Health insurance, also known as medical insurance is an insurance that pays for all or parts of a person's health care bills.

Health cover is mandatory for most people. Without it - it is difficult to cope with expenses if you fall ill. Like home insurance and auto insurance, health insurance is extremely important to protect against huge medical expenditure when you are ill.

The UK medical insurance sector is largely governed by the public healthcare system with noticeable services from private insurers.

The United Kingdom has a public health system which aims to provide free healthcare for all UK residents: the National Health Service (NHS). Unlike other nations, the public healthcare system in the UK offers comprehensive medical coverage and is mostly free of charge. All regions in the UK have some common medical facilities covered under the National Health Service. These services include:

General practitioners' services to cure illness and to refer for specialised services, free medical treatment at public healthcare centers and clinics in local areas, 24 hours’ medical advisory services on the telephone, ambulance services for emergency situations and dental services at private clinics

However, different regions have varying regulations in relation to prescription drugs and polyclinic tests.

The NHS aims to care for everyone, but as a result its resources are often stretched; you may face long waiting lists if you need an operation, or even an appointment with a specialist. That’s why many people in UK are now choosing to purchase private health insurance, so they gain the reassurance of knowing that treatment is available promptly, if they become ill or are injured.

Private Health insurance

There are many types of Private Medical Insurance Policies, from full cover to limited cover, from the packaged family plan to specialist cover. An individual is required to provide a detailed information sheet and family medical history before buying a policy.

Basic private medical insurance will not cover pre-existing medical conditions and incurable diseases. However, one can buy specialised and custom-made insurance policies, such as cancer insurance.

The scope of health cover and facilities decides the quality of the private medical insurance policy. In most of the cases private health insurance excludes general treatment facilities covered under the National Health Service but as a private patient you can often choose when treatment will take place, the specialist who treats you and the hospital.

Basic private medical insurance in the UK covers:Hospitalisation expenses, pharmaceuticals, preliminary and specialised diagnosis tests, ambulance services and surgery and major operations.

There are other health insurance plans which include: Group Medical Insurance: These medical insurance plans are usually available through an employer or society or union and are written for a number of people under a single master policy.

Individual Medical Insurance: If you do not get your health insurance through your job, you may be able to buy a policy as an individual through Individual Medical Insurance.

Individual Medical Insurance plans provide protection and indemnity on an individual basis. Insurance premiums for individual plans are higher than that for a group policy.

Health insurance offers consumers peace of mind in a world where anything can happen.