to secure insurance from the broader market.

Despite numerous attempts by brokers over the years, only The Exeter was willing to consider his case. Finally, he obtained life insurance, bringing him immense relief. We plan to review his coverage annually to seek better rates.

Every day people are making life changing decisions.

A client faced challenges securing insurance due to his occupation as a pilot, limiting options to only three providers, one of which offered coverage at a high cost and required further medical underwriting due to his extensive flying hours.

However, as a whole-of-market provider, we successfully obtained coverage for him without additional underwriting, and at a significantly lower cost than previously quoted by other brokers.

Every day people are making life changing decisions.

In April 2024, Sam, the wife of our founder’s oldest friend Greg, contacted us after being diagnosed with myelofibrosis, a rare blood cancer. This diagnosis was particularly hard-hitting for us, as we had set up Sam’s Scottish Widows critical illness policy.

Throughout 2024, Sam faced intensive treatment and weeks of isolation from her two-year-old daughter. However, the financial burden was eased when her policy paid out within two weeks of her claim. Sam expressed her gratitude: “This lump sum isn’t for a holiday; it will literally pay the mortgage while I am on SSP during my treatment.”

Sam’s story underscores the importance of having the right protection in place, turning abstract statistics into a personal reality.

Every day people are making life changing decisions.

Carlo, one of our dedicated advisors at Cover Direct, recently assisted a client who needed to reassess his life insurance. The client believed he required more coverage due to changing circumstances. Carlo thoroughly reviewed his existing policy and advised an extension rather than purchasing a new, more expensive one, adding only £3 per month.

Carlo went further, recommending placing the policies in trusts for the client’s children to ensure they wouldn’t be included in his estate. He guided the client through all the paperwork, providing exceptional service. Thanks to Carlo, the client now has the right coverage at a reasonable cost and plans to return to us for future insurance needs.

Every day people are making life changing decisions.

As a business owner realised they lacked coverage for key personnel, they found Cover Direct online. Our thorough approach resonated with them. We took the time to educate them on various protection products, helping them choose Key Person Insurance to safeguard vital employees.

Our reasonable pricing also allowed them to opt for Relevant Life Cover, benefiting their employees and families. The peace of mind provided was invaluable, and the gratitude from their staff was unexpected. Our commitment to understanding and meeting their needs made all the difference.