What is comprehensive health insurance?

If you’re thinking of getting private health insurance, you should aim for a plan that you can really count on — one that will get you through medical emergencies, treatments and procedures with as little stress as possible.

With the right company and policy, medical insurance doesn’t have to be complicated. You can get total transparency, flexibility and security with a plan that is best suited to your needs. And by getting a complete private healthcare package, you can gain access to a vast variety of additional benefits. This can include long-term consultations following treatment, added medical cover for family members, travel insurance and support if a condition was to go terminal.

If this is the kind of plan you’re looking for, then comprehensive health cover is the best bet.

What is comprehensive health insurance?

Comprehensive health insurance is the most complete plan you can get, offering full-level coverage of available healthcare services and ensuring you have a secure safety net in place. It covers all bases by providing efficient on-hand treatment, aftercare, mental health support, therapies and more.

Ensure you have access to what you need, when you need it. There are a long list of medicines and treatments that aren’t available on the NHS as they can often be too costly for free healthcare. But, with a comprehensive plan, you’re covered for a large scale of medical procedures and expenses, including access to treatment options and support networks that the NHS can’t offer.

What’s the difference between standard and comprehensive insurance?

Standard health insurance is the basic level of core cover that you can get with a healthcare plan. It provides access to some treatments and medicines, however, with this kind of plan, you’re not covered for many of the available healthcare options. Standard coverage also has a lot of exclusions and conditions that could put you in a difficult situation further down the road.

If you end up having a medical emergency and aren’t aware of the specific terms and conditions of your insurance plan, you could end up waiting for long periods of time with NHS services — or paying an unnecessary amount for something a comprehensive plan would have covered and helped you with originally.

What does comprehensive health insurance cover?

The coverage of a comprehensive health insurance policy entirely depends on your medical history, the insurance company you choose and how you wish to go about treatment. In most cases, comprehensive insurance will cover:

1. Nursing at your home.
2. Private ambulance transfers.
3. Extensive heart and cancer cover.
4. Outpatient consultations, diagnostics and tests.
5. Access to a great number of carefully selected hospitals.

Comprehensive heart and cancer cover

Unexpected issues with cancer and heart conditions can develop at any age. It’s good to be prepared if you find yourself in such difficult circumstances. When it comes to heart and cancer treatment, going with a comprehensive plan will cover a great deal of medical expenses when you go private. Our healthcare options include the following:

• Conorary artery bypass, cardiac valve surgery, coronary angioplasty and implantation of pacemaker or defribulator.
• Diagnostic surgery, CT, MRI and PET scans.
• Chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
• Long-term monitoring consultations, check-ups and examinations related to surgery.
• Consultations with your assigned cancer specialist — when you’re an outpatient.
• Support from a dedicated cancer nurse.
• Up to £5000 a year coverage on prostheses, wigs and hair coverings when you’re undergoing cancer treatment.
• Continued cover for treatment if your condition goes terminal — when you’re a member.
• A charitable donation of £100 a night to the hospice where you receive care as an in-patient or at home.

Clear Health comprehensive coverage will give you peace of mind by protecting you in the long haul.  Having our complete private care in place will ensure support and financial protection for you and your family throughout the process of treatment — even if things don’t go as planned.

We also offer additional options for our fully comprehensive service such as private GP cover, mental health assistance, dentist and optician cashback, as well as access to chiropractors, physiotherapy, acupuncture and more. A comprehensive plan will have your back if problems arise — not only in medical treatment but in physical support too.

There are occasions where patients may choose to go with NHS procedures over private healthcare. In these instances, we won’t be able to cover the cost of medical treatment. But, if the NHS doesn’t support payment of drugs, private health insurance will have you covered. Any further costs for medicine will be paid for as long as they were recommended by a specialist.

Is fully comprehensive health coverage right for you?

The choice to go comprehensive with your health cover is completely up to you. There are many factors that impact your decision to get fully covered, such as budget, medical history and predicted usage. But, when looking into private healthcare, it’s important to ensure that you’re in safe hands in the event of hospitalisation. Here are some reasons why one might benefit from comprehensive cover when compared to standard cover or no option for private health insurance.

