Glossary
Acute condition
A disease, illness or injury that is likely to respond quickly to treatment which aims to return you to the state of health you were in immediately before suffering the disease, illness, or injury, or which leads to your full recovery.
Acupuncturist
An acupuncturist is a skilled health care professional who applies the theories of traditional Chinese medicine in the form of acupuncture. They are members of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC).
Bisphosphonates
Any of a group of drugs used to limit the loss of bone density in conditions such as osteoporosis and bone cancer.
Cancer
A malignant tumour, tissues or cells characterised by the uncontrolled growth and spread of malignant cells and invasion of tissue.
Care Quality Commission
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.
Chronic condition
A disease, illness or injury which has one or more of the following characteristics:
- it needs ongoing or long-term monitoring through consultations, examinations, check-ups and/or tests
- it needs ongoing or long-term control or relief of symptoms
- it requires your rehabilitation or for you to be specially trained to cope with it
- it continues indefinitely
- it has no known cure
- it comes back or is likely to come back
Consultant
A registered medical or dental practitioner.
Continued personal medical exclusions
Continued personal medical exclusions (CPME) is a form of underwriting that will transfer you from your previous insurer rather than being re-underwritten. Any existing exclusions will transfer with the policy and new exclusions may be applied based on recent medical history.
Coronavirus
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
COVID-19
COVID-19 is a new strain of coronavirus that had not been previously identified in humans prior to December 2019.
CT scan
Also known as a CAT scan, computerised tomography (CT) uses several X-ray images and computer processing to create cross sectional images.
Day-patient
A patient who is admitted to a hospital or day-patient unit because they need a period of medically supervised recovery but does not occupy a bed overnight.
Dental injury treatment
Dental treatment required as a direct result of injury caused by an external impact.
Dependent
Your partner and any child for whom you or your partner hold responsibility and who is named on your membership certificate. Your partner can be your husband or wife, civil partner, or the person you live with in a relationship like that of a marriage or civil partnership.
Diagnostic tests
Diagnostic tests are a series of investigations such as MRI, CT, camera-based investigations, blood tests and X-rays used to determine the cause of health-related symptoms.
Excess
An excess is the amount you will need to pay towards a claim. Most insurers offer this as a voluntary option to reduce your premium.
Exclusion
An exclusion is anything not covered on your health insurance policy. This can either be a pre-existing condition which has been added as an exclusion to your policy, or a general exclusion usually listed by insurers such as drug abuse or cosmetic surgery.
FCA
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates financial organisations and financial advisors to provide confidence to consumers and businesses. All health insurance brokers should publish their FCA number on documentation and their website.
Full medical underwriting
Full medical underwriting (FMU) is a form of underwriting used by insurers to consider your medical history when assessing an application for health insurance. You will need to disclose your medical history on an application form.
GP or General Practitioner
A doctor who, at the time he/she refers you for your consultation or treatment, is on the UK General Medical Council’s General Practitioner Register.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS)
Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) is the national healthcare improvement organisation for Scotland and is part of the NHS in Scotland.
Health insurance broker
A health insurance broker is an independent agency that helps individuals and businesses find the best health insurance policy for them.
In-patient
A patient who is admitted to hospital and who occupies a bed overnight or longer, for medical reasons.
Intermediary
Also known as a broker, an agency that helps individuals and businesses find the best health insurance policy for them.
IPT
Insurance premium tax (IPT) is a government-imposed tax on general insurance premiums, including health insurance. IPT is currently 12% and Morehealth include the IPT in any quotes we produce.
Long Covid
Long Covid is a term to describe the effects of COVID-19 that continue for weeks or months beyond the initial illness. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) defines long Covid as lasting for more than 12 weeks.
Main member
The person named as the main member on the membership certificate who is eligible to be covered in his or her own right rather than as a dependant.
Medical history disregarded
Medical history disregarded underwriting (MHD) is typically used for business health insurance policies. The insurer will not apply underwriting terms and you will not need to disclose your medical history.
Membership certificate
The most recent membership certificate issued to the main member for you/your dependant(s) current continuous period of cover under the policy.
The certificate confirms:
- The people covered on the policy
- Their dates of birth
- Their address
- The level of cover
- How they have chosen to pay
Moratorium
Moratorium underwriting (MORI) is an underwriting method applied to a new health insurance policy. For the first two years of the policy, you will not be covered for anything you have had symptoms, advice, diagnostics, or treatment for in the five years preceding the policy start date.
MRI scan
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a type of scan that creates pictures using magnetism and radio waves. MRI scans produce pictures from angles all around the body and shows up soft tissues very clearly.
NICE
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health in England. NICE publishes guidelines in four areas:
- the use of health technologies within the NHS and NHS Wales
- clinical practice
- guidance on health promotion and ill-health avoidance
- guidance for social care services and users
NHS
The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom.
No claims discount
A no claims discount (NCD) is a a reduction in the premium charged when no claim has been made during an agreed preceding period.
No claims discount protection
No claims discount protection means your premium will not increase because you make a claim, it will just be your NCD protection that is lost. The protection can only be added again once you are a further year claim free.
NHS cash benefit
The cash payment an insurer may make if you or a dependant have received free NHS Treatment which could have been covered by them as private treatment.
Open referral
An open referral is where instead of your GP referring you to a named consultant, they will refer you to the type of specialist you need.
Out-patient
A patient who attends a hospital, consulting room or out-patient clinic and is not admitted as a day-patient or an In-patient.
Palliative care
If you have an illness that cannot be cured, palliative care makes you as comfortable as possible, by managing your pain and other distressing symptoms. It also involves psychological, social, and spiritual support for you and your family or carers.
PET scan
Positron emission tomography (PET) is an imaging test that uses radiotracers in a dye to assess organ and tissue functions.
PMI
PMI is an abbreviation of private medical insurance which is also known as health insurance.
Pre-existing condition
Any disease, illness, or injury for which you have received medication, advice, or treatment, or you have experienced symptoms, whether the condition was diagnosed or not.
Renewal date
Each anniversary of your cover start date.
Specialist
A specialist is a medical practitioner with training in a specific area of medicine, such as an oncologist or cardiologist with full registration under the relevant act.
Switch
A switch is often referred to when transferring your medical insurance on the same underwriting terms rather than taking out a new policy.
Therapist
A therapist is a medical practitioner registered under the relevant medical act, such as an osteopath, physiotherapist, or chiropractor.
Underwriting
Underwriting is the analysis, based on the applicant’s medical history, an insurer will undertake prior to issuing a health insurance policy.