Understanding health insurance jargon
- Health insurance
- Understanding health insurance
- Comprehensive health insurance
- Couples health insurance
- Compare health insurance
- Bupa health insurance benefits
- Treatment and care health insurance
- Comprehensive
- Treatment and care
- Family health insurance
- Why choose Bupa?
- Health insurance explained
- Health insurance jargon buster
- Leaving your company scheme?
- Health insurance FAQ
- Health cash plans
Health insurance jargon buster
The language used to talk about health insurance can be confusing and difficult to understand. We’ve created a series of helpful videos to help you to make sense out of some of the terms that you’ll commonly read and hear.
To find out more or to get a quote call us on
0808 250 9338^
^We may record or monitor our calls. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 12pm.
When you’re unwell, it’s important that you get the right treatment.
Which is why your GP…
…may refer you to a specialist consultant.
As medical consultants…
…may have different charges for their services,
it’s important that you can choose to access those whose charges are within Bupa agreed limits.
If you don't, you may need to pay the difference yourself.
Bupa has over 16,000 consultants nationwide who agree to work within fee limits, set by Bupa in conjunction with independent medical professionals. We call these fee assured consultants.
Costs are guaranteed to be met full for any consultations and treatments.
In all cases, even when using a Bupa Fee Assured Consultant, you will still need to pay any excess, and any additional fees beyond your outpatient benefit limit that you have agreed within your personal policy.
All Bupa Fee Assured consultants are assessed to the same standard as any other medical practitioner…
…and meet our high standards of are
GP referral
Visiting your GP before seeing a consultant can feel like an inconvenience. But we ask you to do this because they have full access to your complete medical history, so they’ll know what’s best for you. Discover more about why we ask for GP referral with our useful video and learn more about when it’s possible to skip this step.
Understanding pre-existing conditions
Health insurance is designed to cover you for future risks, so any previous conditions you have will not be covered. Watch this video to find out more.
When you take out a health insurance policy with us, we’ll usually exclude cover for any symptoms, conditions, illnesses or injuries you had before you joined
…Your insurance is designed to cover future risk and so any previous conditions are usually not covered.
So, for example, if you injure your leg before taking out your policy and you then need further physio treatment after your policy has begun, this treatment would not be covered.
Or if you have a medical condition, such as a heart problem, before your policy begins, any health issues related to this condition that arise after you take out your policy will not be covered.
In this case you would need to seek treatment from the NHS or alternatively pay for private treatment yourself.
When you join Bupa, you can choose to be underwritten in a number of different ways. Most customers choose full medical underwriting.
In this scenario, we'll ask you to tell us about any previous health issues you've had when you join. It's important you answer these questions honestly or it may delay or invalidate a future claim.
When you make a claim, we may also check with your GP that you haven’t had the condition before.
You’ll be able to see any conditions that are excluded from your cover on your membership certificate. These will be under the section called special conditions
The same process will also apply for any members of your family included on your policy.
New conditions which arise after you take out your policy would most likely be covered. Check your policy documents for details on what you are and arent covered for. Just give us a call before making a claim to check!
You can speak to us at renewal to apply to remove any pre-existing conditions from your policy. It depends on the condition and the length of time you have been symptom, treatment and advice free.
Some conditions, such as pregnancies, cosmetic surgery and the maintenance of chronic conditions aren’t usually covered under your health insurance. Check your membership guide for full details.
Underwriting
Underwriting is the process health insurers use to decide on what terms they’ll accept someone for cover, based on the information a customer provides. Our health insurance has two underwriting options, Full Medical Underwriting and Rolling Moratorium. Take a look at our video to see the options available to you and what they mean.
Still want to learn more?
^ We may record or monitor our calls. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 12.30pm.
Bupa health insurance is provided by Bupa Insurance Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 3956433. Bupa Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Arranged and administered by Bupa Insurance Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales No. 3829851. Registered office: 1 Angel Court, London, EC2R 7HJ.
