Frequently asked questions.

Getting a Private Medical Insurance quote from The Broking Group takes one 20-minute call. You can request a quote through this website, call 01270 694939, or email info@thebrokinggroup.co.uk. We discuss what you want covered, your budget, and any specific health or lifestyle factors, then come back to you with tailored quotes from across our panel of five major UK health insurers (Aviva, AXA, Bupa, Vitality, WPA).

To prepare a Private Medical Insurance quote we need your name and date of birth, your home postcode, who you want to include on the policy (just you, partner, children, or wider family), and an indication of the level of cover you are looking for. For more accurate quotes, knowing your existing health conditions and your preferred underwriting method (moratorium or full medical) helps us narrow the options before we contact insurers.

Underwriting is the process insurers use to decide what your policy will cover and how much it will cost. There are two common methods. Moratorium underwriting excludes any pre-existing conditions you have had in the past five years, but those exclusions fall away after two years of continuous, symptom-free cover. Full medical underwriting reviews your medical history upfront and decides on any specific exclusions before the policy starts. We talk you through which is right for your situation before you commit.

Five main factors influence your Private Medical Insurance monthly premium: age (older lives cost more to cover), postcode (regional pricing variations reflect local NHS and private healthcare capacity), level of cover (basic versus comprehensive), voluntary excess (a higher excess reduces the monthly premium), and underwriting method (moratorium or full medical). Optional add-ons like outpatient cover, mental health support, dental, or optical will also push the premium up. We model these for you before you decide.

Yes. This is called a "switch on equivalent terms". As long as the switch happens at renewal and the new plan is broadly equivalent, the new insurer will carry across cover for conditions that were already insured on the previous plan. We negotiate switch terms with the new insurer as part of every annual review.

Most Private Medical Insurance plans cover both, but the depth varies. Basic plans often cap the amount paid for mental health treatment in a year, while comprehensive plans treat mental health on the same basis as physical conditions. Cancer cover is similar. Basic plans may exclude some treatments, while comprehensive plans typically pay for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, biological therapy and follow-up scans without limit. We confirm the exact wording on each quote.

Death in Service pays a one-off lump sum to an employee's family if they die in service. Group Income Protection pays a regular monthly income to the employee if they are off work long-term due to illness or injury. Many SMEs offer both as a complete protection package alongside group PMI.

Yes. Most insurers in the UK group risk market accept schemes from around three to five employees upwards. Smaller schemes typically attract simplified underwriting and competitive rates per life, and the cost per employee usually comes down as the headcount grows.

Group Income Protection is priced on the demographic profile of the workforce (average age, gender split, salaries), the benefit level (typically 50% to 75% of salary), the deferred period (the wait before benefits start, usually 13 or 26 weeks), and the industry the company operates in. Longer deferred periods reduce premium because they align with the end of employer sick pay.

Yes, and we recommend it. Running group PMI and Group Risk through a single broker simplifies administration, aligns renewal dates, and means one named adviser knows the whole employee benefits picture. It also makes claims handling cleaner when an employee needs both medical treatment and income replacement.

The Free Cover Limit is the maximum benefit amount an insurer will provide without requiring individual medical underwriting for each employee. Cover above the FCL requires medical evidence from the affected employees. FCL levels depend on the size and demographic profile of the scheme. Larger schemes attract higher FCLs.

International Healthcare is designed for anyone living, working or spending substantial time outside their home country, including UK expats, multinational SME employees, frequent business travellers, and high-net-worth individuals with international lifestyles. Travel insurance is not a substitute for ongoing medical cover.

Travel insurance covers short trips, typically up to 30 to 60 days, with limited medical cover for emergencies. International Healthcare is annual, full private medical cover that works wherever the policyholder lives or travels, including planned treatment, ongoing conditions, and preventative care.

Yes, but at a premium. Most insurers offer two area-of-cover options: worldwide excluding USA (significantly cheaper) and full worldwide including USA. We advise on which to choose based on actual time spent in the US. Most policyholders without regular US travel choose worldwide ex-USA.

Most international insurers maintain a network of hospitals and clinics in major medical hubs that bill the insurer directly, so the policyholder does not pay upfront. Outside the network, the policyholder pays and reclaims with receipts. We map the insurer network against the client's geography before recommending a plan.

Yes. Most International Healthcare policies include emergency medical evacuation to the nearest centre of medical excellence, and repatriation home if needed. Evacuation cover is the difference between getting timely treatment overseas and a poor outcome, particularly in countries with limited specialist healthcare.

A whole-of-market broker can place business with any insurer in the relevant market, without being tied to a single provider or a restricted panel. The Broking Group is whole-of-market for Private Medical Insurance, Group Risk and International Healthcare, with direct agencies for all five major UK health insurers: Aviva, AXA, Bupa, Vitality, and WPA.

The Broking Group is paid by commission from the insurer the policyholder chooses. The commission is set by the insurer and is consistent regardless of which insurer is chosen, so our advice is not influenced by which insurer pays us more. This is disclosed in the FCA-required Statement of Demands and Needs you receive before the policy starts.

The Broking Group Limited is an Appointed Representative of Insure Life Limited, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA Firm Reference Number 913606). This means we operate under the FCA's rules for advised insurance distribution, which include ICOBS rules on clear and fair communication, and the requirement to give advice that is suitable for each client's situation. You can verify our regulatory standing on the FCA Register.

Switching is straightforward. We need a copy of your current policy schedule and the renewal date, then we approach insurers on your behalf and present the options. If you decide to switch, we set up the new policy on a "switch on equivalent terms" basis so existing covered conditions carry across. There is no fee to you for switching. Our commission is paid by the insurer.

No, but many clients do because the products work together. PMI covers the cost of healthcare. Life Insurance and Income Protection cover the financial impact of death, serious illness, or being unable to work. We talk through the full personal protection picture in any quote conversation so you can decide what fits your needs.

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is the UK's independent service for settling disputes between consumers and financial services firms. If you are unhappy with the outcome of a complaint you have raised with us, you can refer it to the FOS free of charge within six months of our final response. Our complaints process is published on the Complaints page in the site footer.