Searching for health insurance cover can be difficult – complicated terms and conditions mean many of us can misunderstand the cover we choose. To make the process easier, we’ve decoded the jargon to help demystify terms whilst you search.
As an independent broker, our priority is making sure you find the best health insurance cover, for the right price. We speak to you to find out what you’re looking for – then we search the whole of the UK market, sifting through hundreds of policies to find you the best deals. All the support and advice our expert team provide is free, and there is no obligation to commit to a quote we provide. If you have an existing policy, we can also compare this to what’s available – so you can check you’re not overpaying.
Acute condition
An illness, disease, or injury where the treatment for that condition will likely return you to full health.
Broker
A ‘broker’ is what we are. It simply means we don’t work for or on behalf of any health insurance providers – instead we work with you to search all providers to find you the best deals.
Contract
Your contract is the agreement between yourself and your insurance provider. It outlines your cover, rights and obligations – including financial and payment terms.
Day Patient
A patient who is admitted to a hospital, or day patient unit and receives treatment that doesn’t require an overnight stay.
Denied Claim
A denied claim is when your healthcare services aren’t covered under the agreed contract – your insurance provider won’t be obliged to pay these fees.
Dependent
Your partner (husband, wife, or significant other who you cohabit with on a permanent basis) or child(ren) who are also included in your policy. A child is classed as yours or your partner’s, adopted or stepchildren who are unmarried and under the age of 21 (or 25 if in full-time education).
Duplicate Coverage
You may have duplicate insurance coverage if you have the same health services under more than one health plan.
Exclusions
Exclusions are services that you’re not covered for under your health insurance policy. This should be stated in your contract and cover terms.
Flexible Coverage Plan
This sort of policy offers you a variety of coverage options – to best suit your individual health requirements.
Hazardous pursuits
An activity or sport that increases the likelihood of you suffering an injury or that could exacerbate an existing medical condition.
In-patient
A patient who is admitted to hospital and requires a bed for an overnight stay or longer.
Indemnity
Protection from your insurer that states: in case of a loss, you will be returned to your prior position.
Modular
A type of insurance that allows you the option to purchase different aspects of cover based on your specific needs.
NICE
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence provides guidance and advice to improve health and social care.
Outpatient Services
This is health care services are usually carried out in a doctor’s surgery, clinic or hospital –they usually do not require an overnight stay.
PHI / PMI
If you’ve been searchig for a policy – you’ll notice that cover is often referred to as PHI or PMI – these are simply acronyms for Private Health Insurance (PHI) and Private Medical Insurance (PMI).
Premium
Your ‘premium’ is the payments (often monthly) that you make to your insurance provider in order to keep your health cover. These payments are usually due on a schedule; this will be detailed in your contract.
Palliative Care
This type of medical care is for people with life-limiting illnesses – the specialised care is designed to relieve patients from pain and stress.
Primary Care
This service is the basic, routine level of health care that you’re eligible for – which is usually stated in your insurance policy.
Referral
The referral process is when you’re sent from one healthcare centre to another – usually a specialist for a consultation or treatment.
Subrogation
Acting on behalf of the insured person in the event of a claim.
Urgent Care Provider
You may need an ‘urgent care provider’ for health problems that need medical attention immediately – these are not classed as ‘emergency medical conditions’.
Underwriting
This is a process all health insurance providers go through to work out how likely you are to make a future claim on your policy. It’s important to remember that an underwriting can affect your premium price, and could affect how you’re covered for an illness or pre-existing condition.
How to Find the Right Policy
We hope this article has helped you in your search for health insurance cover. If you’re still unsure about the cover you need or want to learn more about the best deals out there don’t hesitate to call our expert team on 0808 1018 999.
As a 100% independent broker, we’re here to help you find the cover you need. Fill in our form to receive a call back from our team. All the quotes we provide are no-obligation and we explain everything, if needed.
