It is a fact that around 7 million people spend around £3 billion a year on medical insurance in UK. But are all these people well-aware of what they are buying? Is their policy cover all the illnesses that they want to insure? Though unfortunate yet true that a few policyholders take out time to really study the details of the policy they buy. Many of them misunderstand the policy and meet with nasty surprises in course of time.

In fact, medical insurance is designed to provide protection for curable, short-term health problems. It allows policyholders to queue up to NHS and see consultants, be diagnosed, go through a surgery or get necessary treatment. This seems to be good enough and it will really be if the policy you buy offers you the scope. But what if the insurance policy defines diseases in a particular way that you are not aware of? That is why a clear understanding of what it covers is very important.

Very often, a medical insurance policy may not cover a chronic disease. Suppose, your illness is incurable or it is such a problem that despite enough treatment, it sticks to you for a long time. In this case, the insurance company will categorize it as chronic. And to your surprise, you may find that this very disease is not covered. However, if your condition can be cured and is not a long-term problem then the health insurance company will classify it as acute and it will be ready to meet the cost.

The problem does not end here. The process of making a decision whether a condition is acute or chronic is fraught with some complications. It is not always an easy decision to make. Sometimes, this can lead to a conflict between the policyholder and the insurer. So, to avoid any kind of unsavory situation, it is better you read the terms and conditions minutely before you sign the agreement paper.