Founder and Editor
In this article, we explain what full medical underwriting is and why you might opt for it instead of moratorium underwriting.
Chris is our resident private health insurance and healthcare expert. He has over a decade of experience writing about private medical insurance and treatment. He's Chartered Insurance Institute qualified and is regularly quoted by the national press.
Underwriting with respect to private health insurance, is the process insurers take to assess the risk and coverage of a policy. When it comes to private medical insurance, there are two main types of underwriting, moratorium and full medical underwriting.
With Full Medical Underwriting, you disclose your entire medical history from the outset and your insurer will take your historical health into account when offering you policy terms.
Yes, if you opt for full medical underwriting then you’ll need to complete a health questionnaire to buy private medical insurance. You will be provided with a health declaration form which will ask you a set of questions about your health and previous medical conditions.
Depending on what comes up on the health declaration, the insurer may ask for more information from your GP or for evidence of your medical history.
The benefits of full medical underwriting include:
There are some disadvantages of full medical underwriting, such as:
If you're looking for a health insurance policy then we'd recommend you read our article "Best health insurance UK" or get in touch for a free quote.
Disclaimer: This information is general and what is best for you will depend on your personal circumstances. Please speak with a financial adviser or do your own research before making a decision.
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