• At a glance guide
• How it works
• How you could save money
• How to apply
• Who is Healthguard Direct

Because we're all different

The Healthguard plan is designed to give you choice and flexibility to ensure your policy is exactly right for your needs. Here's how it works:

1. You begin by choosing the lump sum amount you want to be covered for - either £20,000, £30,000 or £40,000. If you're unsure about the general costs of medical procedures and how much cover you might need, the cost of treatment table can be used as a guide.
2. Next, you decide how long you'd like your policy to last - either 10 or 20 years. Most medical insurance companies review your cover each year, but with a Healthguard plan provided by National Friendly you can have the peace of mind of knowing you're covered for the whole term, with a guarantee that your cover can continue if you wish (see 'policy renewal is guaranteed').
3. Tell us who you'd like to be covered. Just you? You and your partner? Your whole family? Or just you and your children? The Healthguard plan has a range of options to suit.
4. Finally, you can make your monthly premiums cost less by choosing to either pay an excess or to pay all of your cover up front. Choosing to pay an excess of £100, £500 or £1000 as and when you get ill will reduce your monthly premiums and you'll only ever pay this excess once in any policy year - not each time you claim. Choose to pay all of your monthly premiums as a lump sum up front will give you a significant discount on your premiums and ensure that your premiums won't be reviewed or changed throughout your policy period (unless you make policy changes). You should understand that this may be the best option only if you expect to keep the policy over the 10 year term. However you will not receive a refund if you close the plan, use up your cover allowance, or die during the course of the plan.
5. You can even ensure your level of cover keeps up with inflation and the escalating costs of medical care by opting to automatically increase your premium by 3% per year which will increase the the level of remaining cover each year by 3%.

Each claim comes off the total amount of cover you've opted for. As and when you need to claim, you can choose to switch between using your private healthcare plan or going with the NHS. National Friendly's dedicated, experienced claims team are on hand to help you decide on the best course of action for your individual circumstances.