Before buying health insurance you should check to see if you already have some form of coverage. It may sound odd, but a surprisingly large number of people do have coverage that they are not aware of. Many employers offer medical insurance for the employee and his or her family as part of their benefits package. Some clubs or professional societies also offer coverage to the members and their families. You should check to see if you have any coverage. If not, check with your employer if the company has any optional medical insurance plans that employees can opt for at their own cost. Make the same enquiries of any clubs or societies you may be a member of. The advantage of obtaining health insurance through these routes is that in these cases insurance companies often charge premiums at bulk rates which are lower than standard rates.

If you decide to take out a health insurance policy, the first thing is to know what kind of coverage you are looking for and what benefits are most important to you. Any sicknesses that run in the family should be covered as well and any that could be caused by your work or lifestyle. Ask your doctor if there is anything in your medical check ups and tests that show any incipient proclivity towards any medical condition. Also look at the most common sicknesses and ensure you are covered against them. Coverage against injuries caused by accidents is also worthwhile.

Having decided on what your health insurance policy should cover, the next step is to find out how much treatments will cost you so you know how much coverage to buy. Spend some time doing research on the cost of treatments for the medical problems you want your policy to cover. See not just the current treatment cost but see how they have increased over the last two years and budget for some amount of increase over the period your policy will be in force. Do this for all the medical problems you want to be covered for and you will have an idea of the amount of coverage you need. Keep in mind that not everything will happen to you so there is no need to waste money by over insuring yourself.

Before making a final decision on buying a policy, ask yourself the following questions:

• How much can you afford to pay as an annual premium?
• Would you like to lower your premium by paying for part of your treatment? For example, if your policy is such that you will only claim for expenses of over £200, your premium will be reduced.
• Are you happy to be treated in a hospital chosen by the insurance company or would you prefer to pay a higher premium and have the ability to choose the hospital yourself?
• Should the policy cover diagnostic tests such as x-rays and lab tests when being treated as an outpatient?

And finally ask yourself one last question – what are you not covered for and are you comfortable with that?

Standard Life Health Insurance. The Standard Life Assurance Company was established over 180 years ago and has been one of Britain’s leading financial services company’s since then. Over the years it has diversified its range of activities as well as the geographic range of its operations and is now a true multi national organization. In 2000 the company acquired Prime Health Limited and renamed it Standard Life Healthcare. Other acquisitions and integrated expansion have brought Standard Life Healthcare to a position where it is one of the country’s leading healthcare providers.

The company has divided its range of healthcare services into four distinct broad plans, each of which has various options that allow for a plan to be modified to suit individual requirements.

First of all there is the Primecare Range. This is, at the top end of the plan, a full service medical coverage programme that will protect the policy holder from the costs of medical treatment. There are various operational levels and depending on the requirements and budget of the person taking the coverage, Primecare may be tailored to reduce the amount of coverage and thereby reduce the cost to the subscriber.

The Choice plan is meant for those who are paying for their own private healthcare and is designed to protect them from the dangers of excessively high medical bills that could arise out of either illness or accident. This is what is called a High Excess plan which means that the subscriber will take the responsibility of paying his or her own medical bills up to a certain point and if the cost of treatment exceeds a specific amount, the Choice healthcare plan will cover the excess. Here again the amount that the subscriber will pay out of his or her own pocket can be modified to suit individual requirements.

Health Cash Plans provide coverage for routine medical costs that would normally be borne out of the patient’s pocket. While these expenses when taken individually often do not appear to be very major, over a period of a year they can often total up to substantial amounts. This plan is designed to offer coverage against these often over looked but still substantial expenses.

The EspiritHealth plan is meant for those over 55 and below 80years of age at the time the coverage commences. Once the coverage has begun it can carry on irrespective of age. This is an economy plan for those who are on pensions and are cost conscious. The coverage options are varied and can include full coverage. The economy options include things like a reduction in premium by accepting a 6 week wait for non critical treatments etc. These plans make a lot of sense for the elderly as cost saving options can be taken keeping in mind the past medical history and the need for future protection.

