Summary
Continuing our look at private health insurance and what it has to offer you. If time is money, or you need the peace of mind that a quick diagnosis would offer, you're sure to find some cover that's just right.

Still Looking After Yourself

Other eventualities likely to be excluded from this type of plan would be routine GP, dentistry or optical checks (although there are some very simple basic plans to cover these types of costs). Accident and emergency treatment, straightforward pregnancy and childbirth, long term conditions like diabetes, diabetes or multiple sclerosis are not normally covered. Preventative medicine, cosmetic surgery and treatment needed as a result of harm which you've inflicted on yourself, such as alcohol or drug abuse are out too; similarly if injuries are received as a result of involving yourself in a dangerous sport or pastime are outside the normal scope of this type of plan.

The other point to mention is that treatment for chronic or incurable illnesses, such as, for instance, the final stages of terminal cancer would not be covered. There are, however, some insurance products that would cover you for the latest cancer treatments, even if you had received NHS care to date but had reached the stage where they were simply unable to afford the high cost of most up to date treatment.

So how easy is it to make a claim if you've had reason to use the insurance? The process begins when your GP decides that it would be appropriate to refer you to a specialist You would need to double-check with your insurer that the condition is covered under the policy and ask them to let you have a claims form. This will need to be filled in by the specialist and your GP and a GP is perfectly entitled to make a charge for this. On receipt of this, the insurer will confirm just how much of the overall treatment cost will be met by them. You will need to confirm whether or not the insurer will fund your medical bills directly to your specialist etc., or whether you will need to pay directly and then reclaim the costs.

The question of how much you'll need to pay for private health care is a little like the "How long is a piece of string" riddle. It depends on so many things, such as your health to date, your age, whether you're male or female and even the area you live in.

The most comprehensive cover, as we've said, can be quite expensive. There are some ways to cut the costs, however. One of these is to offer to pay part of the claim yourself, by implementing an increased excess on any claim. You could also restrict the choice of hospitals to the ones preferred by the insurance company, rather than a specific hospital or clinic.

You could decide to specify cover for certain conditions and take on responsibility for other treatments yourself or go for NHS treatments where the waiting time is not too horrific. There are some conditions for which treatment is available in a relatively short time - ask your GP to find out for you.

You're going to find it virtually impossible to compare all the pro's and con's and this is where an independent financial adviser will be invaluable. They can search the whole market to match your needs, both medically and financially, and come up with the best deal.