How do I know what hospitals are included?
You should check with your insurance provider, research it online or speak with a broker to see which hospitals are covered under a specific policy. If you have a private health insurance policy, you often can choose from a list of private hospitals or private wings in NHS hospitals.
It's important to note that private health insurance policies in the UK do not cover the cost of all medical treatments and procedures, so it's important to check the policy details carefully to see what is covered and what is not. In general, private health insurance policies in the UK are designed to complement the NHS, rather than replace it, and are intended to provide access to faster treatment, more choice and greater comfort for those who choose to use private health care.
What's a guided list?
With a guided list, you opt to have your private medical insurer choose your hospital and medical specialists, often for a reduction in your premiums. While beneficial from a cost and ease of use perspective, it will limit you, and you won't have the freedom to choose who performs your treatment.
All of the UK's leading health insurers allow you to select an "unrestricted consultant list", which will give you the freedom to choose which medical specialist performs your treatment. However, please note that you will still have some restrictions regarding the hospitals you can use.
Broadly speaking, Axa Health, WPA and Freedom have the least restrictions on their standard hospital lists.
Read our detailed article about guided lists and health insurance in the UK.
As the founder and editor of myTribe Insurance, the role of Chris Steele is to ensure that the information we provide is of the highest quality and value to those who read it.
