Having a family health insurance policy in the UK may offer many benefits for you and your loved ones. With a dedicated family health insurance policy, you’ll have access to private healthcare treatments, related services such as GP visits and members' benefits offered by providers.
A family health insurance policy differs from other policy types, such as personal or corporate policies, as it’s intended to intended to cover immediate family members on a single policy including small children or babies cover. We’ve listed 14 benefits and reasons why you may want to consider this policy to cover your family for private healthcare services.
1. Family access to private healthcare
With a family health insurance policy, all family members named on the policy can access the services and treatments covered under your policy terms. This means that if any insured family member requires medical services, they’ll have access to the same private services as everyone else who’s listed on the policy.
2. Short waiting times for your loved ones
Having private health insurance may offer speedy access to GP telemedicine services and thereafter quick access to receiving treatments following a diagnosis. As of December, 2022, there are 7.20 million individuals on NHS waiting lists for consultant-led elective care (source). If you or a family member requires urgent attention, having a private health insurance policy in place may help them receive medical assistance quickly.
3. Access a wide range of treatments and drugs
Having a private health insurance policy may mean you have access to a wide range of treatments and drugs These may be new and innovative drugs and treatments, such as those for cancer.
4. Access a greater choice of healthcare facilities
Your family health insurance policy will have a list of hospitals and healthcare facilities included in your cover. The locations you have access to may offer you a great range of choice over where you’re treated,. Your policy may also include the option to expand the list of health facilities you have access to for an increased cost.
5. International coverage
If your family frequently travels, or you’d benefit from additional medical cover when you go on holiday, you may be able to include international coverage within your policy terms. Please note that this option may not always be available, so if it’s a necessity for you, make your health insurance broker aware so that they can focus their comparison process around this cover.
6. Peace of mind
Having fast access to private health services may provide you and your family with peace of mind. The sudden onset or diagnosis of a medical condition may cause stress and anxiety amongst your family members, but knowing that you have a policy in place to support you through the next steps may help to alleviate some of these feelings.
7. Financial protection in the event of a medical problem
If you experience a medical problem that requires urgent care and you’re unable to access medical services immediately, you may need to consider paying for private health diagnosis and treatment. Without having a family health insurance in place to protect this, this may be a more expensive option compared to paying a health insurance premium.
8. Comprehensive cover options
Health insurance providers often sell policies of varying levels, ranging from basic to comprehensive cover. For the greatest level of coverage, a comprehensive family insurance policy can offer you and your loved ones access to hospital stays, private treatments, additional drugs, diagnostic tests, virtual health services, issue private prescriptions (prescription costs not covered) and more. Having this option may help you to provide the widest range of cover for your family.
9. Flexible plans
Many family health insurance policies allow you to customise your coverage around specific wants and needs that are personal to you. For example, if you want to increase the level of cancer cover included, or virtual health services would benefit you, you may have the option to adapt a policy to include these options. When speaking to a health insurance broker, let them know if there are any elements of health insurance that are more important to you than others, and they’ll aim to tailor your policy for you.
10. Access personalised care
Family health insurance may offer a more personalised experience when accessing medical treatments. An example of this may be the opportunity to choose who your doctor or specialist is, or which facilities you’re treated at.
11. The private patient experience
Private medical providers may offer state of the art equipment and facilities that improve your experience while accessing their services. Whether this is having your own room during treatment, or offering areas for your family to stay during your visit, the private experience of healthcare may help alleviate some of the stressors that are inherent to visiting medical facilities.
12. Members benefits
Many health insurance providers offer benefits to their policyholders on top of their policy coverage. These range from health apps to discounts on memberships, experiences and more. Under a family policy, all members would have access to the benefits of your chosen provider.
13. Manage a single health insurance policy
Families considering health insurance have the option of purchasing multiple policies for each individual, or choosing a family policy that covers all members under the same terms. Having a single policy for all members may make it easier to manage the monthly payments and understand what is and isn’t covered for everyone.
14. Access virtual healthcare services
Virtual healthcare, or telemedicine, are medical services that you access remotely. Some examples include virtual GP appointments, phone services with health staff, such as nurses, and health and wellbeing apps. Some policies will include this as standard, while others you may have the option to include for an additional fee. Virtual services may offer a more convenient way for you to access some healthcare services that would otherwise require in-person appointments.
Where can you purchase family health insurance from?
If the benefits we’ve listed alongside your own personal reasons have resulted in you wanting to take the next steps, we can help you compare the policies available on the UK market.
This is free service and you’re under no obligation to purchase after receiving your quote. We’ll work with you to understand your needs and aim to find you the most comprehensive policy at the most competitive price for you. We’re independent from health insurance providers, and we have access to a wide range of family health insurance policies that we can compare on your behalf. To get started, complete our form below and one of our brokers will be in touch.