While the four plans the company offers are fairly clear and easy to understand the options within each plan make deciding what is best for the individual somewhat confusing and it is best to spend some time examining the possibilities and perhaps getting a family doctor’s advice on what would be the best option.

Health Insurance and Pre Existing conditions. Health insurance, like any form of insurance, is a business. And the prime motivation for doing any business is to make a profit. All forms of insurance are based on what is often called the “theory of large numbers” or more prosaically, “the law of averages.” What this means is that insurance companies continually recalculate the percentage of policy holders who may make a claim against them. This is done using advanced mathematical modeling techniques. As long as the payment of claims is less that the premiums received the company is making an operating profit. Premiums are based on these percentages which is why they increase with age and the greater chances of death and sickness.

Keeping this rationale in mind, the question of being able to take health insurance to cover pre existing conditions (health problems that existed before you took the policy) does not normally arise. An insurance company will be foolish to sell a policy for £100 knowing that the policy holder has a medical problem that will require hospital bills running into many thousands of pounds.

Having said this, there are exceptions to the rule which will depend both on the nature of the pre existing condition and the insurance company policies. Make sure you ask the insurance company how you can obtain a policy, your pre existing condition notwithstanding. Sometimes a higher premium may be charged of perhaps a policy maybe issued with special exclusions that limit the insurance company’s liabilities in the case of any expenses connected with the pre existing condition. A policy may be issued that will exclude coverage of a pre existing condition for a set period of time, after which, if the illness has not reoccurred, it will automatically be included in the policy.

Chronic conditions or those known to reoccur are usually never covered because by their very nature they will keep returning.

It is important that when applying for a health insurance policy you fill up all the forms and declarations as accurately and completely as possible. Any attempt to distort or hide facts, such as a pre existing sickness, is a big mistake. Should the insurance company get to know of your cover up, which they most likely will if you do fall sick – the medical examination will reveal the nature of the sickness and how long it has been present – it may either cancel your policy or refuse to make payment against the claim you raise.

An insurer may, if the company so desires, contact your doctor to obtain more information about your health or to clarify any statements you have made in your applications. If you are not sure as to whether or not a medical condition that you suffered from in the past should be mentioned or not, it is always safer to do so.

Most policies also contain a clause to the effect that they will not cover any medical condition that you have received treatment for, have taken medicine for, shown symptoms of or obtained medical advice about for a period of 5 years prior to the start of the policy.

Groupama may not be among the largest of the health insurance providers but it is known to be among the most innovative. The company traces its roots in insurance back over 150 years when if began operations among the agricultural communities in France. It is today the largest individual health insurer in France.

Groupama Healthcare is the health insurance division of Groupama Insurances which is one of the United Kingdom’s leading general insurance companies. It is based in Hertfordshire and employs a staff of over 100 people.

The company’s health insurance plan operates under the name of Santé and offers the highest levels of service along with a wide variety of options making the plan flexible enough to suit nearly any specific corporate requirements. The product is meant for small and medium companies and is not for individuals. A special product called Santé For You has been created for the individual policy holder and is similar to the corporate Santé plan but has been modified to suit the requirements of the individual.

Among the highlights of the Santé plan are:

• A commitment to delivering first class service. A recent survey conducted to ascertain the levels of policy holder satisfaction found 98% were satisfied with the claims service. This and other surveys are conducted regularly by the company to understand what its clients are looking for and where they feel improvements in the nature of service and types of coverage available may be made.
• The company maintains the operational efficiency levels of the Santé plan by publishing their service standards for all to see and then continually benchmarking themselves against these standards. The expected service standards and the actual levels achieved are there for the policy holders to see and judge the company’s performance for themselves.
• Groupama Healthcare does its costing and sets the premiums based on historical data which ensures that the costs reflect a fair price for the risks covered. This means that they are able to offer price stability over a period of years and their premiums are not prone to the highly volatile fluctuations of some other health care insurers.

