Health insurance,
translated into English.

What you pay for the policy - monthly or annually. Not to be confused with a "premium" hospital room, though we understand the confusion.

The chunk you pay towards a claim before your insurer picks up the rest. A higher excess usually means a lower premium - it's a trade-off, not a trick.

The process your insurer uses to assess your health when you apply, which then determines what's covered and what's excluded.

No health questionnaire at application. Instead, your insurer automatically excludes anything you've had symptoms, treatment or advice for in the 5 years before your policy started. Stay symptom-free on that condition for 2 continuous years once you're covered, and it can usually be added back in.

You disclose your full health history upfront, and your insurer confirms in writing exactly what's excluded. More effort at the start, more certainty afterwards.

When you switch insurer, your new provider carries over the same personal exclusions from your old policy -rather than starting the clock again from scratch.

Any illness or injury you had before your policy started. Usually excluded, subject to your underwriting type.

A long-term condition that's managed rather than cured - such as diabetes or asthma. PMI is built for new, treatable problems, so ongoing management of chronic conditions generally sits outside standard cover.

A short-term condition that responds well to treatment and is expected to resolve - a broken bone, a hernia, a new diagnosis. This is what private medical insurance is designed for.

A discount that builds the longer you go without claiming, and can reduce again if you do. Some benefits — like the NHS Cash Benefit below - are specifically designed not to touch it.

Your local doctor. Private medical insurance rarely covers routine GP visits - it's designed to speed up what happens after the GP, not replace them.

When your GP (or in some cases a digital GP) refers you on to a specialist -  usually required before your insurer will pay out. Some policies offer "open referral", where you're offered a choice of specialists rather than one named individual.

A specialist doctor - a cardiologist, an orthopaedic surgeon, and so on - who diagnoses and treats you once you've been referred.

A consultant who has agreed to charge within your insurer's set limits, so there's no surprise bill on top of what your policy covers.

Treatment that doesn't involve an overnight stay -  consultant appointments, scans, most diagnostics.

You're admitted for treatment, such as minor surgery, but home again the same day - no bed needed overnight.

Treatment that requires at least one overnight stay in hospital.

Scans, blood tests, and other investigations used to work out what's actually wrong - MRIs, X-rays, and the like.

Non-surgical treatment such as physiotherapy or counselling, often available as an add-on rather than core cover.

A phone or video appointment with a GP, usually within 24–48 hours. Handy for a quick opinion or a referral - not a substitute for ongoing care from your usual practice.

The group of private hospitals your policy covers. A "comprehensive" list gives you the widest choice; a "restricted" list narrows it down (usually in exchange for a lower premium).

The person who owns the policy - usually the one who signed up and pays the premium.

A family member added to the policy — a partner or child, for example.

The baseline treatments included in every policy at that level - surgery and hospital stays, broadly speaking.

Extra cover you choose to bolt on top of core cover — dental or mental health support, for instance.

Something your policy specifically doesn't cover - a named condition, or a category like cosmetic surgery.

Getting your insurer's sign-off before treatment goes ahead, to confirm it's covered. Skip this step and you risk footing the bill yourself.

The maximum your insurer will pay out for a particular treatment, or in total over the year.

A set amount of time after your policy starts before you can claim for certain treatments.

The date your policy comes up for review each year - worth checking terms haven't quietly shifted, rather than letting it roll over unread.

A cash payment some policies offer if you choose NHS treatment over claiming privately for something your policy would have covered. It won't usually affect your no claims discount.

Moving from one insurer to another without a break in cover, so your existing waiting periods and underwriting history carry across rather than resetting to zero.