Private Medical Insurance is unlike car insurance or home contents insurance, which are primarily cost driven. We encourage our clients to be fully medically underwritten as early as possible, as this where they are least likely to carry pre-existing medical conditions. This enables clients to carry with them their underwriting terms, with a minimal amount of exclusions. This underwriting can be transferred from Insurer to Insurer throughout the years; however there is a cost in doing this. By remaining with an Insurer for a number of years, this shows loyalty and therefore not only allows the ability to build up No Claims Discounts, but places the policyholder in a stronger negotiating position in respect of renewal premiums.
For example, a member who has moved insurer every year based purely on cost, would have to be re-underwritten every year in order to obtain the best premium costs, thereby increasing the chances of them obtaining an exclusion and minimising their opportunity to build up No Claims Discounts. Furthermore, if the member were to claim after having moved insurers, they would have less negotiating power as a 1 year insured member, than they would having been with the Insurer for a number of years.