Will Private Medical Insurance Cover Me While Abroad on Holiday?
Question asked by Marco Gamba
I am looking for insurance that will pay for private hospital treatment. I’m not ill now but I’d like to be covered privately in case something happens in the future. I keep coming across insurances that sound the same and want to know if Health Insurance is the same as Medical Insurance or if there is a difference?
This is a very common question so you are not alone!
Strictly speaking the policy you are looking for is called Private Medical Insurance (PMI) but it is often referred to as Private Health Insurance, so there is no difference when you’re researching your options.
It is similar to ‘car insurance’ and ‘motor insurance’, with both plans being the same, it is just that some providers use slightly different terminology.
Just to clarify, Private Health Insurance is designed to pay for diagnostic testing, specialist consultations and treatment in private healthcare facilities (as opposed to using the NHS).
It is common for insurers to pay the private hospitals directly so you will not normally need to handle any moneys yourself.
If you want to understand more we have a couple of useful guides that might help: