Health insurance glossary: common terms
A plain-English glossary of terms found in UK health insurance documents, from excess to underwriting.
Published by Beyond Leads Limited · 27 October 2026
General information only, not insurance or medical advice. health-quote.co.uk is an FCA introducer, not a broker or insurer. We do not recommend policies or arrange cover.
Key points
Excess: what you pay towards a claim. Underwriting: how the insurer considers your medical history. Hospital list: the hospitals you can use.
Out-patient: care without admission. Moratorium: a type of underwriting based on recent medical history. Pre-authorisation: approval before treatment.
What to check in the policy documents
Policy terms differ between insurers. When looking at this topic, the documents to read are the policy summary, the full policy wording and your schedule. Points worth checking include: the glossary or definitions section in your policy wording; any term the broker uses that is not defined; differences between insurers' definitions.
This page cannot confirm whether any person, condition or treatment would be covered. That depends on the insurer's terms and decision.
Who can answer questions about your situation?
health-quote.co.uk is a trading name of Beyond Leads Limited (FCA firm reference 940006). We are an introducer, not a broker or insurer, and we do not give prices, recommendations or advice.
If you send an enquiry, we introduce it to Complete Insurance, an FCA-authorised broker, who can discuss your requirements and explain any quotation. There is no obligation to proceed.