We don’t charge a fee for our service. When it comes to protecting the important things, like your health and finances, we believe it shouldn’t cost you the earth.
Instead, we work closely with our health insurance providers, and when we set up a policy with one of their products, the insurer provides us with a finder’s fee.
Yes, you can. To take out a policy online via Drewberry, select the ‘Apply Online’ button after you’ve completed a private health insurance quote form.
If you do want to speak to an expert adviser, simply select the ‘Call Me’ option. You’ll only speak to one adviser from start to finish, with a direct email and phone number to contact them on. There’s no need to worry about automated messages or speaking to numerous people about your situation.
We’re completely independent and impartial, which means we can compare quotes from various insurance providers. It also allows us to negotiate better premiums for you than going to insurers directly.
We compare between the following top UK health insurance providers:
As standard, a private health insurance policy will cover the cost of treatment for acute conditions. The amount of cover you can get depends on your personal circumstances and budget. Some policies cost more than others, but you typically get more coverage, for example. There are low-cost options available too, allowing you to get the cover you need without spending a fortune.
Most health insurance providers offer tiers of cover, including basic, mid-range, and comprehensive. You can also add on optional extras, such as:
The most basic health insurance policies always cover inpatient treatment. However, if you’d like to cover the costs of outpatient treatment, in which a hospital bed isn’t required, this is included in a more comprehensive plan.
All policies, whether you get basic or comprehensive protection, cover the full costs of treating curable conditions if said treatment requires an overnight stay in hospital (inpatient). Cancer care and treatment are often included as standard in health policies.
The cost of private health insurance in the UK depends on a variety of factors, including:
To give you an example of what it may cost, we’ve assumed you:
You would pay around £78 a month* for your health insurance cover. To compare, we’ve also calculated the cost of the same factors, except for a basic policy with £0 excess. In this scenario, you’d expect to pay around £60 per month for basic health cover.
These are just examples. The actual figure will depend the factors we’ve mentioned above.
*Quotes accurate as of April 2023.
Health insurance and the NHS work in tandem. Your policy will cover treatment for acute, curable conditions. But the NHS will always be needed for accident and emergencies, treatment of chronic conditions, and GP appointments.
So, yes, you can still use the NHS even if you have private health cover.
Health insurance enables you to bypass long NHS waiting lists, so you can get the treatment you need as soon as possible.
If your health policy doesn’t include outpatient cover, the NHS is available for outpatient tests, scans, and consultations.
There are some conditions you’d still use the NHS for, such as diabetes and other chronic illnesses that require ongoing treatment. This is because medical insurance providers don’t normally offer coverage for incurable health issues.
To read more about private healthcare vs the NHS, our expert guide covers it all.
It depends on the pre-existing condition you have disclosed in your application. Insurers will either:
That said, some providers will exclude the condition at the time of application and review it two years later, meaning you could eventually get cover for your pre-existing condition.
It’s worth keeping in mind that the worse your health condition is, the less likely you are to receive cover for it.
Whether you’re eligible depends on other factors, such as:
It’s best to speak to an adviser before applying for cover if you have a pre-existing condition. Our team of experts can help you find the best coverage, even with a pre-existing health issue. We have access to all the leading UK underwriters, placing us in a great position to secure a policy.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you’re concerned about your eligibility. You can call us on 02074425880 or email at help@drewberry.co.uk.
Like all insurance policies, health insurance cover will have a handful of exclusions which apply to everyone, regardless of health and age.
These typically include:
Private Health Insurance typically doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions. Although it depends on what the condition is and its severity.
During the application process, Bupa will assess your medical history from the past 7 years to determine the cover you are eligible for. You’ll likely be asked to fill out a medical history form for the insurer to assess.
How a policy is underwritten plays a part too. With Moratorium underwriting, you apply for cover without needing to fill out a medical questionnaire, for example. However, this is with the understanding that you will not be covered for any health condition from the previous 5 years.
With Full Medical Underwriting, your medical history is usually taken into account when deciding which conditions will be covered.
You can read our full Bupa Health Insurance review here.
You can lower the cost of your health insurance premiums in a number of ways.
For more advice on reducing costs, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 02074425880 or via email at help@drewberry.co.uk.
Similar to car insurance, Private Health Insurance also undergoes an annual renewal process. This provides an opportunity for you to review your policy and ensure you’re still getting the best deal.
Many Health Insurance providers have auto-renewal policies in place. This means that your policy will automatically renew with the same provider at the end of each year. It’s important to note that this could lead to higher insurance costs over time. Because of this, it’s always beneficial to review your policy against others to make sure it’s still fit for purpose.
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