Medical insurance
can help you organise and pay for the
cost of treatment if you get ill. There
are two main types:
Private
medical insurance This covers the cost of private
medical treatment for curable short-term
illness or injury. It usually pays
for hospital charges, which means
things like consultants’ fees,
theatre fees and nursing, and it should
also cover the cost of your stay in
a private room. Private medical insurance
does not tend to cover long-term illnesses
or any medical conditions that have
already been diagnosed at the time
you take out your insurance. Policies
also tend to exclude treatment of
conditions such as alcoholism, HIV/AIDS,
pregnancy or cosmetic surgery.
Cash
plan
This is a way of helping you spread
the cost of paying for a year’s
worth of visits to the dentist, optician,
physiotherapist or hospital. You pay
a monthly subscription, which entitles
you to a fixed amount of treatment.
The
table below shows some examples of what
may or may not be covered by your medical
insurance policy. You should ensure
that any policy you are considering
covers the things that you want covered.
