The Ultimate Camping Guide by Shannon: Essentials and Tips for Every Camper
WellbeingUncover Shannon's essentials and top tips for any upcoming camping trip.
Read MoreIndividual health insurance, also known as personal health insurance and private medical insurance, covers the cost of your private medical treatment and healthcare for acute medical conditions that first appear after you have taken up a policy. It gives you the freedom to access private medical facilities and treatment at a time and location that suit you, giving you peace of mind that your health is covered when it matters the most. Find out more about health insurance.
If you are looking for private medical insurance to cover your entire family, read more about our family health insurance.
Even though most people in the UK can access free healthcare through the NHS, you might still prefer getting treated privately because:
Read more about private healthcare in the UK.
One of the most important benefits of private healthcare is that you can receive treatment quickly, without being placed on long waiting lists. With a personal health insurance plan, you can usually get your tests and private treatment quicker than in an NHS hospital, helping you avoid possible complications and getting you back to good health sooner.
Paying for private treatment yourself can put significant pressure on your finances very quickly. A personal health insurance plan makes private healthcare more accessible to people who want the benefits of private care but can’t afford paying large hospital bills in one go, especially when they fall ill unexpectedly. By paying a fixed monthly premium you can better manage your expenses, knowing that all your eligible private medical treatment claims will be covered when you access the healthcare you need.
Most health insurance plans will pay the hospital/consultant directly for any eligible treatment or will reimburse you. However, Freedom Essentials pays you a cash lump sum for eligible claims which you can then use to get treatment either in the UK or abroad. If the sum is higher than the cost of treatment, you can keep the difference, and if it’s lower, you need to cover the difference. Read more about Freedom Essentials.
Individual health insurance is not a ’one-size-fits-all‘ insurance product and with most health insurance companies, you can tailor the cover to fit your personal healthcare needs. You may be able to choose from multiple health insurance cover options, making your cover as simple or as comprehensive as you wish. This gives you the peace of mind that your health is protected with an insurance product that fits you and your needs.
Find out more about how health insurance works and get a quick, on-screen quote or buy online today.
Checking what coverage you’re entitled to within your policy is very important. Pre-existing medical conditions and chronic conditions are two of the most common exclusions in medical insurance and, unless your contract states otherwise, these are more than likely not covered. Pre-existing medical conditions refer to any illnesses you had or for which you have experienced symptoms, received treatment or medication before the start of your policy.
Chronic conditions refer to illnesses that require ongoing medical attention and usually have no known cure. Some examples of chronic conditions are heart diseases, diabetes or asthma. Cancer, however, is usually covered by most health insurance companies and we offer a Freedom Elite cancer promise. For a full list of exclusions, you should always check your policy document.
Learn more about chronic and pre-existing conditions.
Having a health insurance cover in place doesn’t affect your right to use the NHS so you can access the medical care and treatment you prefer. In some cases, you might prefer to get treated on the NHS instead of using your individual health insurance policy. In some instances, you might have no choice but to use the NHS for:
Most health insurance companies will give you a list of hospitals that are covered by your plan and picking a hospital that is not on the list can result in a rejected claim or reduced cover. Hospital lists can cover a standard selection of private hospitals or can be more comprehensive, depending on your provider and what you choose when buying your policy.
When you buy an individual health insurance cover, you will most likely be asked if you want to add your family (partner and children) to your cover. This could potentially save you money compared to having individual plans for each family member. Find out more about family health insurance.
An individual health insurance contract usually lasts one year after which you can choose to renew your cover for a further 12-month period. At renewal, your premium may be re-calculated and, depending on a few factors, it may increase.
Find out more about the factors that affect your health insurance premium and ways to control it.
Health insurance companies are taking a bigger risk the older you are because your chances of claiming on your health insurance are higher. Therefore, many providers have a maximum age of entry. Often, this limit is around 70 years old, but each company can have different age limits. If you are already covered when you turn the maximum age, your cover can usually continue beyond that.
Here at Freedom Health Insurance, we’ve made the process of buying an individual health insurance plan simple. All you need to do is complete our health insurance quote form online by providing your personal details and selecting the level of cover you require. You will then get an on-screen quote and you can choose to complete the online application or save your quote for later.
Applying for individual health insurance is usually simple and it only takes a few minutes. Whether you apply online or by phone, the health insurance company typically requires only some basic information such as:
If you are adding other members of your family to your cover, you will need to provide their personal information too.
However, some companies will ask you to complete a medical information form before they can offer you the cover required. Find out more about medical underwriting and how this can affect your policy.
Yes, you can choose to cancel your individual health insurance at any time but depending on when you choose to cancel, you may need to pay for part of the policy. When you take out a policy with us, you will have a ‘cooling-off’ period (which is 14 days) to decide whether you wish to continue with your policy. If you decide to cancel within this period, we’ll refund you the premium paid, providing no claims were made.
If you decide to cancel your individual health insurance policy after the cooling-off period, you’ll need to send us a request to cancel the policy either by email at [email protected] or by post Freedom Health Insurance County Gates House, 300 Poole Rd, Westbourne, Poole BH12 1AZ.
If no claims have been made, we may refund any premium which was paid for the remainder of the insurance period. If, on the other hand, claims had been made, we can cancel the policy but you will still be required to pay the remainder of the annual premium for that period of insurance.
The cost of your individual health insurance will usually depend on a few different factors including, but not limited to:
You can get an individual health insurance quote to find out how much your policy could cost or you can contact us for more information.
Once your health insurance policy commences, if you become ill or suffer from a new acute condition you should book an appointment with your GP who might be able to refer you to a specialist for further testing and treatment. At this point, you can get in touch with your insurance provider to start a medical claim should you wish to receive treatment under your plan.
Uncover Shannon's essentials and top tips for any upcoming camping trip.
Read MoreFreedom Health Insurance have been nominated for Outstanding Group Healthcare Provider at the COVER Excellence Awards!
Read MoreThinking about starting a daily journal? Read Ella's experience on how she found journaling every day for a month.
Read MoreLearn how understanding your body's anatomy leads to better health and helps you make informed health decisions.
Read More