When looking at cover, it is useful to know that treatment is categorised in the following way.

In-patient treatment: Treatment which, for medical reasons, means you have to stay in hospital overnight or for longer.

Day-patient treatment: Treatment which, for medical reasons, means you have to go into a hospital or day-patient unit because you need a period of clinically-supervised recovery. However, you do not have to stay overnight.

Out-patient treatment: Treatment given at a hospital, consulting room or out-patient clinic where you do not go in for day-patient or in-patient treatment.

There is a large variety of schemes available-from low cost schemes offering limited cover, to those which offer wide-ranging cover and benefits. Most schemes offer cover for in-patient and day-patient treatment, but not always out-patient treatment.

You will need to decide what sort of cover you want. There are a number of things you will have to consider. Here are just two examples:

1. Do you want your cover to include seeing a specialist as an out-patient?

2. Do you want a choice of hospitals, or would you be satisfied to receive any treatment that you might need in a hospital available from a limited range chosen by the Insurance Company?

The answers you give to questions such as these could have a significant effect on the premium that you pay.


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