Compare the cover, not just the price — the hospital list, the out-patient limit, the excess and the underwriting basis decide what you can actually claim.

How to think about it

Four things shape what a policy is really worth, and price is not the first of them. The hospital list sets where you can be treated and whether your nearest private hospital or preferred consultant is included. The out-patient limit caps the scans and consultations the policy pays for before any surgery. The excess is what you pay toward each claim. And the underwriting basis decides how anything in your history is handled.

Underwriting is the part people most often get wrong. Moratorium cover asks no medical questions but parks recent conditions until you have gone a symptom-free period; full medical underwriting settles your exclusions upfront so you know exactly where you stand. Neither covers a condition you already have — the choice is about how that is handled, not whether.

The trap is buying on headline price. A cheap premium usually means a narrow hospital list or a low out-patient limit, so read the exclusions and the limits, not just the monthly figure. The optional levers — an NHS-wait option, a cash plan alongside, family cover — then let you tune the cover to what you actually need.

The practical way to do it is to compare like with like across several insurers and read the actual policy document before deciding. Because insurers weigh the same person differently and PMI renewals are not price-capped, a broker with access to a panel is usually the quickest route to a fair comparison. See how UK cover compares to start.

Questions to put to the insurer or broker

  • Which hospitals and consultants do I want to be able to use?
  • What is the out-patient limit and the excess, and how do they interact?
  • On what basis is my medical history underwritten, and what does that exclude?

Related questions

Where this stops and advice begins

This is general information to help you decide, not a recommendation to buy or a personal recommendation of any policy — that depends on your health, your budget and your priorities. Private medical insurance never covers a condition you already have, and every insurer excludes the ongoing management of chronic conditions. An FCA-authorised broker can price cover for your circumstances and explain the trade-offs; the figures here are indicative and change at renewal.

Get a free quote — a specialist broker calls you back, free and with no obligation.

Or see how UK cover compares and the FCA-authorised broker list.