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Glossary Terms

Acupuncture

A treatment involving inserting needles in the skin or muscle to relieve conditions such as pain, anxiety, allergic reactions, sinus and skin problems.

Acute condition

A disease, illness or injury that is likely to respond quickly to treatment that aims to return you to the state of health you were in before, or which leads to your full recovery.

Alternative therapy

An alternative to conventional medicine. It includes treatments such as homeopathy, western herbal treatments, traditional Chinese medicine, neuro linguistic programming (NLP) amongst others.

Capital growth

The increase in an assets market value.

Capital gains tax

The tax applicable when you sell or dispose of an asset that has increased in value since you acquired it.

Cash ISA

This is a deposit-based Individual Savings Account and any growth is free of tax.

Chronic condition

A disease, illness or injury which has at least one of the following characteristics: a. It continues indefinitely and has no known cure b. It comes back or is likely to come back c. It needs ongoing or long-term control or relief of symptoms d. You need to be rehabilitated or specially trained to cope with it e. It needs long-term monitoring through consultations, check-ups, examinations or tests

Chemotherapy

The use of drugs to treat cancers. The drugs sometimes impair normal tissues as well.

Consultation

A meeting with a medical specialist to find out more about a medical condition and decide how to treat it.

Continued Personal Medical Exclusions (CPME) (also known as Switch)

An application method available to applicants with a current private medical insurance policy. Personal exclusions you have with your current provider will continue to be excluded from your cover with a new provider and any conditions that have developed whilst insured with the current provider, and a limited amount of further underwriting will take place.

Complementary medicine

The practice of medicine without the use of drugs. Examples include chiropractors, homeopaths, medical herbalists and acupuncturists (see alternative medicine).

Day-patient treatment

Treatment for which you have to go into a hospital or day-patient treatment or day-patient clinic/unit because you need time to recover under medical supervision, but you do not need to stay overnight.

Diagnostic tests

Any investigation, such as a blood test or x-ray, which might find, or help to find the cause of your symptoms.

Exclusions

Treatments and conditions not covered by the health insurance policy.

Financial Services Authority (FSA)

An independent non-governmental body given statutory powers by the Financial Services & Markets Act 2000. It regulates the financial services industry in the UK.

Full Medical Underwriting (FMU)

An application method where a number of medical history questions are asked of the applicant, and through the process of underwriting, exclusions may be applied to the policy based on the answers supplied. It allows the applicant to have certainty about which of their pre-existing conditions (if any) will be covered or will not be covered by their private medical insurance policy.

In-patient treatment

Treatment which, for medical reasons, means you have to stay in hospital overnight or longer.

Investment Performance Adjustment (IPA)

Used with the National Friendly Investment ISA to adjust any significant difference between monthly bonuses and the actual performance of the investment fund.

ISA

Individual savings account. A special tax-efficient way of saving or investing up to £10,680 from 6th April 2011 to 5th April 2012, and you do not have to pay any income tax of capital gains on any growth or income you make.

Key Features Document

A document which contains all the important details about an investment which an applicant needs to know about before making a decision to invest.

Life Assurance

A policy that, in return for the payment of regular premiums, pays a lump sum on the death of the insured whilst the policy is in force.

Managed

Managed is the name given to a fund that is actively managed. Professional fund managers invest in stocks and shares and use their expertise to attempt to give better returns to their investors (but this is not guaranteed)

Market Value Reduction (MVR)

A percentage that is applied to an individual’s investment should they decide to leave the with-profits fund, to ensure they receive a fair value, based on the performance of the fund over the time period that their money has been invested.

Moratorium

A form of underwriting which automatically excludes any conditions for which the applicant has experienced signs, symptoms, treatment or medication in the five years prior to the start of the policy. If no further signs, symptoms, treatment or medication are experienced for two years after the commencement of the policy, then cover is re-instated for these conditions.

Oncology

The field of medicine specialising in the study, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.

Osteopathy

Treatment and diagnosis utilising the musculosketetal system performed by a member of the General Osteopathic Council.

Out-patient treatment

Treatment given at a hospital, consulting room or out-patient clinic, where you do not go in for day-patient or in-patient treatment.

Physiotherapist

A chartered or state registered physiotherapist.

Physiotherapy

Treatment by physical means or agents, performed by a physiotherapist.

Pre-existing condition

Any disease, illness or injury that you’ve had medication, advice or treatment for, or that has produced symptoms, whether or not it was diagnosed, in the five years before joining the Healthcare Deposit Account.

Premium

The amount of money you pay for the benefits under a policy

Private medical insurance (PMI)

An insurance policy which provides cover for the cost of private medical treatment. The policy may be taken out personally or individuals may benefit from a company policy taken out by their employer on their behalf.

Rehabilitation

Treatment aimed at restoring health or mobility, or to allow a person to live an independent life, such as after a heart attack or stroke.

Relapse

The return of symptoms and signs of a disease after a period of improvement.

Sign

Any objective evidence of disease which can be recognised by a patient, healthcare professional or other persons.

Smoothing

With-profits funds use this process to reduce the effect of stock market volatility on what you get back, by using profits from the good years to improve the return in the bad years.

Specialist

A medical or dental practitioner registered under the Medical Acts who is or has been a consultant in an NHS hospital or who holds a Certificate of Higher Specialist Training or a Specialist Accreditation issued by the General Medical Council.

Sum assured

In a life assurance policy the sum assured is the minimum amount payable on the death of the life assured.

Symptom

A sensation (e.g. pain) felt by the patient and caused by a disease.

Tax year

A period that runs from April 6th to April 5th the following year.

Treatment

Surgical or medical services (including diagnostic tests) to diagnose, relieve or cure a disease, illness or injury.

Underwriting

Process by which an insurer determines whether or not, and on what basis, it will accept an application for insurance.