How the Freedom Essentials claims process works
If you have a Freedom Essentials health insurance plan and you want to make a claim, follow our guide below.
How to make a Freedom Essentials claim
Making a Freedom Essentials claim is simple and quick.
Contact usStep 1: Visit your General Practitioner (GP)
If you’re feeling unwell, make an appointment to see your GP. They will tell you if you need further diagnostic tests or if you need to see a specialist. You should ask for an open referral letter, which means the letter isn’t addressed to a specialist, as with Freedom Essentials you have the freedom to go to the hospital of your choice.
Step 2: Call the claims helpline
Before undergoing treatment, you must call our claims helpline to find out if the claim will be covered by your policy. If the claim is accepted, a claim number or authorisation code will be issued to you. You must keep in touch throughout the treatment as benefit limits may apply. If you don’t let us know about any future treatment, it may not be covered.
Step 3: Get your treatment approved
Step 3.1: If you need outpatient treatment
If you need outpatient treatment contact our claims helpline for approval. If the claim is approved, we will let you know what to do next.
Step 3.2: If you need inpatient and day-patient treatment
If you need inpatient or day-patient treatment, contact the claims helpline for approval. Once approved, you have three options:
Step 4: Receive the fixed cash benefit
The amount you are paid is based on the national average cost (excluding central London hospitals) of your procedure. If your hospital charges you more, then you are responsible for any shortfall in cost, but if there is any surplus cash after paying for the treatment, this is yours to keep.
We will make every effort to send you the fixed cash benefit in advance of your treatment, but depending on when the treatment will happen, this may not always be possible. In this situation, you will receive the cash benefit as soon as possible. If you decide to use the NHS for your eligible inpatient and day-patient treatment, we will pay the benefit after you have been discharged.
Claims helpline: 01202 283 580* Monday - Friday: 9am - 6pm or email us at [email protected]
FAQs
Do I need to complete a form when I make a Freedom Essentials claim?
Your claim will be processed over the phone, so you don’t need to fill in any claim forms. You just need to give us your medical consent to allow us to get the medical information necessary to assess the claim. This helps us deal with your claim in a timely and proactive manner. We also use mail/email to exchange important documents.
Is there a waiting period before I can make a health insurance claim under Freedom Essentials?
No, there is no waiting period before you can submit a claim. For more information please refer to the Freedom Essentials Policyholder's Guide to Cover.
What does self-pay treatment mean?
When you are a patient under a self-pay contract, you pay for your treatment yourself. With Freedom Essentials you can get a fixed cash benefit that can be used for arranging treatment with the hospital of your choice.
How do I choose where I get treated?
With Freedom Essentials you can choose any hospital in the UK or abroad for your inpatient and day-patient treatment. When choosing a private hospital, we suggest you contact several hospitals, including NHS hospitals which offer private treatment, to get the best value for money. Don’t forget that if the hospital you’ve chosen charges you more than the fixed cash benefit, you are responsible for paying the extra amount. On the other hand, if the bill is smaller, the surplus money is yours to keep.
Will Freedom Essentials cover my treatment abroad?
Freedom Essentials allows you to get your approved inpatient and day-patient treatment anywhere in the world – but only if you are a UK resident. See our Freedom Worldwide health insurance for international health cover.
What happens if I have multiple procedures during the same hospital stay?
If you have more than one procedure during the same hospital stay, we may increase our fixed cash benefit to allow for the extra costs of the additional procedure where it is appropriate to do so. Please call our claims helpline to confirm what procedures will be covered before having the treatment.