Key takeaways: Do I need health insurance?
In the UK, we're lucky to have the NHS, but there are many reasons why people may consider buying health insurance:
- fast access to diagnosis and treatment
- flexibility around where and when appointments and treatment can take place
- treatment in private healthcare facilities.
Some health insurers let you tailor your cover to your individual needs so you’re not paying for cover you won’t use. However, health insurance won’t be right for everyone, so you would need to make sure it meets your needs and expectations before taking it out.
What's in this article
Jump to sections:
- Do I need health insurance?
- What are the benefits of private health insurance?
- Is private health insurance right for you?
- Can I tailor health insurance so that it’s right for my circumstances?
- When private health insurance might not be right for you
- Can I still use the NHS if I have private health insurance?
Do I need health insurance?
In the UK, we're lucky to have fully funded healthcare through the NHS. But for extra peace of mind, some people choose to take out private health insurance.
Private health insurance doesn't replace the NHS, but it can offer you fast access to diagnosis and treatment. It can also give you flexibility around where and when your treatment and appointments take place.
What are the benefits of private health insurance?
Having health insurance can give you valuable peace of mind, along with several other benefits:
Fast access to care
Many people buy health insurance to help avoid long waiting lists, as it can give you fast access to private healthcare. However, it’s worth remembering that a new private health insurance plan usually won’t cover conditions you already have, or have symptoms of, before joining.
Access to private GP appointments
Private health insurers often offer access to a private online or phone GP service. With AXA Health, you get a 24/7 online GP service where you can choose appointments by video or phone with a GP. GP appointments are available 24 hours a day, subject to availability.
Flexibility on time and place of appointments
Private health insurance can often give you flexibility about when and where your appointment or treatment is, so you can fit appointments in around your work or family.
Facilities
You’ll usually be able to have surgery, or other inpatient care, in a private hospital with a private room and more flexible visiting times.
Is private health insurance right for you?
If you’re considering private health insurance, you need to decide if it's right for you. Here are some of the things to think about:
- Your budget: The cost of private medical insurance can vary a lot depending on your age, lifestyle and the cover you choose. It’s worth checking what options are available before you commit to a plan.
- Career and work commitments: Not everyone can fit NHS appointments in around work commitments. If this is the case, private health insurance could give you some flexibility around where and what time your treatment takes place.
- Family cover: You can usually add family members to your health insurance, giving you added peace of mind knowing that they can also access private healthcare quickly. With the AXA Health Plan, your family members don't even need to live with you. If you have a child at university, they can access online GP appointments and the care they may need. Pre-exisiting conditions are not covered, and specific cover is subject to the options chosen.
Can I tailor health insurance so that it’s right for me?
Some health insurance plans offer different options to suit your budget and stage of life. You may be able to personalise your cover so you’re not paying for things you don’t need.
With the AXA Health Plan, you can choose to add (or leave out) cover for:
- Outpatient diagnosis and care
- Inpatient and day patient care
- Cancer care
- Mental health care
- Dental and optical cashback
Mental health care and Dental and optical cover must be selected with one of the other care options. Inpatient and day patient care must be included when buying Cancer care and Outpatient diagnosis and care together.
As you go through life and your needs change, you may be able to add different options, or remove them when you no longer need them. However, when making changes or removing options, there is no guarantee that you'll be able to get that cover back, either for an existing condition, or at all in some cases.
With the AXA Health Plan, you can also choose different care options for each person on your plan to meet their individual needs and match your budget, depending on the options chosen and your medical history.
When private health insurance might not be right for you
Like all insurance, private health insurance won’t cover you for everything. It’s your choice to take out cover or not but it's always a good idea to check and compare what different health insurers cover.
However, here are some of the things most health insurers won’t usually cover. If you’re looking for treatment for any of them, health insurance might not be right for you.
Pre-existing conditions
Health insurance is designed to cover new conditions. If you have symptoms already – whether you’ve seen a doctor or not – your health insurance won’t usually cover these. Find out more pre-existing conditions: Can I get health insurance to cover a pre-existing condition?
Chronic health conditions
Most health insurers won’t cover long-term treatment of chronic conditions. These are conditions that need long-term treatment or monitoring, have no known cure, or are likely to come back.
Emergency treatment
The NHS is best placed to provide emergency care. Most insurers won't cover for emergency treatment.
Routine maternity and fertility treatments
Health insurance doesn’t usually cover routine pregnancy and childbirth. It also doesn’t usually cover fertility treatment of any kind.
Can I still use the NHS if I have private health insurance?
Yes. You can still use the NHS if you have private health insurance or you can choose to use your private health insurance if you're covered.
If you use the NHS for your care, this won’t affect your health insurance renewal premium. Your health insurer may offer a cash benefit payment for using the NHS for your care, depending on the cover options chosen.