“He, who has health, has hope. And he, who has hope, has everything.”
But alas, most of us realize the importance of our health only when we lose it, or on the verge of losing it. It should be remembered that ‘The first wealth is health’. In today’s world things like stressful lifestyle, environment, epidemics et al pose a serious threat to your most precious thing, i.e. your health.

Keeping in mind the importance of health and the seemingly hike of medical treatment, health insurance has become the call of the hour. Health insurance is a type of insurance which covers the medical costs of the insured if the insured becomes sick due to covered causes, or due to accidents. The insurer may be a either a private organization or a government agency. Like any other type of insurance, you don’t need a health insurance policy until we encounter threats to your health. It’s true that health insurance doesn’t do any good to you unless you face any emergency and need medical assistance. However, if you believe that health is too precious an asset to bet on…………..then you must consider health insurance cover.

Health insurance cover varies greatly between policies and with so many alternatives; it becomes difficult for you to single out the right policy.

The first step towards securing the right health insurance cover is by analyzing and assessing the need, such as, whether you want a policy exclusively for you or for your family. You might also like to opt for a policy which covers both you and your family.

In the next step, you must clarify your doubts about Permanent Health Insurance and Private Medical Insurance (PMI). Permanent Health Insurance should not to be confused with Private Medical Insurance (PMI) - they are entirely different.

Permanent Health Insurance pays an income for as long as the policyholder is unable to work as a result of accident or illness. This is also termed as Long Term Disability Insurance. In contrast, PMI is intended to cover the costs of private medical treatment for curable, short-term medical conditions.

So, before applying for a health insurance make sure you understand what your policy does and does not cover. The best way to understand the health insurance policy is by shopping around and educating yourself with all the jargons used in health insurance cover. This will also help you in deciding which type of health insurance policy will suit your needs.

Let’s make a check list in order to ensure the right health insurance policy for you:

• Find out the maximum level offered by your cover and the hospital choice options.
• Find out whether the cover includes both treatment and operation (if needed) or not.
• Find out what are the exclusions in your policy? Generally some of the things are not covered, such as, treatment for alcohol and drug abuse, dental treatment, GP services, HIV/AIDS related illnesses, infertility treatment, normal pregnancy, cosmetic surgery (to solely enhance appearance), routine tests etc.

Once you are through with your checklist and know what you want, you need to shift your attention in finding out the right health insurance providers. UK market is flooded with a wide range of health insurance providers. So, as with any other major purchase, here also you need to shop around and do your homework before applying for the right health insurance cover. Each health insurance cover is different in its own essence. So, it is advisable for you to do proper research in order to find out the right health insurance cover.

Have an insurance query? Cannot find an answer? Visit the online insurance community and get all your queries solved.

Special Note: Your health is one of the most priced possessions. Protect it with the best health insurance cover. It deserves special attention and extra care.

Health Insurance Get a free online quote. Right to Health can provide a comprehensive search of the marketplace, and provide unbiased advice based on our search results.
Private hospitals Ramsay Health Care UK is a leading provider of independent hospital services in the UK. These hospitals provide a wide range of specialised clinical treatments from cosmetic surgery and hip/knee surgery, to cataract surgery and hernia repair.