Santé is available in four operating levels. Section 1 is the base coverage level that includes inpatient and outpatient treatments, private ambulance, home nursing, NHS cash benefits and a free advice and counseling helpline for the policy holders. The other 3 levels add progressively more features to this basic level of coverage and at the top of the scale the plan offers among the best comprehensive coverages of any health insurance plan in the country. The core benefits themselves are extremely good in terms of the value of coverage:

• Full refund on specialist fees
• Full refund on Hospital charges
• Outpatient treatment on GP referral - £750
• Full refund on outpatient treatment on specialist referral
• Home nursing - full refund
• Private ambulance - full refund
• NHS Cash benefit - £150 per night (unlimited nights)

Groupama Healthcare has a user friendly online policy administration facility that saves a lot of time and makes policy enquiries and modifications fast and simple.

Prudential Health Insurance or Pruhealth as it is commonly known has is roots in Prudential plc, a financial services company started in 1848. Prudential plc is active in the fields of personal banking, insurance, pensions, retail investments, property investments and institutional fund management.

Discovery Holdings began in 1992 as a health insurance company in South Africa. Pruhealth is a joint venture between Prudential plc and Discovery Holdings. This means that it is backed by 160 years of financial experience and reliability along with up to date expertise in the subject of health care.

The company has a unique Vitality Programme that encourages policy holders to look after their health and at the same time save on premium payments. The programme works on the basis of awarding “vitality points” for a range of good health practices that policy holders are encouraged to follow. The points earned are tabulated at the end of the policy period and converted into a discount on the next premium. Obviously, the higher the number of vitality points the greater the discount. Additionally, undertaking specific activities at one of the many partner institutions which includes health clubs and fitness centres as well as supermarkets and other establishments, also entitles the policy holder to not just more vitality point but often discounts from the partners themselves.

The programme does not expect policyholders to become fitness fanatics but rather to look after their health and well being. There three levels of membership beginning with Silver, progressing to Gold and ending with Platinum. Membership is automatic when one takes a policy but, of course, availing of the benefits is purely optional.

The company offers three types of coverage, each of which can be modified to suit individual requirements. All the plans include Vitality membership so subsequent premiums may be discounted.

• The Core Plan. This is the most basic of the three plans. Eligible hospital fees are specified and claims may be made only against those. There is limited outpatient care – this is only available for outpatient treatment subsequent to in patient care. That is, follow up out patient treatment. There are various additional benefits available including rewards for using NHS facilities and for the birth of a baby.
• The Essential Plan. This contains everything covered by the Core Plan along with additional facilities like higher levels of out patient care.
• The Comprehensive Plan. This plan besides offering all the cover of the Essential Plan also offers even higher levels of outpatient care and greater cover limits. Additional benefits include complimentary therapies and so on.

PruHealth has become one of the most popular health insurance companies in the UK. One reason is the Vitality Programme which encourages a healthier lifestyle among the policy holders by offering financial inducements to look after one’s health. Secondly is the simple and easy structure of the plan options that make them easy to understand and decide upon. The third contributor to the company’s popularity is it reputation for being extremely user friendly and the helpful attitude it displays in dealing with the policy holders.

For Free advice and quote visit www.privatehealthservice.co.uk

In 1946, Britain had won World War II, but was still struggling to get its economy back on track after the war had nearly destroyed it. It was a time of shortages and hardship, and the government of the day, in an attempt to make health care available to everyone began the National Health Service in 1948. When the plan was announced a year earlier, the British United Provident Association (Bupa) was formed to provide people an alternative to the NHS where they could choose where they would be treated, when it would happen and by whom it would be done.

Since then, to setting up hospitals, specialized care facilities, insurance and much more, BUPA is today one of the largest companies in the health care sector. Among its portfolio of services, health insurance is one of the largest operations. It is today, a true multinational organization with operations in three continents where it provides health and insurance services to over seven million clients.

Marketed under the brand name Bupa Heartbeat, the insurance protection available is offered in a range of options which are designed to suit the widest possible range of market needs. The options range from basic cover to complete medical expense coverage. Of course, the premiums will vary depending on the nature of the coverage taken and the age and health of the person or persons being covered.

