Health Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions
Pre-existing conditions don’t have to lock you out of private cover. Speak to a Healthplan broker – we’ll find a policy that works around your medical history and your budget.
Reviewed by Adam, Lead Broker
Last reviewed: May 2026
FCA-regulated insurance broker · Reg. 914023
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Once you answered some simple questions and provided us with some basic information, our team of health insurance brokers will get to work finding you or your company the best private healthcare quote!
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How can Healthplan help you find the best health insurance
Healthplan helps you get the right private medical insurance for your situation — one that covers the right conditions, gives you access to the right treatment, and does it at the right price. Whether you’re looking at comprehensive cover, a family policy or cover for someone over 60, we’ll match you to the right insurer.
- Tailored cover: Policies matched to your medical history.
- Trusted comparisons: Quotes from all major UK insurers in one place.
- Independent advice: FCA-regulated. Our advice is free to you.
Jo has been a pleasure to work with. She is friendly and very knowledgeable.
Before speaking to Jo, I was confused about different medical insurance options and issues relating to pre-existing conditions. Jo has helped me to navigate those issues and to choose the best policy for me and my family. I would recommend her to my family and friends.
What is a pre-existing condition?
In UK private health insurance, a “pre-existing condition” means any illness, injury, or symptom you’ve had – or received advice, medication or treatment for – before you take out your policy. Most insurers look at the last five years of your medical history.
This matters because PMI is designed to cover new, unexpected health problems that arise after your policy starts. You can’t insure a car the day after a crash, and you can’t insure a condition that’s already been diagnosed and is being managed.
That doesn’t mean PMI isn’t worth it if you have a pre-existing condition – it usually still is. The rest of this page explains why, and how the underwriting choices you make change what’s covered.
Acute vs chronic conditions
Whether a pre-existing condition is acute or chronic changes how an insurer is likely to handle it.
Acute conditions
Short-term issues that respond to treatment and resolve.
- Broken bones
- Pneumonia
- Appendicitis
- Gastroenteritis
- Concussion
Chronic conditions
Long-term conditions needing ongoing management.
- Diabetes (Type 1 and 2)
- Heart disease, high blood pressure
- Asthma, COPD
- Arthritis, lupus, MS
- IBD (Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis)
How underwriting affects your cover
Underwriting is how an insurer decides what your policy will and won’t cover based on your medical history. In the UK there are three main types – and the one you choose has more impact on your cover than almost any other decision you’ll make.
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Moratorium |
Full Medical Underwriting (FMU) |
Medical History Disregarded (MHD) |
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Best for |
Individuals & families wanting a quick, simple set-up |
People who want certainty about what is and isn’t covered from day one |
Medium and large business schemes only – not available on individual policies |
|
Application process |
Short. No medical history form upfront. |
Detailed health questionnaire; insurer may contact your GP. |
Minimal – all members joined regardless of medical history. |
|
How pre-existing conditions are handled |
Excluded automatically. Assessed at the point of claim. |
Insurer lists each excluded condition on your certificate before you start. |
All pre-existing conditions covered from day one. |
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Can pre-existing conditions come back into cover? |
Yes – typically after 2 continuous years free of symptoms, treatment, advice and medication. |
Rarely. Exclusions are usually permanent, though some insurers will review on request. |
N/A – already covered. |
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Upside |
Fast set-up; future flexibility. |
Total clarity from day one – no surprises at claim time. |
Broadest possible cover; ideal for staff with mixed medical histories. |
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Downside |
Uncertainty until you claim; insurer may decline cover for something you’d assumed was unrelated. |
Longer application; exclusions can be broader than expected. |
Only available to qualifying business schemes; usually higher premium per head. |
Moratorium underwriting in detail
Moratorium is the most common option for individuals and families taking out PMI for the first time. You don’t have to fill in a medical history form – the insurer simply applies a standard exclusion for anything you’ve had symptoms of, advice on, treatment for or medication for in the past five years.
If a pre-existing condition stays inactive – no symptoms, no treatment, no advice, no medication – for a continuous two-year period after your policy starts, it can usually be reviewed and brought back into cover. The trade-off is that you don’t know exactly what’s excluded until you make a claim, and the insurer assesses your medical history at that point.
Full medical underwriting in detail
With full medical underwriting (FMU), you complete a detailed health questionnaire when you apply. The insurer’s underwriting team reviews your answers – and sometimes contacts your GP – and issues a personalised certificate listing exactly which conditions are excluded. Some applicants choose FMU even when they have nothing significant to declare, because they prefer the certainty in writing.
FMU exclusions are generally permanent, though most insurers will review them on request after a few clear years. The application is more involved, but you go in with no ambiguity about what’s covered.
Medical history disregarded
Medical history disregarded (MHD) is normally only available to medium and large company schemes, where the spread of risk across all employees makes it commercially viable for insurers to cover pre-existing conditions from day one. Some insurers also allow newborn children to be added to an existing policy on MHD terms. If you run a business and you’re considering an MHD scheme, our corporate health insurance team can walk you through which insurers are most competitive on this basis.
