If you are living in the UK, weighing-up whether or not private health insurance is worth the monthly expense for you or your family will depend entirely on your own personal circumstances. One of the main reasons people in the UK look to private health insurance is that whilst UK residents have access to the National Health Service (NHS) and the many free services it provides, waiting times can be extremely long with it sometimes taking years to access care. In Dec 2022 the Royal College of Surgeons reported that over 7 million people were waiting for planned care on the NHS. Private health insurance can help greatly reduce the waiting time for non-emergency procedures and can also provide a wider choice of consultants, doctors and surgeons together with access to private hospitals and clinics. Additionally, private health insurance can provide a far more comprehensive level of care with access to drugs and therapies that can not be accessed through the NHS. However, private health insurance can be expensive and is not affordable for everyone. It generally increases in cost the older you are and pre-existing conditions may be excluded from cover or increase the cost of a policy. It should also be considered that if you are a not a UK resident then you may not be entitled to free care from the NHS and may require to present proof of a valid medical insurance policy as part of your visa requirements.