No roadblocks

If you go for standard coverage and health issues start to arise, which require you to seek medical treatment, you might run into some problems. As the plan isn’t fully comprehensive, there is a chance that you won’t be insured for certain treatments. Comprehensive health cover ensures ease of access to private procedures, which can be invaluable in a medical emergency.

Private GP appointments 

Saving time and hassle, comprehensive cover provides multiple appointments with our private AXA GPs. With standard coverage, you aren’t covered for private GP visits, however, if you go comprehensive, you’ll be granted £500 a year for GP fees. This removes the difficulty and inconvenience of booking an appointment with the NHS GP service.

A wide variety of health services

The benefits of full-coverage gain you access to a long list of carefully selected hospitals and medical facilities across the UK, with the additional benefit of 24/7 phone support. You can also get treatments, specialist appointments and support networks that aren’t available elsewhere. Options for therapies, mental health, and dentist and optician cover give additional protection and support. Knowing you have the freedom to utilise our extensive services will put your mind at rest — ready to help whenever you may need it.

Drugs and treatments covered

With comprehensive health coverage, you are entitled to an abundance of medicines and treatments if they’re recommended by a specialist. As mentioned previously, where the NHS won’t offer payment for particular medical options, if you have a comprehensive health plan, we’re happy to cover the cost.

What does comprehensive health insurance not cover?

All health insurance policies have some exclusions. Unfortunately, with the nature of insurance, certain treatments and procedures are difficult to cover. Here are some medical aspects and scenarios that cannot be offered within a comprehensive healthcare plan:

1. Cosmetic procedures.
2. Routine pregnancy and childbirth.
3. Treatment for long-term chronic conditions.
4. Treatment for medical conditions experienced before starting a plan.
5. Procedures from a hospital location not detailed in the list of covered medical facilities.

Finding the right comprehensive health insurance plan 

When looking at the expenses of an insurance plan, you want to make sure you’re paying a reasonable price for the services you get. In every insurance company, the pricing of comprehensive health coverage varies for each person. Factors that affect your insurance costs include:

 

• Age – You’ll be charged less if you’re a younger citizen.

• • Medical history – Your medical background is assessed to check what treatments you qualify for.

• Lifestyle – Your personal lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking and exercise are taken into account.

• Choice of excess – The amount of money you are willing to pay for excess charges will contribute to your insurance cost.

• Personalisations and deductions – Deductions to your plan will reduce the overall price.

 

Insurance costs are not only unique to the individual, but also to the company. There are various routes you can go down to find and choose the best insurance plan for you:

Comparison websites – This method of research is a quick and easy way to compare many of the health insurance options available based on a few of your preferences, but there are some limitations. Comparison websites have little transparency when it comes to researching healthcare policies, meaning you may end up with a policy that’s somewhat right for you. However, there may still be potential to miss out on much better opportunities elsewhere.

Providers – When looking directly at health insurance providers, you can gain a clear understanding of the company’s individual policies. Yet, there’s a lot of extensive research involved. If you were to require help and advice from a provider, it’s likely that their efforts could be focused on converting you into a new customer, as opposed to finding a well-suited insurance choice. This might mean you end up with a plan that has the provider’s best interest in mind, not yours.

Insurance brokers – Independent brokers can be a great way to find an insurance plan that works for you. They function as the ideal middle-ground, offering you a variety of insurance options whilst finding coverage for exactly what you’re looking for. There is the added convenience of only giving out your medical information once, as opposed to doing this individually each time with the providers option.

If you’re interested in getting comprehensive insurance but aren’t sure about all of the options, Clear Health offers flexibility when setting up a claim. You can adjust different aspects of our comprehensive insurance plan and customise it to fit your personal requirements. This can take some money off the overall cost, but it also means you will no longer be covered in these areas (should you require them in the future).

We’re here to help

At Clear Health, we offer a full advisory service where our team are always on hand to chat about your insurance options and help work out a plan that suits you.

For a consultation and advice on comprehensive health insurance, get in touch with our experts today.