Jargon buster

Stands for the Association of British Insurers, of which Standard Life Healthcare is an active member.

A temporary or short-lived illness or injury. It is likely to respond quickly to treatment that aims to return you to your previous state of health, or which leads to your full recovery.

Consultations and care that follow eligible treatment.

Because people generally need to claim more as they get older, our premiums increase with age. However, rather than increasing them with each year that you get older, we have created age bands. These include, for example, ages 18 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 64 etc. Your premium increases at renewal if you have passed into the next age band at the renewal following your birthday.

Also known as 'complementary medicine', refers to different kinds of treatment that have traditionally not been available under the NHS but are becoming increasingly popular. They include acupuncture, homeopathy and chiropractic.

Taxable benefits that are provided to an employee or director that form part of their remuneration.

A cash plan is designed to provide cash sums to cover the cost of a number of routine medical treatments, and often some non-routine ones as well

A long-term or permanent illness or injury which has no known cure. Usually, it will require long-term monitoring, treatment, check-ups or tests.

A system that determines premium rates by taking the average claims experience over a large number of policies (or "community"), rather than on a policy-by-policy basis.

Someone you can to talk to in confidence. Counsellors are professionally trained to listen and advise you on a wide range of work or domestic problems.

The Data Protection Act 1988 dictates how information about you can be stored and used. We will use the information that we hold about you to administer your policy with Standard Life Healthcare, and may also pass certain basic information to third parties to enable them to provide this service on our behalf.

Is when you are admitted to a hospital or day-patient unit for treatment and need a period of supervised recovery afterwards but do not have to stay in overnight.

Investigations, such as x-rays or blood tests, to help find the cause of your symptoms and identify your medical condition.

Refers to the care or treatment covered by a particular product. Some lower-cost plans do not for instance cover out-patient treatment where it comes before in-patient or day patient care and therefore out-patient treatment is only eligible in this case where it follows in-patient or day patient treatment.

This is a specified amount of money which you agree to pay towards the cost of any claim.

These are medical conditions or treatments which are not covered under your policy. You will find a specific section in your policy document which sets out these exclusions.

An independent body that investigates complaints - at no cost to you. Standard Life Healthcare is covered by this service and, in the unlikely event that you need to make a complaint, its decision will be binding on us.

The person within a company who is responsible for handling administration for a company or group PMI scheme.

Guided Option is a new way of saving money on private health care developed in association with leading private hospital networks. Instead of having a bigger range of private hospitals to choose from across the country, you are treated only in hospitals belonging to one of these networks. However, as there are still over 100 of them nationwide, you'll probably find the one that's right for you. The hospital then chooses your consultant and arranges the treatment for you.

An alternative term for full medical check-up.

Treatment which, for medical reasons, means you have to stay in hospital overnight or for longer.

Describes new bridges, crowns and dental repair work to teeth damaged in an accident.

One way of joining Standard Life Healthcare is by completing a health questionnaire giving us details about your medical history. We will then assess your answers and tell you if there are any medical conditions which we are unable to cover under your policy.

As with any type of insurance, you can only take out cover against unforeseen events, which is why private medical insurance cannot cover you for pre-existing conditions. Our moratorium clause enables you to join Standard Life Healthcare without having to complete a health questionnaire. Instead, we apply a blanket exclusion for any pre-existing conditions you have, or have had, in the five years before you join us. The 'moratorium' refers to the fact that this exclusion is not necessarily permanent. If, after joining us, there is a period of two consecutive years during which you do not need any further treatment, medication or consultations for a pre-existing condition (or any related conditions), then should subsequent treatment for that condition become necessary, it will be covered (subject to normal terms and conditions).

This is a scale of discounts on your premium. A no-claims discount scale is featured on our Primecare and EspritHealth plans. You move up or down the scale at each renewal depending on the number of claims you have made.

Benefits that can be added on to a healthcare plan, for an additional premium at renewal.

Treatment at a hospital, consulting room or out-patient clinic where you don't need in-patient or day-patient treatment.

Is the abbreviated reference for Permanent Health Insurance and not to be confused with PMI - see below.

Is the abbreviated term sometimes used in place of Private Medical Insurance.

This is the main document setting out the basis of your contract of insurance with us.

The twelve-month period that runs from the date your policy starts and is renewed each year.

This is the person who agrees to the insurance contract by signing the application.

This is a medical condition that anyone included on your policy has either: received treatment or medication for; had symptoms of; asked advice on or been aware of during the five years immediately before your application was made or your policy started.
We cannot cover that condition or any condition that arises from it.
Existing conditions may be covered in the future, however. See also Moratorium and Medical Underwriting.

This is treatment undertaken - before any symptoms arise - which is designed to stop you from getting a disease or to catch it at its very earliest stages. Examples include inoculations against diseases, and mass screening programmes such as breast screening. Preventive treatment is not covered by private medical insurance.

Many NHS hospitals have set up PPUs to help supplement the funds they receive from the Government. PPUs may be a ward or wing within an NHS hospital set aside specifically for private patients. However, many now offer stand-alone purpose built units within the grounds of the hospital. They are dedicated to meeting the needs of private patients and offer similar 'hotel' facilities to those available with private hospitals.

An Inland Revenue form detailing benefits in kind paid as part of employees' remuneration. This is completed by the employer and submitted annually to the Inland Revenue.

Patients buying private medical services direct from a hospital or specialist, as and when needed.

If you have an existing healthcare policy provided by another insurer, we can, subject to certain terms and conditions, provide continuity of cover on the same personal medical terms if you 'switch' your policy to us.

The different ways of applying and being accepted for private medical insurance cover. See also Moratorium and Medical Underwriting.