Private medical insurance

Freedom Elite

Freedom Elite covers eligible private treatment in the UK for a new and unexpected acute illness or injury. Every policy is built on the same core cover.

Beyond the core cover, a policy can include one or more optional benefit packages. It can also be shaped by the level of hospital cover and a voluntary excess. This page explains each of them.

See how it is structuredSee what is covered

Already covered and need treatment? How to make a Freedom Elite claim

About this page

Freedom Elite is available as an individual policy and as a group scheme. This page summarises the main benefits and the most significant limitations.

The underlying Freedom Elite cover is broadly the same for both. Eligibility, underwriting and the way a policy or scheme is arranged can differ, and where a difference matters it is labelled "Group schemes only".

The full terms, conditions, limits and exclusions are in the policy documents.

Read the policy documents

How it is structured

How Freedom Elite can be structured

The core cover is included in every policy. The other parts depend on the cover selected.

Every policy includes core cover

Core cover pays for eligible treatment in hospital, whether the insured person stays overnight or is admitted for the day. It also includes a range of other benefits, including MRI, CT and PET scans on specialist referral.

Specialist feesFull refund, as long as the charges are in line with our schedule of procedures
Hospital feesFull refund when using a hospital within the level of hospital cover

Our schedule of procedures sets a maximum we pay towards the specialist’s fee for each procedure. If the fee charged is higher, the insured person pays the difference directly to the specialist. Check the surgeon’s and anaesthetist’s fees with us before treatment.

Most treatment must follow a GP referral, and normally has to be authorised by us before it starts.

Core cover also includes the following. Select a benefit to see the conditions that apply.

Freedom 360

Freedom 360 is our health and wellbeing toolkit. The services support people before, during and after treatment, and are available with Freedom Elite. Freedom Dermatology, Freedom Physiotherapy and Freedom Diagnostics also require the policy to include the relevant outpatient cover. These services may be subject to the policy excess, benefit limits and other policy terms.

See what Freedom 360 includes
  • Freedom Digital GP
  • Freedom Dermatology
  • Freedom Cancer Care
  • Freedom Physiotherapy
  • Freedom Diagnostics
  • Freedom WellnessGroup schemes only

Group schemes have access to all six services. Individual policies have access to five: Freedom Wellness is available to group schemes only.

Four optional benefit packages

Each package is offered as a complete unit, and individual benefits cannot be selected from within each package. Including a package increases the premium. The main limits for each package are shown below.

Outpatient treatment

Consultations, diagnostic tests and physiotherapy without admission to hospital.

  • Diagnostic tests requested by a GPUp to £750When using a hospital within your level of hospital cover. We do not pay for MRI, CT or PET scans requested by a GP.
  • Specialist fees, diagnostic tests and physiotherapyUp to £1,500 or full refundDepending on the level of cover chosen. Physiotherapy on GP referral is limited to six sessions in a single period of insurance. We do not pay for repeat tests the GP has already carried out. If you choose the £1,500 option and use the full allowance, you pay for further outpatient treatment yourself until the benefit renews.

Eligible outpatient cancer treatment after diagnosis is not subject to the £1,500 limit.

Alternative therapies

Treatment from five listed therapists, on GP or specialist referral.

  • Acupuncturist, chiropractor, homeopath, osteopath or podiatristUp to £750 or £1,500Depending on the level of cover chosen, per insured person, per period of insurance.

Where your GP refers you directly, cover is limited to six sessions across all these therapists combined during the period of insurance.

Mental health care

Treatment of an acute mental or psychiatric illness.

  • Inpatient and daypatient treatmentFull refund, up to 45 daysFees charged by a psychiatric specialist and hospital.
  • Outpatient treatmentUp to £2,000

There is no cover for psychiatric treatment related to alcohol, solvent or drug abuse, addictions or eating disorders.

Dental, optical and private GP

Cover towards everyday healthcare costs.

  • Routine dental costsUp to £300
  • Accidental dental injuryUp to £600
  • Optical costsUp to £200Glasses and contact lenses are covered only where you need a first prescription, or where your existing prescription has changed.
  • Private GP costsUp to £300Consultations, diagnostic tests and minor surgery carried out in the GP’s own surgery.

A compulsory £50 excess applies to this package, once per insured person, per period of insurance.

Which hospitals a policy covers

Every policy includes the standard hospital list. Check the current Freedom Elite hospital list to see which hospitals are included.

Standard hospital list

A comprehensive range of private hospitals throughout the UK, together with NHS hospitals that provide private patient services.

HCA Healthcare facilities are not included.

Included in the premium

London Plus extension

Everything on the standard list, together with HCA Healthcare facilities across the UK.

