Buying Private Medical Insurance

10. How is private medical insurance controlled?

An industry Code of Practice Selling private medical insurance comes under our Code of Practice covering selling general insurance and other guidelines which cover private medical insurance. The code and other guidelines cover training, face-to-face and phone selling, as well as standards of documents and handling complaints.

Your application form:

Your application form is a very important document. In fact, it forms the basis of your contract with your insurance company. Always fill it in fully and accurately. If you don't, your insurance company may refuse to pay your claim and could even cancel your policy.

Absolute confidentiality:

By law all insurance companies have to treat personal information, especially medical details, with absolute confidentiality. Totally anonymous statistical information is sometimes given to outside organisations carrying out research.

A formal procedure for handling complaints:

Most insurance companies have their own complaints procedures in place, so if you have a problem with any part of your cover, speak to your insurance company first.

If you are not satisfied with the way in which your complaint is handled, you can contact either the Insurance Ombudsman Bureau, or the Personal Insurance Arbitration Service (depending on which one your insurance company uses). These services are free and you can find contact details at the end of this guide.

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