With private health insurance you pay a monthly or annual premium for coverage. You can then use private medical services to diagnose and treat any new medical conditions, and your insurer helps pay the bill.

Joint cover for a couple works in exactly the same way as cover for a single person, with any policyholder in the plan being able to claim and access the insurance in the same way at the point of need.

Having private health insurance doesn’t mean you can’t access services and treatment through the NHS. In fact, in most cases you will need a referral from your GP before you can access treatment through your private health cover.

However, this type of cover means you can opt to avoid NHS waiting lists for tests, treatment or surgery. This is especially the case for non-urgent care.

You may have to pay the cost of any private medical tests, consultation fees or hospital treatment upfront and claim them back. Or, in some cases, the insurer will contact the hospital or healthcare provider to pay your costs.

There will usually be an excess payable on any claim in accordance with the terms of your policy. This could range from around £100 to £500 for example. As a general rule, the larger the excess, the lower the premium.

Insurers usually offer different levels of coverage, with different limits and options for treatment, plus terms and exclusions. Higher levels of coverage will cost more.

Some policies set a limit on how much they will pay for a particular condition or treatment, or sometimes there may be limits on payments over the course of a year, for example. It is vital that you read the fine print of your policy before signing up to understand its coverage and limitations.