Healthcare & Wellbeing for Individuals

Private Medical Insurance | Health Cash Plans | Health Screenings

Healthcare & Wellbeing solutions built around you

Our aim is to make health insurance easy to understand and simple. As independent and impartial experts, we can provide advice based on your personal circumstance and find a tailored solution to fit your needs.

Whether you are looking for individual, couples or family health insurance, our dedicated team can help build the right plan for you.

Your health and wellbeing is a top priority. In an era when waiting times for GPs and hospital appointments are getting longer, accessing quality medical treatment and advice with the minimum of delay has never been more important.

We're here to help

Let's talk...

020 3327 5700

We'll put you in touch with the person best equipped to help.

Do you have an existing policy with Howden?

Got a question or query? Give us a few details in the box below and we'll get back to you.

Our Website Terms and Conditions and Privacy Notice includes information on the scope of our service and how we will handle your data.

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What to do if you are experiencing financial difficulties

We recognise that the current economic conditions are putting pressure on many households and businesses. At Howden, we are committed to finding ways to assist our customers who may require additional support during these times.

If you’re currently facing financial difficulty, please speak to us about your insurance policies by:-

-contacting your Howden Service Team; 
-calling Howden on 020 7623 3806;
-using the Enquiry form.

Private Medical Insurance (PMI)
Advising clients on private healthcare is at the heart of what we do; helping you and your family benefit from quick access to leading UK medical care and hospitals.

Popular reasons why people chose PMI:

Reduced waiting times
According to NHS England. an estimated 7.6 million people were waiting to start routine hospital treatment at the end of June – up from 7.5 million in May – the highest figure since records began in August 2007. A total of 383,083 people in England had been waiting more than 52 weeks to start hospital treatment and the number estimated to have been waiting more than 18 months was 7,177. 

Private Medical Insurance is designed to provide valuable support by complementing the services offered by the NHS. It can often provide individuals with an alternative route to more immediate access and choice to diagnosis and treatment than might otherwise be available through the NHS, particularly where elective care for non-urgent treatment is being sought.

Access to virtual GPs
All insurers we work with offer a 24 hour virtual service, providing an initial assessment in the comfort of your own home.

Faster track services
Some insurers provide faster track services for some conditions such as mental health, cancer and physiotherapy, to help you access treatment more quickly.

Convenience and peace of mind
Being able to plan your treatment to suit your busy life and commitments is important.

Greater choice
Choosing the hospital and treating consultant from a list of specialists – select the one you feel most comfortable with.

Control over your treatment
In the private sector your consultant will often be able to prescribe the latest drugs without worrying about NHS funding. Treatment not available through the NHS may be funded privately as can getting a second opinion.

Privacy and quality care
In the private sector not only can you choose your hospital but many policies offer you the choice of a private room with ensuite facilities and far more freedom on visiting hours than is possible in the NHS.

Specialist mental health services
Many Private Medical Insurance policies can provide help and support quickly and discreetly.

At a glance, some features and benefits of PMI include:

  • Unrestricted visiting hours
  • Request a second or specialist opinion
  • Choice over which hospital you visit
  • Choice of your treating consultant
  • Increased medical resources
  • Cover for serious illnesses, such as cancer
  • Quicker access to physiotherapy
  • Treatment in clean, modern facilities, with advanced technology

How we help you

We appreciate one size does not fit all.

There are many policy options to choose from and our expert advisers will take time to help you understand the key differences and details of the various policies on offer.

We discuss and agree your requirements up front before presenting a range of options, outlining the pros and cons of each.

Our advisers will:

✔ Provide independent advice – we can offer impartial advice on any aspect of your policy. This includes how to design your policy, benefits required and the level of hospital cover needed.

✔ Undertake a fair analysis of the market – we can save you time by approaching the market to obtain terms on your behalf.

✔ Deliver value for money – we look first to find providers that offer the most appropriate cover for your needs, and from those providers we then negotiate the best rates on your behalf. Finally, we work with your chosen provider to set up a healthcare policy as quickly as possible.

✔ Provide specialist support with your claims – although insurers are ultimately responsible for evaluating and meeting claims, we’ll be on hand throughout the claims process if you need us to help you obtain the best possible outcome with your insurer.

Our commitment doesn’t stop there. If there are any worries, questions or concerns that you might have, then our experts are only a phone call away.

Other Healthcare benefits we can offer you:

Health Cash Plans
Health cash plans differ from medical insurance because they are designed to reduce your out-of pocket everyday health expenses.

With the Howden Health Cash Plan, you get back 100% of the cost of routine healthcare appointments, such as osteopathy, physiotherapy and diagnostic consultations, up to a predefined limit.

This kind of policy provides a cost effective way to help you stay healthy.

Health Screenings
Not all insurance is reactive, sometimes products can help prevent problems in the future – and health screenings are a good example.

