Since the beginning of the pandemic, NHS waiting lists have reached an all-time high as more procedures than ever had to be put on hold in order to reduce the risk of contracting the virus. As a result, many patients are looking at long waiting lists before they can be treated. Due to these long lists, some people are turning to private healthcare in order to receive treatment without having to wait as many have found that the waiting times are having a severe impact on their health or the health of a loved one, especially where mental health is concerned. In our guide, we cover everything you need to know about private health insurance so that you can make the best choice for yourself and your family.

How Does It Work?

Private health insurance, also known as private medical insurance, pays for treatment, tests, and surgery if you become unwell or suffer an injury during the course of your policy’s term. It is typically designed for acute conditions which are short term and curable; however, there are policies available that cover a range of needs. As with any insurance, you can choose to pay monthly or annually for your health insurance and these payments of usually referred to as premiums. If you are in need of treatment, your insurance will then pay out for you to receive the care you require.

What Does It Cover?

As with all insurance, the cover you will receive from your private health insurance depends on the policy you purchase. Typical policies tend to cover most in-patient treatments, such as surgery or tests and day-care surgery. Policies can extend to outpatient treatments like visiting specialists or consultants, and others will pay you a small fixed fee for each night you need to spend in an NHS hospital. For more information on policies and what they cover, head over to Switch Health to find the health insurance which suits you.

Do You Need Health Insurance?

One of the best health insurance benefits is that you are able to receive treatment immediately without having to join an NHS waiting list, with the added benefit of the extra comfort having your own room in a private medical facility brings while your insurance cover all or some of the cost. Private Health insurance also gives you access to medication and treatments that aren’t available on the NHS. When it comes to whether you need health insurance or not, it’s essential to remember that many policies won’t cover existing conditions or chronic illnesses such as epilepsy, diabetes, and arthritis.

One of the main reasons that patients are turning to private health in the wake of the pandemic is down to the waiting lists and resources for mental health treatments available on the NHS. Most patients who seek out treatment for their mental health do so when they need treatment quickly due to worsening health. Those people often find that they are required to wait over a year before they can speak to a professional while only having a limited time before their treatment ends. When you take out private health insurance, most insurers will cover the cost of access to private mental health services, which allows those who need care quickly to receive treatment immediately.