Choosing the right insurer for your condition
UK insurers don’t all approach pre-existing conditions the same way. As a whole-of-market broker, our job is to match you to the insurer most likely to give you the cover you want at a price that makes sense.
Some insurers will accept applicants with a history of anxiety or depression more readily than others; the moratorium two-year clear period also tends to be easier to evidence here. See our mental health cover guide.
Back pain, joint problems, sports injuries – these are typically handled on a case-by-case basis, and the way the application is worded materially changes the outcome.
Cover varies significantly by insurer, by cancer type, and by how long you’ve been in remission. We can point you towards insurers known to be more flexible without overpromising – and our cancer cover page explains what’stypically included.
These will generally be excluded across the market, but the surrounding cover (acute care, diagnostics, mental health, optical) can still be very valuable. We’ll be honest about what PMI can and can’trealistically do for you.
Speak to one of our brokers and we’ll tell you, honestly, where your case is likely to land before you commit.
Can I still use the NHS for an excluded condition?
Yes – completely. PMI is designed to sit alongside the NHS, not replace it. If your private policy excludes a pre-existing condition, you continue to receive NHS care for that condition exactly as you did before.
FAQs
How will my pre-existing conditions be treated by a UK private health insurer?
It depends on the underwriting type. Under moratorium, pre-existing conditions are excluded automatically and reviewed at the point of any future claim – and may be brought back into cover after two continuous years free of symptoms, treatment, advice and medication. Under full medical underwriting, the insurer reviews your medical history upfront and issues a certificate listing exactly which conditions are excluded. In both cases, your NHS care for the excluded condition continues as normal.
What's the difference between acute and chronic conditions?
Acute conditions are short-term issues that respond to treatment and resolve – things like a broken bone, pneumonia, or appendicitis. Chronic conditions are long-term and need ongoing management – diabetes, asthma, heart disease, arthritis, MS. UK private medical insurance is designed to cover acute conditions that arise after your policy starts. Chronic conditions, whether pre-existing or newly diagnosed, are generally not covered long-term and remain the responsibility of the NHS.
Can pre-existing conditions ever be covered by private health insurance in the UK?
Yes, in three scenarios. (1) Under moratorium underwriting, an inactive pre-existing condition may be reviewed and covered after two clear years. (2) Under full medical underwriting, some exclusions can be lifted on request after a clear period – this varies by insurer. (3) Under medical history disregarded cover, available on qualifying company schemes, all pre-existing conditions are covered from day one. Speak to a broker to work out which route applies to you.
Which pre-existing conditions are most commonly excluded?
Long-term chronic conditions are the most consistently excluded across the market – including diabetes, heart disease, chronic respiratory conditions, autoimmune conditions like lupus and MS, and active or recent cancers. Exclusions also typically apply to anything you’ve received treatment, medication or advice for in the past five years. Each insurer handles edge cases differently, which is where a broker can find the most favourable terms.
Is private health insurance worth it if I have multiple pre-existing conditions?
Often, yes. Your specific conditions may be excluded, but private cover still gives you faster access to specialists, diagnostics and treatment for any new, unrelated health issues — which becomes more valuable as you get older and NHS waiting lists grow. Many of our customers with pre-existing conditions take out PMI precisely because they’re already managing health issues and want fast private access if anything new comes up. This is particularly relevant for our over 50s, over 60s and over 70s customers.
Can I still use the NHS for a pre-existing condition that my private policy excludes?
Yes, in full. The NHS remains responsible for everyone in the UK regardless of whether they hold private medical insurance. PMI is designed to sit alongside NHS care, not replace it. If your private policy excludes a pre-existing condition, your NHS GP, consultant and treatment pathway for that condition continue exactly as before.
Do I have to disclose every health issue when applying?
Under full medical underwriting, yes – you complete a detailed health questionnaire and are expected to disclose your medical history accurately. Under moratorium, you don’t fill in a questionnaire at the application stage, but the insurer will check your medical history when you claim, and any non-disclosure can result in a claim being declined. Honesty up-front always pays off; a broker can help you frame your history in a way that’s both accurate and favourable.
Will having a pre-existing condition increase my premium?
Sometimes – usually under full medical underwriting, where some insurers may load a premium rather than apply an exclusion. Under moratorium, premiums are based on standard factors (age, location, level of cover, excess) and don’t typically increase because of pre-existing conditions, since those conditions are excluded by default. Our brokers will run comparable quotes across insurers so you can see the impact clearly before committing.
Can I switch insurers if I already have a policy and pre-existing conditions?
Yes, though it needs careful handling. Most insurers will accept what’s called Continued Personal Medical Exclusions (CPME) underwriting when you move from one insurer to another – keeping your existing exclusions but no more. This means you don’t lose the cover you’ve already built up. A broker can manage the switch and confirm before you move that you won’t be worse off.
How quickly can I get cover?
Same day is possible with most major insurers if your application is straightforward. Full medical underwriting can take a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on whether the insurer needs to contact your GP. Healthplan policies come with a 14-day cancellation guarantee, so you can take out cover quickly and review the paperwork before fully committing.
Ready to find cover that works around your medical history?
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