Private Medical Insurance is designed to cover the costs of treatment for short term illnesses and injuries, commonly known as “acute” conditions. Insurer’s typically use the Association of British Insurer’s definition for an “acute” condition, which is defined as:
“An acute condition is a disease, illness or injury that is likely to respond quickly to treatment that aims to return you to the state of health you were in immediately before suffering the disease, illness or injury, or that leads you to a full recovery”.
These policies are not designed to cover individuals for the costs of recurring, continuing or long-term treatment and monitoring of chronic conditions. However, these policies are able to cover you for a ‘flare-up’ or an ‘episode’ in relation to a chronic condition.