How does private health insurance work in the UK?
A typical private health insurance claim starts with a GP referral, followed by authorisation from the insurer before treatment.
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
Many policies ask you to see a GP first, then contact the insurer for authorisation before seeing a specialist. Some policies include a digital GP service.
If the claim is accepted, the insurer usually pays the hospital or specialist directly, less any excess, within the policy limits.
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: whether a GP referral is required; the steps for pre-authorising treatment; how excess and benefit limits are applied to a claim.
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.