Joint health insurance

Couples' health insurance, also known as joint health insurance, is designed to cover you and your partner under one policy. The idea behind health insurance is to give you an alternative to the NHS when you need medical attention.

Say you develop a serious back problem and your GP refers you to hospital, but you can’t be seen for at least a couple of weeks. If you have health insurance, you can call your provider to see if you can get a private appointment more quickly.

They may also have access to more specialised medical experts or treatments.

With joint health insurance, the policy covers both you and your spouse or partner. You can also opt for family health insurance and add your children to the policy.

As with other types of insurance, you pay a monthly premium. Then, if you or your partner needs private medical treatment for something covered by your policy, you can make a claim.

Couples' health insurance may be cheaper than taking out individual policies, but cost will vary depending on the coverage you take out.

As with car and home insurance, you pay an agreed excess when you make a claim. This is your contribution to the cost of treatment.

Depending on the policy and level of cover you choose, couples' health insurance could offer the following benefits:

• Access to healthcare at a range of private hospitals and treatment facilities

• Access to wellbeing services including mental health support

• Access to complete cancer care – from diagnosis to aftercare

• Quicker access to healthcare, rather than waiting for an NHS appointment

• Round-the-clock support

• Direct access to care without the need for a GP referral

• Some plans also include dental care

• One policy means less admin and one point of contact, which can simplify things

• A joint policy can often work out cheaper than two separate policies.

Private medical insurance for couples should cover the cost of ‘acute conditions’ that develop after the policy starts.

That means unexpected illnesses or conditions such as:

• Broken bones

• Hernias

• Appendix surgery

• Cataracts.

Most policies should also cover:

• Treatment in a private hospital

• Private consultations

• Diagnostic tests such as X-rays, MRI and CT scans

• Surgery

• Accommodation and nursing care

• Certain cancer drugs that may not be available on the NHS.

You may also be able to add extras to your policy, such as:

• Outpatient care

• Mental health treatments

• Complementary therapies

• Physiotherapy and chiropody

• Eye care

• Dental care.

What isn’t covered by joint health insurance?

A joint health insurance policy doesn’t cover you and your partner for every medical condition and procedure. You should always check the policy terms and conditions for exclusions. For example, medical insurance for couples might not cover:

• Pre-existing conditions

• Chronic conditions, such as diabetes or arthritis

• Outpatient treatment

• Normal pregnancy and childbirth costs

• Injuries associated with dangerous sports

• Cosmetic surgery

• Organ transplants

• Diagnostic tests.

However, if you do have a pre-existing condition, it’s worth noting that some policies will insure you as long as you’ve had no symptoms for five years. These policies are known as moratorium underwriting policies.

It can sometimes be cheaper to get joint health insurance, although this isn’t guaranteed. It’s a good idea to compare joint health insurance quotes with each other and with single policies to see what the options will cost you.

One benefit of health insurance for couples is there’s likely to be less admin than there would be with two separate policies. On the other hand, it may be harder to tailor a joint health insurance policy if you both have different needs.

If you’d like advice on the right type of policy for you, call our expert partner Howden Life & Health on 0808 141 1334.

Or you can compare health insurance quotes now to see your options.

There’s no average cost for joint health insurance. The price can depend on your age, lifestyle and what you’d like the policy to cover. Most will cover essential treatments. But you might prefer a full range of specialist therapies and complementary medicines to be available.

When you compare joint health insurance quotes, you can look at the different options. You’ll be able to compare basic cover, through to mid-range and comprehensive policies.

There are some ways you may be able to reduce the cost of a joint health insurance policy:

1. Take steps to be healthy. If you exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet, you might be able to get a cheaper policy. Some providers offer discounts if you can show that you take steps to be healthy.

2. Opt for a higher excess. Choosing a higher voluntary excess could help lower your monthly payments. But you’ll need to make sure you can afford to pay the excess should you make a claim.

3. Exclude certain hospitals. If you restrict the type of hospital where you can get treatment, you could get a discount. For example, you could choose to exclude the more expensive London hospitals.

4. Choose a cash plan. Another, often cheaper, type of medical insurance is a health cash plan. This could pay you a cash sum when you visit a medical professional, such as your optician or dentist. Just check the terms and conditions before you buy to confirm when you’ll receive the payment.

It’s easy – just get a quote with us. We’ll ask you a few questions, then provide you with a list of joint health insurance quotes. We’ll give you plenty of details about what they offer and the features they include. All you have to do is choose one that’s right for you and your partner.

To get a quote, you’ll need to answer some questions about yourself and your partner, including:

• Your age

• Your work

• Whether you smoke or have smoked in the past 12 months (including nicotine replacement products)

• Any pre-existing conditions

• Level of cover

• Maximum excess you want to pay.

Once we have the information we need, we’ll show you a list of joint health insurance quotes to compare.