These provide you with vital early medical detection of potential health issues. So, if something doesn’t feel quite right, there’s no excuse not to get it checked out straight away.

We can recommend solutions that range from the basic lifestyle assessments all the way through to profiling and in-depth medical examinations. We can even arrange health screens in the comfort of your own home.

Travel Insurance
Plans provide protection for medical expenses outside the UK should those insured ever need medical treatment, plus personal liability cover if you’re in an accident involving other people.

Policies can also cover travel delays and cancellations as well as theft or loss of personal items such as luggage. Travel insurance can be arranged for single trips, family holidays or annual cover – and can be tailored to suit your needs.

Pre-existing medical conditions – even really serious ones can be included, as can higher-risk activities and sports.

Notice to *travel insurance customers with pre-existing medical conditions (PEMCs) (this also applies to travel insurance that may be included within an individual private medical insurance policy) The Money and Pension Service has developed a Directory of specialist travel insurance providers that are willing and able to cover customers with more serious PEMCs. If we cannot provide you with a quote, or you would like an alternative quote, you may contact them for details by visiting their website at https://traveldirectory.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en, or by calling them on 0800 138 7777.

Frequently asked questions

We can help you by providing a second opinion of your current policy to determine if it is still meeting your needs and is still competitive. Once we’ve established what your requirements are for the forthcoming year, we’ll undertake a fair analysis of the market and obtain a range of quotes from alternative providers before providing you with our independent assessment and recommendation.  And if we think you should stay where you are, we can even negotiate with your current insurer on your behalf to improve terms and/or cost for you. We provide this service at each renewal to ensure you have the most appropriate cover and at very competitive market rates.

Pre-existing conditions are generally excluded from cover, however, there are a number of different types of underwriting available, some of which may cover pre-existing conditions after a certain period of time, generally 2 years. Some conditions can be complex by nature and we can provide further advice on which underwriting approach is best for your situation.

Most insurers now offer “modular” products meaning you can purchase a policy to meet your needs and suit your budget. Additional factors that impact on cost are age and location.

Please get in touch, we have a team of experienced advisers who will be delighted to provide you with advice and support in managing your PMI.

We don’t charge you for our advice or broking services, which is provided without obligation. If you ask us to set up a new policy (or to manage your existing policy), the insurer will usually pay commission, which is a percentage of the premium you pay and is allowed for as a fixed administration cost within the insurer’s premium. This means that whether you choose to buy your policy through us, or from the insurer direct, the premium you pay will be exactly the same.

Our advice is completely independent and we make no charge to you for our service, we have access to a wide range of insurers and products within the healthcare market including some exclusive arrangements.

Your premium is paid by you direct to the insurer. There are many different ways to choose to pay but the most common ways is by direct debit either monthly or annually. Other options like BACS, credit card or cheque payments are available but it will depend entirely on the provider you’re insured with.

Some insurers have a maximum joining age, which can be anywhere between 65 and 80, but others have no age limit at all.

To ensure your claim is eligible we always recommend you follow the claims process set out in your providers terms and conditions. Some insurers offer fast track services for certain conditions, but generally a referral from your GP would be the most appropriate place to start. You should not incur any costs for treatment, consultancy or other services that may be covered under your policy until your insurer has provided you with its formal authorisation reference. If you need any assistance or are unclear regarding authorisation please call us for assistance.

We have access to the majority of the major insurers including: AXA Healthcare, Bupa, Aviva, Vitality, Freedom, The Exeter and WPA.

The insurers we approach on your behalf may vary, depending on your needs and personal circumstances. To help ensure you get the right service and support when you need it most, we only offer providers that meet our high standards of customer care and financial strength.

Get in touch

Let's talk...

020 3327 5700

We'll put you in touch with the person best equipped to help.

Do you have an existing policy with Howden?

Got a question or query? Give us a few details in the box below and we'll get back to you.

Our Website Terms and Conditions and Privacy Notice includes information on the scope of our service and how we will handle your data.

CAPTCHA
3 + 6 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

What to do if you are experiencing financial difficulties

We recognise that the current economic conditions are putting pressure on many households and businesses. At Howden, we are committed to finding ways to assist our customers who may require additional support during these times.

If you’re currently facing financial difficulty, please speak to us about your insurance policies by:-

-contacting your Howden Service Team; 
-calling Howden on 020 7623 3806;
-using the Enquiry form.

Richard Gould - Howden Employee Benefits

Richard Gould - Director of Consumer Healthcare

Richard is an experienced senior executive with over 20 years’ experience in both the insurance and health services sectors. As well as leading our Small Business Solutions and Consumer Healthcare teams, Richard has been integral in setting up our distribution channels, leading our business partnership relations for the last 15 years.

EB statement - Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing is part of the Howden Group. Registered in England and Wales under company number 2248238, with its registered office at One Creechurch Place, London EC3A 5AF. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.