Compare our best health insurance for over 65s

Having health insurance can help cover conditions, illnesses and treatments if you become unwell. It can give you greater access to medical support and specialist care in addition to what the NHS provides. It's designed to supplement the services you may receive from the NHS, not replace them entirely.

There are many benefits to having a health insurance policy. Depending on your cover, you may have access to specialist referrals, surgery and aftercare.

The cost of health insurance is generally more expensive as you get older. However, there are plenty of age-specific policies available, such as health insurance for older people, that can cater for your needs at an affordable price.

Yes, there are many specialist policies offered by insurers that cater for people aged 65, 70, 75, and even 80.

Health insurance premiums tend to rise with age; this is largely due to the increased risk of developing medical conditions and illnesses. To counter this, age-specific health insurance policies sometimes strip away unnecessary features to keep premiums affordable.

Many health insurance providers offer a choice of basic and premium policies.

Premium cover is more expensive and comes with the most benefits. You'll have every key benefit the insurer can offer, which may include complete pre-treatment diagnosis and both inpatient and outpatient treatments.

Basic cover is not as broad as comprehensive cover, but you may still receive limited outpatient care. It's an affordable option, but you may not have access to diagnosis appointments, consultation appointments, and mental health support, for example.

During a health insurance application, you may have the choice between full medical and moratorium underwriting. If you choose the former, you'll need to provide your full medical history. In addition, your insurer may also contact your doctor to verify your medical history.

If you need to claim, choosing full medical underwriting can help speed up the process, as your insurer will already have your history at hand. If you opt for moratorium underwriting instead, the claims process may take longer, as an insurer may decide to establish your medical history before deciding the outcome.

To claim, you should schedule an appointment with your GP to get a referral (some insurers offer online appointments so you get a referral sooner). Once you have this, you need to contact your insurer and gain authorisation to get specialist treatment. It's important that you keep any receipts and medical reports to help you submit a claim.

Having a health insurance policy isn't intended to replace your ability to use the NHS. For example, A&E services aren't provided by health insurance, so there are instances where you can only access support through the NHS. The advantage of having health insurance is to bridge the gap and provide you with access to private medical care in addition to further benefits and support.

If you're searching for health insurance for you and a partner, you can also consider a joint policy as opposed to separate policies. This can sometimes be a cheaper option instead of individually buying a policy and give you the ability to manage it together.

Some policies state an upper age limit to apply for health insurance, so you'll both need to be under the limit to apply. It's also worth comparing both single and joint cover options to ensure you're getting the health insurance you need for an affordable price.

Most health insurance policies exclude pre-existing conditions. These are generally defined as a disease, injury or illness that you've experienced symptoms of or have been given any medication, treatment or diagnostic tests for. You might find some specialist health insurance for pre-existing conditions, but it may exclude certain treatments and restrict what you can claim for relating to the condition.

It's important to be honest about any pre-existing medical conditions that you have. If you buy a health insurance policy with full medical underwriting, you'll need to provide your medical history to your insurer. For those with moratorium underwriting, an insurer typically determines whether your condition should be classed as pre-existing if a claim is made.