If you’ve considered business health insurance, you might have questions around what it is and how it works. We’ve put together some FAQs based on some common questions that we’re asked about business health insurance.
Generally, business health insurance is designed to cover acute new conditions that develop after your policy has started.
However, if you would like to cover pre-existing conditions for you and your team you could choose to have medical history disregarded underwriting. This underwriting option means that we could cover you and your team for pre-existing medical conditions, subject to your membership terms. This option is available if you’re looking to cover 15 employees or more. With this option, we don’t ask for medical history declarations from you and your team. Pre-existing conditions are accepted subject to the rules and benefits of the plan.
As with most health insurance, there are certain things that our small business health insurance plans don’t cover. Some of the more significant exclusions include:
- Treatment of any medical conditions your employees had, or had symptoms of, before they joined, unless you’ve chosen a ‘continued medical exclusions’ or ‘medical history disregarded’ policy
- Routine pregnancy and childbirth
- Outpatient drugs and dressings
- Treatment of long-term, on-going or recurrent conditions (chronic), for example diabetes or asthma
- Treatment needed as a result of training for or taking part in any sport for which you are paid, receive a grant or sponsorship (not counting travel costs) or are competing for prize money
- Cosmetic treatment
- Fees if you choose a hospital that is not in our Directory of Hospitals
Full details of what we cover, any limits to cover and the exclusions can be found in the membership handbook
Yes. At AXA Health, we know that one size doesn’t fit all. So, with our business healthcare cover you can reward your most senior and loyal employees differently.
Yes, family members can be added to the plan at any point during the policy.
An excess is the amount that is paid by your employee if they make a claim, and applies each plan year. You can choose the excess amount when you take out your business health insurance plan with us.
Yes, if you have a business bank account then you can get business health insurance with us at AXA Health. Find out more about health insurance for the self-employed
The cost of your business health insurance will depend on a number of different factors, including:
- Group size
- Employee ages
- Location
- Cover options
- Underwriting option
Find out more about how much business health insurance costs
Yes, it’s easy to add or remove members to your plan at any point during your policy. The group decision maker can either email us or call us on the phone number listed in the handbook (phone lines are open 9am-5pm Monday – Friday).
When you take out business healthcare cover with us, you and your employees will have access to the following included as standard:
- Gym discounts: Access to member offers such as up to 40% off monthly gym memberships. Find out more and get full terms and conditions
- 24/7 access to a private GP: Access to phone and video appointments with a GP or Advanced Clinical Practitioner via our AXA Doctor at Hand service, powered by Doctor Care Anywhere. Appointments are subject to availability. Advanced Nurse Practitioners available 8am-10pm
- Muscles, bones and joints support: Get to the bottom of aches and pains with no need for a GP referral. Speak to the right expert online or over the phone. Our muscles, bones and joints service is available to members aged 18 and over
- Health information phone line: 24/7 health support through our health information phone line
- Cancer and heart care :Telephone support from our experienced healthcare practitioners, through the uncertainty of serious illness
You can search our Directory of Hospitals here
With business health insurance, you and your team will have fast access to medical treatment when you need it most. We have over 250 hospitals within our hospital directory, and we work with over 40,000 specialists and practitioners.
The type of specialist that you and your employees can see with your business health insurance will depend on the cover options that you include with your plan.
Yes. Regardless of the cover options you choose, you and your team will have access to our 24/7 online GP service, Doctor at Hand (provided by Doctor Care Anywhere) included as standard.
The below explains how the claims process usually works:
- Ask your GP for an open referral: If your GP recommends you see a specialist, ask for an open referral. This means our appointment booking service can help you find a suitable specialist and make a convenient consultation for you. Your consultation will be covered if you include an Outpatient option with your plan
- Call us before you see the specialist/start any treatment: Call us as soon as you’ve seen your GP. This will mean that you won’t end up paying for treatment that you’re not covered for
- We’ll check your cover and let you know what happens next: We may ask you to provide more information, for example from your GP
Yes. We make it easy to switch to AXA Health from your current provider. Plus, we aim to save you up to 10% off your renewal premiums with your current provider.
To get a quote with us, we ask that you provide:
- Your existing level of cover
- Excess option if chosen
- Employees’ names and date of birth
It’s often easiest if you can send over your renewal paperwork, which holds all the information we need. It’s also known as a ‘membership statement’
Find out more about how to switch to AXA Health
Small business guide to health insurance
If you've considered adding healthcare cover to your employee benefits package, it's likely that you have questions around how it works. You'll want to make sure that you're getting the coverage that will best suit your team and your budget, so you can be there for your people when they need it most.
That's why we've created our small business guide to health insurance.
Build a plan that's right for you
Find out more about our business health insurance, including what is and isn't covered, and get a quote
*Phone lines are open 8:30am-5:30pm Monday to Friday. We may record and/or monitor calls for quality assurance, training and as a record of our conversation.