Health Insurance in UK?

I don't know what health insurance I should do research on.
I am thinking of a family health insurance thing but I don't know where to start.
PM me for suggestions or any advise you like to offer.
Thanks!

Do research on for what purpose? Not sure what you mean...are you asking what insurance you will need? You will be covered by the NHS and likely will not need additional insurance.

If you are on a fiance or spousal visa in the UK, then you will be covered by the NHS and will be entitled to free (at point of service) medical treatment and are unlikely to need any health insurance. If you did decide to take out private insurance in the UK, you would only be able to use it in certain circumstances (usually either to skip long waiting lists for non-emergency operations/procedures, to access medication not offered on the NHS or to get elective cosmetic surgery that is not offered on the NHS).

Even with private health insurance, you would still have to visit an NHS doctor for regular check-ups, appointments and prescriptions and if you wanted to get something done privately you have to get a referral from your NHS doctor first before you could get private treatment (so you have to go through the NHS anyway). All emergencies are dealt with by the NHS,  so if you have to go to the ER, your treatment will be free and you will be treated on the NHS.

I've lived in the UK my whole life and I personally don't know anyone who has private health insurance. I know that some companies now offer it as part of their benefits schemes, but I don't think that many people actually use it (at least, not anyone I know of myself).

My dad once had a nose operation done privately and my mum's friend had her hip replacements done privately, but they paid out of pocket for those procedures (my grandmother paid for my dad's operation) and they only went private because they could afford it. If they'd had the operations on the NHS, the only differences would have been longer waiting times and the fact that it would have been free of charge.  

Actually, as a former employee of a private health insurance company in the UK, I can tell you that they do *indeed* get used and quite a bit!

However, ksand is right, for the most part, you will still have to go via the NHS for general check-ups and referrals. I would disagree, though, about what all you can use it for. It varies greatly from plan to plan but IME, the general rule is that you can get pretty much anything you want except treatment for a chronic condition. It's pretty much the opinion of most private UK insurance companies that chronic conditions are the domain of the NHS.

I can give you lots more info on this if you, or anyone else, is interested. My personal experience is a bit out of date but I don't expect things have changed too much in terms of overall practices.

Oic,  I was never told about that.  My fiance don't really go to get a yearly check up and stuff.  I don't know if it's only basic check up is cover or is there a income requirement and stuff.   What to do about the prescriptions.  If there's a serious health condition would it be cover or would it's best we get insurance now.  No idea how the health care system works in UK.  I was just wondering what would happen if one day we might want kids and then what's going to happen.  The hospital cost and if we need to get insurance for it now and stuff.

Oic,  I was never told about that.  My fiance don't really go to get a yearly check up and stuff.  I don't know if it's only basic check up is cover or is there a income requirement and stuff.   What to do about the prescriptions.  If there's a serious health condition would it be cover or would it's best we get insurance now. No idea how the health care system works in UK.  I was just wondering what would happen if one day we might want kids and then what's going to happen.  The hospital cost and if we need to get insurance for it now and stuff.

Basically the NHS is set up so that everyone in the country is entitled to the same basic treatment for free (at point of service) regardless of their medical or financial situation and they won't have to pay anything for the treatment (it comes out of their taxes instead) - so there are no hospital costs. If you want to have a baby in the UK, all your treatment and your hospital stay will be free, unless you want to pay for private treatment (although if you have to get to a hospital quickly, you may just be rushed to the nearest one and treated on the NHS anyway).

There is no such thing as a 'pre-existing condition' on the NHS because you can get treatment regardless of what is wrong with you and it doesn't matter how serious it is because you will be covered by the NHS anyway. By all means, you can take out private insurance if you want to, but you may find that you won't actually need to use it.

In England, prescriptions are one cost per item (currently £7.20), but in Wales they are all free. In England, if you have a certain condition (e.g. diabetes or thyroid problems), you are pregnant, you are under 16 (or 16-18 and in full-time education) or you are over 60 you automatically get all your prescriptions for free (people on benefits get free prescriptions too, but you wouldn't qualify for benefits on a fiance/spousal visa). All contraception and birth control is free as well

There aren't really any annual check-ups as such in the UK, which is probably why your fiance doesn't get one... because there isn't one to get. Essentially, when you feel ill or you think something might be wrong, you book an appointment with your GP (General Practitioner) and you go get it checked out. If you don't ever feel ill or need a prescription, then you probably won't ever go to the doctor.