What Is Family Health Insurance?

Family health insurance helps you look after your family’s healthcare needs by offering an affordable way to access private medical treatment quickly and offers protection against paying high medical bills. From diagnosis to treatment, you can ensure that yourself, your partner and children are kept happy and healthy should medical attention be required.

How does family health insurance work?

With family health insurance, you can claim for private medical treatment for every member of your family covered by the policy. If your claim is approved, the insurer will arrange for payment of your medical treatment either directly with the hospital/consultant or by repaying you for any incurred costs. Generally, claiming on your family health insurance policy could involve the following steps:

1. Seeing your GP who might refer you to a specialist
2. Starting your claim with the health insurance company
3. Getting your treatment which will be paid partly or fully by the provider

What does family health insurance cover?

Family health insurance usually covers the cost of diagnosis and medical treatment for acute conditions that any of the insured members develop after the start date of your health insurance policy. Acute conditions refer to illnesses or injuries that arise unexpectedly and can be fully treated during a short period of time, bringing the patient to the same state of health as before the acute condition started.

Some common costs that may be covered by a family health insurance plan include, but are not limited to:

• Hospital fees
• Specialist fees
• Diagnostic tests
• Pregnancy complications
• Cancer related costs

How can I get health insurance for my family?

Arranging health insurance for your family is simple and can be done online or over the phone by applying directly with the insurer or through a specialist health insurance broker who can compare several insurance providers and offer personal specialist advice. 

Find out more about how to purchase family private health insurance.

Who can I add to my family health insurance?

Family health insurance can cover you and your immediate family members such as your partner and your children up to a certain age, usually 21 years old, after which they have the option to move to their own health insurance policy. With Freedom Health Insurance, children can remain on a family health insurance up to 25 years old so long as the dependent is on the policy on or before 24 years old.

Can you add a family member to a health insurance policy?

You can usually add new members to your policy such as newborns, older children or a partner at any time, although your premium will most likely increase as a result.

How much does private family health insurance cost?

Your family health insurance cost is calculated based on your personal circumstances as well as other industry factors. Some of the most common things that can influence your family health insurance premium are:

• The number of people covered – adding family members to the cover will usually lead to a premium increase. However, with Freedom Health Insurance, family policies with three or fewer children will only pay for their first child. For our larger families, the maximum charge is capped at four children.
• The age of the insured members – the older the people on the family insurance cover are, the higher the premium usually is as there’s an increased risk of developing medical conditions.
• The level of cover - the more benefits your health insurance plan covers, the higher your premium is.
• The excess level - the health insurance excess is the contribution you must pay towards your treatment cost. The more excess you choose to pay, the cheaper your monthly premium is.
• Your location - some health insurers may charge more if your family lives in an expensive area (like central London), however, Freedom Health Insurance doesn’t charge based on location.
• Your current and pre-existing medical conditions - insurers will usually collect information regarding the health status of yourself and the members of your family included in the cover. It’s worth noting that chronic and pre-existing conditions aren’t usually covered by insurers (although acute conditions arising from these could be).

Find out how much your family’s health insurance policy would cost by getting a quick online quote. To find out more information about family health insurance, its benefits and what you should know before buying, please visit the family health insurance page.

What are the benefits of having family health insurance?

Having private family health insurance can have many benefits, including:

• You won’t have to wait long to be seen by a medical professional - the NHS offers exceptional quality of care for patients, however, there are often long waiting lists for being seen and receiving treatments. With private family health insurance, you can receive the medical treatment you need much faster so you can get on the mend in no time.
• You can usually choose the hospital (and sometimes surgeon) to suit your preference providing there’s availability.
• You can enjoy private hospital rooms - when you’re treated privately, you’ll usually have your own en-suite room with amenities such as a TV and menu options (similar to a hotel room). This can offer you, your partner and children more comfort whilst being treated or recovering.
• You may have access to specialist drugs and treatments which aren’t available on the NHS.
• You can get specialist referrals from your GP to get a second opinion or to receive specialist treatment.
• You’ll have peace of mind knowing that should you wish to access private healthcare for yourself or a family member, you’ll be financially covered, saving you money on private medical bills.

Why not take a look at our blog ‘Is private health insurance worth it?’ to help you understand why private health insurance could be a good option for you and your family.

We hope you now feel more confident about getting a family health insurance plan. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us and a member of our friendly team will be happy to help. You can get a family health insurance quote here.

Disclaimer: The information contained on this page is for general information purposes only and should not be taken as advice or a recommendation. If you require specific health insurance advice you can talk to an independent insurance broker. Click here for a list of health insurance brokers available in your area.