What is family health insurance?

Family health insurance provides private medical treatment for you and your family when you need it most. Family health cover offers peace of mind that you and your loved ones will receive a diagnosis and the right care without the need to wait for NHS treatment, which can sometimes take a long time.

Family health insurance is a type of private medical insurance (PMI) that covers you and your family members in the case of illness or injury. By paying a monthly premium, you can bypass lengthy NHS waiting lists to see a specialist and receive private treatment to help you on the road to recovery. Depending on the family health cover you opt for, you might be able to choose the hospital you are treated at, as well as plan appointments around busy family life.

Family health insurance covers all named members of your family. Children are usually covered until they reach 18, with some plans offering insurance beyond this age as long as the child is in full time education. Depending on the family health cover you opt for, it’s also like you will be able to choose the hospital you are treated at, as well as plan appointments around family life accordingly.

How does family health insurance work?

If you or a member of your family feel unwell or have an accident, the first step is to visit your GP as normal. You will then be referred under your health insurance for any tests required, before diagnosis and treatment.

You can choose the level of cover required at a price that's affordable for your family budget. As with many health insurance policies, your premium is likely to be cheaper if you and your partner don't smoke and take regular exercise, while opting for a higher excess - the amount you will have to pay towards a claim - can also keep costs lower.

What does family health insurance cover?

Health insurance for family typically covers the cost of treatment for acute conditions that occur after your policy has begun.

Comprehensive policies can be more costly but will offer you cover and peace of mind for a greater range of conditions and treatments. They may also provide cover for mental health conditions and other holistic treatments too. Depending on the policy you choose and your individual circumstances, it is also possible to get cover for sports injuries and more.

In addition, your policy may include:

• hospital accommodation for a parent when a child has to stay overnight
• a private ambulance
• home nursing
• dedicated medical helplines
• access to virtual GPs - even when your family is abroad.

What are the benefits of family health insurance?

There are a great many benefits to taking out private family health insurance, not least in having peace of mind that you will have access the services you and your loved ones need, as soon as you need them. Health insurance for family typically includes treatment for acute medical conditions, diagnostic tests and consultations, while some policies can also give access to drugs and treatment not available on the NHS.

A wide range of plans offer out-patient as well as in-patient treatment and, if you do have to stay overnight, you will often get the option to recover in your own private room instead of on an open ward. Many family health insurance policies also provide cover to ensure a parent can stay at the hospital overnight where a child is admitted, and is recompensed for this too.

What should I ask about my family health insurance?

As with any type of insurance policy, it's important to know exactly what you're taking out and to understand what is and isn't covered. You can tailor the policy so that it meets your family's specific requirements.

Most policies cover diagnostic tests and access to specialist consultants, as well as in-patient hospital care, but if you want to ensure cover for out-patient treatment, you will need to look for a more comprehensive plan. Similarly, if, for example, cancer cover is a priority for your family, you will need a policy with specific radiotherapy and chemotherapy cover.

You may read about health cash plans. These provide cash sums for routine health care such as dental and chiropodist appointments and can be a useful way of managing your family budget, but they are very different to health insurance and should not be treated as such.

How do I buy family health insurance?

As with any type of insurance policy, it's important to know exactly what you're taking out and to understand what is and isn't covered. You can tailor the policy so that it meets your family's specific requirements.

Comparing your family health insurance options with ActiveQuote is a really straightforward process. You will be asked a few simple questions including your name and address, your date of birth, whether or not you smoke and your monthly health insurance budget. Then we take it from there.

Why compare family health insurance with ActiveQuote.com?

As one of the leading health insurance comparison services in the UK, we understand how important your family's health is to you. We work with a range of trusted partners to offer families the best cover at the right price. You can find out more about our partners in our guide to health insurance.

Our policies are easy to understand and can usually be bought online, while our highly trained customer service advisors are on hand to answer all your questions and provide that extra peace of mind your family deserves for those less familiar with the options available to them.

We’re also rated by customers as the number one health insurance broker in the UK, so you can rest assured you’re in safe hands.

With ActiveQuote you can:

• View more than 50 quotes online
• Compare the UK’s leading insurers
• Tailor your quotes online with live price updates
• Buy your chosen health insurance online
• Get free advice from a health insurance specialist