If you have a history of medical conditions, you might be wondering whether private medical insurance is still an option. It’s a common concern – and a valid one. Many people worry that previous diagnoses or treatments might limit their access to comprehensive healthcare coverage and wonder can I get health insurance with a pre-existing medical condition?
Any condition that you are currently suffering from or have suffered from in the past is called a pre-existing condition. Although there are some important things to know about how insurers assess applications and what coverage you may be offered. Having a pre-existing condition doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get private medical insurance.
If you’ve experienced health issues in the past, they may not be covered by your health insurance, as policies typically focus on new or unforeseen medical concerns. In this article, we’ll clarify how insurers evaluate applications that involve pre-existing conditions and outline the options that may be available depending on your medical history.
What is a pre-existing medical condition?
Most insurers classify a pre-existing condition as any medical condition for which you’ve had symptoms, advice, diagnosis, or treatment before the start date of your insurance policy.
This could be for any disease, illness, or injury and includes conditions like diabetes or asthma, high blood pressure and one-off symptoms like knee pain. Mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety may be taken into account.
Insurers in the UK each have slightly different definitions, but most will look at your medical history over the last five years. If you’ve had symptoms or tests for something but haven’t been diagnosed yet, this might still count as a pre-existing condition.
How do insurance companies approach pre-existing medical conditions?
Having a pre-existing condition doesn’t automatically disqualify you from getting private medical insurance. However, whether that condition is covered – and how your policy is underwritten – depends on the insurer and the type of underwriting you choose.
Underwriting is an insurance company’s way of deciding whether they can insure you. When you apply for private health insurance, there are typically two underwriting methods used:
Underwriting Options Explained
There are two main types of medical underwriting for private health insurance policies in the UK: Full Medical Underwriting and Moratorium Underwriting. Each offers a different approach to how pre-existing conditions are treated.
Full medical underwriting
With full medical underwriting, you provide detailed information about your medical history upfront to the insurer or insurance broker, who reviews your records and lets you know from the start which conditions are covered and which are excluded. This provides clarity, both for the insurer and for you from the moment that your policy begins.
When you apply, you’ll be asked to complete a detailed questionnaire about your medical history, and in some cases, your insurer may request additional information from your doctor. Some conditions may be permanently excluded from cover, while others could be considered depending on their severity, how well they’re managed, and the level of risk they present.
Choosing full medical underwriting can help speed up the claims process, as your insurer will already have a thorough understanding of your medical history.
Moratorium underwriting
With moratorium underwriting, there’s no need to tell your insurer about any pre-existing conditions when you first apply. Instead, your insurer reviews your medical records when you claim to determine whether the condition is new or pre-existing. They may also speak to your doctor.
With this option, you won’t need to share your medical history when applying. Instead, the insurer will automatically exclude any pre-existing conditions from the past five years. These are typically defined as any illness, injury, or condition for which you’ve experienced symptoms, received treatment, taken medication, undergone tests, or sought medical advice during that time. However, under a moratorium policy, some of these conditions may be reconsidered for cover after a specified period.
From the date your cover begins, if you go for a set period (usually two years) without receiving treatment, advice, medication, or diagnostic tests for the condition, it may then be included.
This can be a suitable route for individuals with historic or resolved conditions, as it allows for the possibility of future cover, depending on how the condition develops over time.
What if you’ve been declined before?
Even if you’ve been refused health insurance in the past, don’t give up. At Anderson Health, our specialist advisors work with a wide panel of UK insurers – many of which have flexible underwriting policies or offer bespoke coverage based on your specific health situation.
We’ll guide you through the process and help you compare options to make an informed choice that fits your needs and budget.
Finding the right support to get health insurance with a pre-existing medical condition?
Navigating health insurance with a medical history can feel daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. At Anderson Health, we take the time to understand your circumstances and guide you through your options with clarity and transparency. We work with individuals across a wide range of circumstances – ensuring that even those with complex or ongoing conditions receive clear guidance and, where possible, tailored cover.
Whether you’re seeking individual cover, considering switching providers or looking for family protection, our team will help you find the right policy that balances your needs with the realities of your medical history.
If you’d like to speak confidentially about your options, get in touch with Anderson Health today.
Anderson Health are independent Private Medical Insurance advisors based in the city of London with customers both in the UK and throughout the rest of the world.
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