Contractor Health Insurance

Contractor health insurance gives contractors and the self-employed access to private healthcare treatment, paid for (at least in part) by an insurer.

Most employees will receive employment-based sick packages, but when you are a contractor, you need to arrange for these provisions yourself.

By obtaining a contractor health insurance policy, you will have access to private healthcare whilst knowing you will receive the highest standards of care and have a choice over where and when the treatment will take place.

What Does Health Insurance Cover?

Health insurance generally covers the cost of doctors or emergency room visits, medication, routine vaccinations, tests and surgery.

Inpatient and Day-Patient Cover

Most plans cover inpatient and day-patient treatment in full, which would involve you occupying a hospital bed after a surgical procedure, either overnight or just for the day. In this scenario, the insurer will take care of all hospital costs associated with that stay, including the accommodation fees and paying for the staff involved in your care.

Outpatient Cover

Top contractor health insurance plans will also cover outpatient treatment, which usually involves test and scans, as well as appointments where a bed isn’t required, such as for physiotherapy.
Additional contractor health insurance options include physiotherapy and alternative therapies, overseas cover and psychiatric cover. Few providers however will offer these services as standard, so it will generally have to be an added extra on your policy.

Do Contractors Need Health Insurance?

In a word – yes! As the NHS continues to be squeezed, coupled with an older population, their services are under a considerable strain. For this reason, many people decide they would like to go private, which can potentially save time and offer more choice when it comes to treatment options.

How Much Does Contractor Health Insurance Cost?

Contractor health insurance policies will vary greatly depending on each individuals’ circumstances. There are a few factors that will impact the cost of your potential health insurance policy, which includes your health and medical history, smoker status, your age and your address.

Health and Medical History

Your current health and medical history will provide your insurer with an idea of what to expect in terms of your future health. If you aren’t in top health when you take a plan out, or have a history of serious medical and health problems, your contractor health insurance policy will likely cost more.

Smoker Status

Smoking has detrimental affects to your health, which means that being a regular smoker will significantly increase the health insurance premiums.

Age

Health problems become more of a common occurrence once we get older, so insurers will increase the premiums on policies as you get older to account for this.

Address

Policy prices will vary in certain areas, as some private hospitals will have higher rates than others in the UK, meaning it will cost insurers more to pay for your treatment. For example, private hospital fees in London will cost far more than anywhere else in the UK.

Need Expert Contractor Health Insurance Advice?

Finding the best health insurance for independent contractors can seem difficult, because of all the additional benefits and options that are out there.

To make the process simple and stress-free, we have access to a large network of trusted health insurance providers who can help with contractor health insurance applications. Our network of partner advisers can help to source the best contractor health insurance UK policies to make sure you can find the best possible deal.

To find out more, please contact the Contractor Protection team today!