What is Health Insurance?

By paying a set monthly fee, health insurance policies help fund the treatment and care of many different health problems.  This can give peace of mind and the assurance that if anything goes wrong, you and/or your family have a safety net. 

As a general rule, pre-existing conditions are not included in any health insurance policy.  Thus, any eye related problems, which exist prior to policy commencement, are not covered.  However, insurers can use a ‘Moratorium’ for pre-existing conditions, see the section on Disclosing Personal Information.   General Practitioner services are generally not included and cover for long-term illnesses that cannot be cured (chronic conditions) and accident and emergency admission, are not usually covered.  Health insurance in the UK is designed to cover the costs of private treatment, essentially for acute conditions.  Most insurers in the UK also include illness or injury that is likely to respond quickly to treatment.  The aim of medical health insurance is to return you to your normal state of health, quickly, efficiently and conveniently. 

Many eye procedures/treatments are not included in insurance plans and this is common across all UK health insurance providers and their individual policies.  Cosmetic based surgeries such as blepharoplasty and laser eye surgery, are generally not included.  Visit the Eyes & Vision page, to read about health insurance cover specifically for eyes and vision. 

If you have health insurance, before going ahead with any private treatment, contact your insurance company to check if you are covered for the treatment or part of the treatment.  Your GP/specialist maybe required to complete an insurance claim form for you.  A fee may be charged for this service. 

Invoices for treatment/procedures that are is covered, maybe settled directly by the insurance company or the bill may be sent to you, and you will be required to pass this on to your insurance company.

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