Private Medical Insurance
4. How
do I choose the right cover?
When looking
at cover, it is useful to know that treatment is categorised in the following
way.
In-patient:
This is when you go into hospital for private treatment or investigations
and stay for one or more nights.
Out-patient:
This is when you receive treatment or investigations or consultations
which do not need you to stay in hospital either as an in-patient or daypatient.
Day-patient:
This is sometimes referred to as day-care, or day-case. It is when you
go into hospital for private treatment or investigations but do not need
to stay in hospital overnight.
There is
a large variety of schemes available - from low-cost schemes, offering
limited cover, to those which offer wide-ranging cover and benefits. Most
schemes offer cover for in-patient and day-patient care, but not always
out-patient.
This is how
the treatment usually works:
Go to your
GP - If you have private medical insurance, your GP recommends you to
see a specialist. Your GP can arrange for you to see a specialist privately.
Out-patient consultation with a specialist who may recommend further tests.
If tests are needed these can be arranged promptly. Your specialist recommends
either inpatient or day-patient treatment. If you need treatment, it can
be arranged promptly. Your specialist helps you to arrange hospital treatment.
You may be treated in the comfort of a private hospital or in an NHS hospital,
as a private patient, at a time to suit you.
You will
need to decide what sort of cover you want:
• Do you
want your cover to include seeing a specialist as an out-patient?
• Do you want a choice of hospitals, or would you be satisfied to receive
any treatment that you might need in a hospital
• available from a limited range chosen by your insurance company?
The answers
you give to questions such as these could have a significant effect on
the premium that you pay (please see Section 6).
Private Medical Insurance Guide:
1. About
this guide
2. What is private medical insurance?
3. How do I buy private medical insurance?
4. How do I choose the right cover?
5. What am I covered for? What does my
cover not include?
6. What will affect my premiums?
7. Will I need to provide details of my
health?
8. Will my cover be affected if I am disabled?
9. How do I make a claim?
10. How is private medical insurance controlled?
11. What if I want to change to a new
insurance company?
12. Your private medical insurance checklist
13. Useful addresses
