Over 70 Health Insurance

Over 70 Health Insurance

There’s no escaping it – people in their 70s are on average more likely to develop a serious medical condition or disease than someone in their 30s, 40s or 50s.  

In theory that means people in their 70s also have more to gain from a private health insurance policy, because there’s a greater chance they might require the medical treatment it covers than a younger policyholder might do.  

Compare health insurance for over 70s 

Is private health insurance still an option for the over 70s? I thought insurers might stop offering policies to people my age? 

It is true that some health insurance providers may be less inclined to offer private health insurance policies for people in their 70s since this demographic has a much higher risk of developing a medical condition or illness that might result in an insurance claim. 

That means you will likely have fewer insurance providers to choose from when you’re looking for over 70s health insurance. 

There are still some options though. A growing number of insurers will simply factor the higher level of risk into their insurance premium calculation, rather than refusing to offer a policy at all. 

The net result is that you should still be able to find private health insurance when you’re in your 70s, you’ll probably just have fewer providers to choose from and will have to pay more for the insurance because of the elevated risk your age represents to health insurers. 

And all of the same conditions will be covered, even at my age? 

Well, that will depend on whether or not you were diagnosed with or treated for any of those conditions prior to signing up for this insurance. If you were, then those conditions would be classed as “pre-existing medical conditions” which means they’ll generally be excluded from coverage. 

Of course, since individuals in their 60s and 70s have a much higher risk of developing a wide range of different conditions and illnesses than someone in their 30s or 40s, that does mean there’s a higher chance more things will be excluded from coverage when you’re taking out health insurance as someone in your 70s. 

If my age means lots of different conditions are likely to be excluded, is this type of policy still worth the money? 

That’s a difficult one, as it really needs to be judged on an individual basis. 

For instance, even though someone in their 70s is statistically more likely to have suffered from one or more conditions in recent years than a younger person would be, that’s really just an average. On an individual, it’s entirely possible that you haven’t had any serious conditions or illnesses despite your age, in which case your health insurance policy would cover you for a wide range of different ailments. 

On the other hand, if you have suffered from a lot of different medical complaints in recent years and all or most of them will therefore be excluded from coverage, your decision about whether or not this policy would still be worth the cost would be based on the types of conditions that would still be covered, and the advantage of having those conditions diagnosed and treated quickly if you do develop one of them. 

How much does health insurance cost when I’m over 70? 

Your age is definitely an important factor in the insurance premium calculation when you’re taking out private medical insurance, but it is by no means the only risk factor. 

As such, there’s no simple way to calculate how much health insurance will cost for someone in their 70s. That individual’s other risk factors would need to be taken into account as well, including their lifestyle, their smoking habits, their vaping habits and their drinking habits. 

That’s why the team at Quotezone.co.uk always recommends that you check quotes from a range of providers that take your own individual risk factors into account, as that will give you an accurate picture of how much you’re likely to pay for this insurance. 

Is it true I’ll get better care if I have private health insurance in my 70s? 

No, not necessarily. 

Whether you’re 70, 60 or 50, the main advantage of private medical insurance isn’t necessarily the level of care you receive – people who use the NHS get world-class medical care, and will usually have access to all of the same types of consultants, therapists and specialists as someone who goes private. 

The main advantages of a private health insurance policy for someone in their 70s are the ability to get seen more quickly and the option to choose which consultants or specialists you’d like to see.  

Does this type of insurance policy include an excess? 

Yes, health insurance for people in their 70s will usually include an insurance excess, which is the proportion of the private medical costs you’d be expected to cover yourself before the insurance provider pays out for the rest. 

It is sometimes possible to set this excess at zero if you wish, but that’s not always the best plan because it can result in a higher health insurance premium. 

Does over 70s health insurance cover cancer diagnosis and treatment? 

This type of insurance should always include coverage for private cancer treatment, provided you took out the insurance before the cancer was diagnosed.  

But whether or not you’ll also be covered for private cancer testing and diagnosis will depend on the level of coverage you have. 

“Treatment only” policies will require NHS testing and diagnosis before you qualify for private cancer treatment, while “diagnosis and treatment” policies can cover both private diagnosis and private treatment.  

Does over 70s health insurance cover palliative care if I’m diagnosed with terminal cancer? 

Yes, most policies should include cover for palliative care (or end-of-life care, as it’s sometimes known) if you’re diagnosed with terminal cancer or another terminal illness. As always though, the main caveat is that you’ll generally only be covered if you took this policy out before the cancer or other illness was diagnosed.