Neither — UK insurers typically charge the same premium for moratorium and FMU policies. The choice doesn’t affect cost; it affects what you can claim for. Premium drivers are age, postcode, hospital list, excess level, and optional add-ons. For premium-reduction strategies see our cheapest way to go private UK guide.

Moratorium is significantly faster — same-day or next-day cover is typical because there’s no detailed medical questionnaire to complete and no GP report to request. FMU typically takes days to weeks as the underwriter reviews your medical history and may need to write to your GP. If you need cover quickly, moratorium is the practical answer.

It depends on the type of condition. For minor, resolved conditions outside the 5-year window, both work equally well. For ongoing chronic conditions (hypertension, diabetes, ongoing mental health treatment), FMU is usually better because you get explicit terms from day one rather than open-ended exclusions under moratorium. For cancer survivors with long all-clear intervals, FMU’s documented terms provide more certainty. See our UK pre-existing conditions guide.

Sometimes — but the insurer may re-underwrite at the switch, meaning new conditions diagnosed during your moratorium policy could be excluded under the new FMU terms. The more common scenarios are staying on moratorium with the same insurer, or switching to another insurer using CPME to preserve existing exclusions and inclusions. Speak with your broker before requesting a switch from moratorium to FMU on an active policy.

Moratorium has higher claim dispute risk because the insurer doesn’t review your medical history upfront — disputes can arise if there’s something in your GP record from the 5-year look-back window that you’d forgotten about. FMU’s pre-agreed terms essentially eliminate this risk because the underwriter has already reviewed and accepted your history. For risk-averse buyers, FMU’s certainty is worth the upfront paperwork.

No — standard policy waiting periods (e.g. for maternity add-ons, dental add-ons) are independent of underwriting type. Both moratorium and FMU policies typically include the same standard waiting periods. The 2-year reinstatement rule under moratorium is a different concept from policy waiting periods — it specifically relates to pre-existing condition exclusions.

It depends on the broker and the client situation. Many UK brokers steer healthy clients to moratorium for the speed and administrative simplicity, while recommending FMU for older applicants or those with complex medical history. A good broker will explain both options, quote both, and let you decide based on the actual terms. If a broker pushes one option without explaining the trade-off, it’s worth asking for both quotes.

Moratorium is the underwriting method itself. The “moratorium clause” is the section of your specific policy wording that defines exactly how moratorium underwriting works for that particular policy — what counts as symptoms, what events reset the 2-year clock, how related conditions are treated, and so on. Wording varies between UK insurers. Always read the clause carefully before purchasing — or ask your broker to explain it.

Yes — FMU is available for healthy applicants too. The trade-off is significant upfront admin (questionnaire, possibly GP report) in exchange for documented confirmation that nothing in your history is excluded. Some healthy applicants prefer this for peace of mind. The downside is unnecessary work if you genuinely have nothing to exclude — moratorium would achieve the same practical outcome with much less effort.

On a family policy under moratorium, each family member’s medical history is assessed individually under their own 5-year look-back window. Under FMU, each family member typically completes their own questionnaire (and potentially own GP report request). For mixed-health families, moratorium is usually significantly simpler administratively — you don’t need separate detailed questionnaires for everyone. See our UK family health insurance guide.

Yes — all major UK private medical insurers offer both moratorium and FMU underwriting on most of their PMI products. Specific defaults vary (Bupa tends to default to moratorium, Saga more often defaults to FMU for over-50s buyers, AXA’s FMU can sometimes allow narrower exclusions), but the choice is available across the market. Always request quotes both ways if you’re unsure.

The safest first step is to access your GP medical record — under UK GDPR you have the right to view your full medical history free of charge. Knowing exactly what’s in your record beats guessing. Once you know your history, the choice becomes clearer: clean record → moratorium; significant history → FMU. If still unsure after seeing your record, get quotes both ways and compare the explicit terms.