The five levels of coverage broadly work as follows:

1. Health Care select 1.

            This is the most comprehensive of all the policies. It provides the widest coverage against costs incurred for in patient, out patient and day patient treatment for any form of sickness, including psychiatric treatment. Ambulance charges, out patient complementary medicines and a host of other costs are covered by this policy which offers the policy holder the choice of either national or local hospital network access.

2. Health care select 2.

            Much like select 1, this offers in patient, out patient, and day patient coverage as well as psychiatric treatment and a choice of either national or local hospital access. However, complimentary outpatient medicines are not covered and there are limitations on the coverage available in specific areas.

3. Health care select 3.

            The plan offers high levels of coverage for eligible treatments, both in and out- patient. However, there are limitations on the out patient treatments and psychiatric treatment is not covered. The local and national hospital network choice is available.

4. Health care select 4.

           This plan is basically a scaled down version of select 3 with further reductions in the eligibility and coverage of out treatment costs. In and day patient coverage remains extensive.

5. Health care select heart and cancer.

            This is the most basic of the health coverage plans and provides for the treatment of acute cancer and heart conditions. No other medical conditions fall under this form of cover. Hospital treatment coverage is only for the national hospital network.

Obviously the policy costs increase in accordance with the coverage offered by the plans and studying the options in detail keeping in mind ones own and one’s family medical history will help in the selection of the right plan.

Company medical insurance in the UK is available from numerous health insurance providers in the UK. The main insurers such as BUPA, AXA PPP, NORWICH  UNION and STANDARD LIFE to name a few offer excellent cover and benefit. However, that is not to say that there are not specific differences between each provider apart from price.

The main things to check apart from cover and price on a company medical insurance policy is the terms of underwriting, excess, pricing per person or age bands and cancer cover. Cancer cover is such a key area in medical insurance now that it is important that you receive the best advice on how each health insurance provider will cover you in the event either you or an employee should have cancer.

Company Medical Insurance is a key benefit in this day and age and many companies in the UK have this type of cover in place as a major benefit to its employees. Whether you are considering taking out Company Medical Insurance or wish to have a review of your exiting company medical policy get expert advice.

Go to www.privatehealthservice.co.uk

When considering taking out health insurance there are ways that you can reduce the cost whether you are taking out health insurance for the first time or you presently have a policy in place. It is firstly important to get best advice and a variety of quotes that will help you make a informative decision.

Below you will find a list of ways in which you can reduce the cost of your health insurance annual premium:

Hospital Choice

Some health insurance companies have a full list of hospitals on selected policies. However other providers operate a scaling system. By selecting a less comprehensive hospital lisrting but being sure you have your local hospitals can help reduce your premium.

Choose A Higher Excess

By increasing the level of excess you have on your policy can make a considerable difference in premium. Find out the level of discount you would receive by increasing the level of excess you already have on the policy.

No Claims Discount Plans

These are common on motor policies and are starting to appear more on Private Medical Insurance, which can be helpful for those looking to control their costs and find low cost health insurance. There is a small discount, typically 10% a year, working up to 50% for eight years, if you do not make any claim on the policy. Some companies are more generous. A new innovation is a low claims discount, where you still benefit from a reduced premium, as long as claims are small, minor ones below a certain figure.

Do Not Buy Cover You Do Not Need

If you are a single man you do not need children and pregnancy cover! Sounds a little obvious but be sure about the cover you really require.

Choose A Waiting Period

As the purpose of buying Private Medical Insurance is often to avoid lengthy NHS queues, this may seem a strange suggestion. But there is a difference between having no control over when or where you are treated, and being able to reduce the price by agreeing a Waiting Period. On a 6 week Waiting Period, if the NHS can provide treatment locally within 6 weeks, you would use them. But if they cannot, then the policy will arrange treatment without a waiting time.

Get further information and quotes at www.privatehealthservice.co.uk