What kind off health insurance can I buy?

Health insurance covers a wide range of policies and plans. These break down into the following main types:

 

Private medical insurance provides you with a package of benefits which cover the cost of inpatient and outpatient treatment, and medical services that you may require if you become ill. You normally pay a monthly fee based on your age, your medical history and the level of benefits that you choose. There are various types such as package plans where you have a fixed range of cover, with limited choice, choice of cover plans where you can choose to build a policy from a wide range of options and  limited cover plans where cover is for a restricted number of illnesses or events. Specific plans for the over 50's and the elderly are also available.

 

An increasing number of UK citizens leave the UK on a permanent, temporary or semi- permanent basis. International and expatriate health insurance policies are designed to provide affordable health insurance for people who are living or working outside the UK for at least six months of the year. Medical treatment may be provided in the country wher you are located, a nearby country, or in the UK.

 

A health cash plan is a form of affordable health insurance that pays cash sums towards the cost of a wide range of treatments. Under such a health plan, cash sums are paid if you have to go into hospital, see a specialist, visit the dentist or optician, give birth or require alternative therapies such as homeopathy, acupuncture or physiotherapy. They are geared towards the day-to-day health expenses we all have to meet.

 

With dental insurance you can claim for treatment whether you choose to go privately or via the NHS. Private dental insurance contributes towards routine treatment, dental emergencies and serious dental problems.

 

If you are diagnosed with a life-threatening condition, critical illness insurance cover pays you a lump sum. The policy specifies the illnesses covered. No two critical illness insurance policies are alike, each insurer has their own list of covered illnesses. Some policies only cover a few. Some allow you to choose which ones to protect.

 

Income protection insurance pays out an income if you're unable to work because of illness or injury. Income protection insurance aims to put you back to the position you were in before you were unable to work. It pays a regular tax- free monthly income.

 

Long term care is needed when a person becomes ill or suffers a disability that makes them unable to carry out their activities of daily living in the long term. Insurance based long term care plans include Immediate Care plans, Deferred Care plans Pre-funded care plans, and Care Cash plans

 

Travel health insurance provides cover for any medical and health emergencies that may arise when you are abroad. It is often combined with insurance for other travel related risks such as theft, flight delays and so on. It may be bought for a one off trip or on an annual basis.

 

If you need several health insurance policies it can be frustrating and annoying to have to arrange a variety of insurances with different providers. The basic idea is that you can build up your health plan by picking and mixing from a variety of affordable health insurance products which pay out independently of one another.