All HCA Healthcare facilities, inside and outside London, are only covered in full with this extension. This includes hospitals, diagnostic centres, outpatient clinics and specialist treatment centres.

Purchased for an additional premium

An insured person must use a hospital within their level of cover for eligible hospital fees to be paid in full. If they use another hospital, we pay 50% of the eligible hospital charges, up to any stated maximum benefit limit.

The Private Healthcare Information Network

You can find independent information about the quality and the cost of private treatment available from doctors and hospitals from the Private Healthcare Information Network.

Visit the PHIN website

Voluntary excess

An excess is the amount paid towards treatment before we pay anything. Adding a voluntary excess is optional and reduces the premium. There is no obligation to choose any voluntary excess.

£100

Voluntary excess

£250

Voluntary excess

£500

Voluntary excess

£1,000

Voluntary excess

An excess applies to each insured person for each period of insurance, however many claims they make in that period. If treatment continues into a new period of insurance, a new excess may apply. An excess does not reduce a monetary benefit limit, and no excess is payable on NHS cash benefit or maternity cash benefit claims.

Group schemes only: the excess is agreed when the scheme is arranged and is shown on the employee certificate.

Premiums

How premiums are paid and reviewed

Paying

Freedom Elite is an annual policy. The premium can be paid in full at the start of each period of insurance, or by monthly direct debit. Paying the full annual premium at the start saves 6%.

Reviewing

Premiums are reviewed each year and are likely to increase. Any increase depends on several factors, including your age, the overall use of the policy, and medical inflation.

Eligibility

Who can be covered

Freedom Elite is available as an individual policy and as a group scheme. Some eligibility criteria differ between individual policies and group schemes.

Individual policies

Policyholder

Aged 18 to 70 when you first take out the policy, and permanently resident in the United Kingdom.

Your partner

You can include an eligible partner on your policy, subject to the same age and residency conditions.

Your children

You can include eligible children on your policy. They stay covered to the end of the period of insurance in which they reach 25.

Group schemes

Who can be included

The employer decides who is covered. A scheme can include the employee, their partner, and their or their partner’s children who normally live at the same address.

Children

Children are covered to the end of the period of insurance in which they reach 30.

Individual policies and group schemes

Some occupations are not eligible for Freedom Elite. All applications are subject to our current acceptance criteria.

Important to know

What is not covered

Three things are not covered as standard by Freedom Elite.

Pre-existing conditions

Not covered as standard. All policies are subject to underwriting acceptance. In certain circumstances, we may agree to provide cover for a pre-existing condition.

Chronic conditions

Ongoing treatment and monitoring is not covered, although short-term treatment of a sudden and unexpected acute flare-up may be. The chronic conditions exclusion is not applied to claims for cancer treatment.

Emergency treatment

Accident and emergency admissions are not covered. In an emergency, call for an NHS ambulance or go to your local NHS accident and emergency department. Once an emergency has been stabilised, further eligible treatment may be covered.

How this is decided

How pre-existing conditions are assessed

Underwriting is how we decide which medical conditions a policy will and will not cover when it starts. The method that applies is shown on the certificate of insurance, along with any exclusion we have applied. The certificate of insurance is the document that confirms who is insured and the cover that applies.

How we assess chronic and pre-existing conditions

Summary of the key exclusions

This is not a full list of exclusions. Some exclusions have exceptions or may be affected by the cover selected. See the Guide to Cover for the full terms and exclusions.

  • Accident or emergency admissions
  • Alcohol abuse, substance abuse and addiction
  • Chronic conditions
  • Congenital abnormalities and birth defects
  • Cosmetic or reconstructive treatment
  • Dental treatment
  • Experimental or unproven treatment
  • Eyesight and vision disorders
  • Failure to follow medical advice
  • Hazardous and dangerous activities
  • Hearing disorders
  • Healthy tissue removal
  • Infertility investigations and assisted reproduction
  • Mental health care
  • No GP referral
  • Non-medical costs
  • Overseas treatment
  • Pre-existing conditions
  • Pregnancy and childbirth
  • Professional sports
  • Screening, monitoring and preventive treatment
  • Transplants
  • Varicose veins
  • Weight loss treatment

Good to know

Freedom Elite FAQs

Next step

Decide whether Freedom Elite suits you

Individual policies can be arranged directly with us or through a broker. If you arrange your policy directly with us, we provide a non-advised service. This means we give you information about the cover and options available, and you decide what to select. A broker may or may not provide advice, depending on that broker.

Group schemes can only be arranged through a broker or adviser who holds a Terms of Business Agreement with Freedom Health Insurance. They cannot be arranged directly with us.

Contact usFor brokers and advisers