subject: The basics of choosing a health insurance policy [print this page] The basics of choosing a health insurance policy
If you've never purchased health insurance in the UK before, you may be feeling confused. Health insurance application forms can be long and comprehensive, and may require you to think in more detail about your medical history that you have ever had to before. However, choosing health insurance and completing an application will seem simpler if you bear in mind what you really want from your policy.
To start with, consider what kind of private medical services you are most likely to desire. If you're young and relatively healthy, or you want to cover yourself and your family for everyday private health care costs, you may wish to consider a health cash plan. For a small monthly or weekly cost, cash plans will cover the cost of optical and dental treatments and may also include physiotherapy and acupuncture up to a certain annual amount. Moreover, you won't need to undergo a medical test to take out a health cash plan.
Alternatively, if you're keen to have cover for hospital treatments, a basic health insurance policy may be sufficient for your needs. This should cover prompt access to treatment at a private hospital in the event that you need it. A higher premium, however, may cover pre and post-treatment consultation with a specialist, which is worth considering for the preparation and aftercare it will offer you.
Other policy options may include cover for further medical treatments, like psychiatric consultation. Some comprehensive policies may also include cover outpatient complementary treatments, such as massage and reflexology. This option could be especially valuable if you regularly suffer from problems with your joints, muscle ache or arthritis and would like complementary therapy to be part of your long-term recovery process.
Adding cover for serious illnesses like heart disease or cancer should also be considered when choosing health insurance. If you're over 50 or you have a history of breast cancer in your family, this option could give you much-needed peace of mind in knowing that you're able to seek private treatment should you be diagnosed with cancer or a long-term heart condition.
Choosing health insurance, however, isn't just about choosing the right policy but also choosing the right company. Use the internet to carefully research the companies that are the best-rated and offer the most comprehensive care for your personal needs. You may also want to pay attention to how the claims process works for a particular company before applying to be one of their policyholders. Claims processes should be simple and transparent, and the best health insurance providers will pay hospital fees directly rather than relying on you to make the interim payment.
The author of this article is a part of a digital blogging team who work with brands like Bupa Insurance. The content contained in this article is for information purposes only and should not be used to make any financial decisions.
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