Health Insurance
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Private treatment when you need it, without the wait.
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What Is Health Insurance?
Health insurance is a policy that covers the cost of private medical treatment in the UK, giving you faster access to specialists, shorter waiting times, and a choice of hospitals.
The NHS provides free healthcare, but NHS waiting lists for routine procedures have grown to over 7 million people. A private health insurance policy lets you skip those queues and get diagnosed or treated within days rather than months.
You pay monthly or annual premiums to your insurer. If your GP refers you to a specialist, you make a claim and the insurer covers the cost of your treatment up to your policy limit.
How To Compare Health Insurance
Comparing health insurance quotes takes a few minutes online and could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your premiums.
Enter your details
Provide your age, postcode, and basic medical history. If you smoke or have pre-existing conditions, include these so your quotes are accurate.
Choose your cover level
Pick from basic, mid-level, or comprehensive cover. Decide whether you want extras like dental, optical, or mental health treatment.
Compare your quotes
Your results appear side by side, showing the monthly cost, excess, hospital network, and what each policy covers. Look beyond the price and check the limits on outpatient treatment and therapies.
Buy your policy
Once you find the right cover, you can buy directly from the insurer. Every provider on our panel is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
What Does Health Insurance Cover?
Most health insurance policies cover the cost of private diagnosis, treatment, and aftercare for acute conditions that respond to medical intervention.
Inpatient treatment
Inpatient cover pays for surgery, hospital stays, and any tests or scans you need while admitted. This is the core of every health insurance policy and is included at all cover levels.
Private rooms, consultant-led care, and flexible visiting hours are standard at most private hospitals. You also avoid the long waiting lists that affect many NHS surgical procedures.
Outpatient treatment
Outpatient cover pays for consultations, diagnostic tests, MRI and CT scans, and physiotherapy sessions where you do not need to stay overnight. Basic policies may cap or exclude outpatient treatment entirely.
Cancer treatment
Most policies cover the full cost of cancer diagnosis and treatment, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. Some basic policies set a monetary limit on cancer care, so check the small print.
Mental health treatment
Mid-level and comprehensive policies typically include a set number of sessions with a psychiatrist or psychologist. Basic policies often exclude mental health or offer it as a paid add-on.
What Levels Of Health Insurance Can You Get?
UK health insurance comes in three main tiers: basic, mid-level, and comprehensive. The level you choose determines what treatment is covered and how much you pay.
Basic cover
Basic policies cover inpatient treatment and some diagnostic tests. They are the cheapest option and suit people who want a safety net for major procedures without paying for extras.
Mid-level cover
Mid-level policies add outpatient consultations, cancer care, and limited mental health sessions. This is the most popular tier for individuals and families.
Comprehensive cover
Comprehensive policies cover inpatient, outpatient, cancer, mental health, physiotherapy, and sometimes dental and optical. Some also include private GP consultations and health screenings.
| Feature | Basic | Mid-Level | Comprehensive |
| Inpatient treatment | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Outpatient cover | Limited or excluded | Yes (capped) | Yes (full) |
| Cancer treatment | Capped | Full | Full |
| Mental health | Excluded | Limited sessions | Included |
| Physiotherapy | Excluded | Limited sessions | Included |
| Dental and optical | Excluded | Add-on | Add-on or included |
| Private GP access | No | No | Yes (some policies) |
| Typical monthly cost | £25–£50 | £40–£75 | £75–£150+ |
What Is Not Covered By Health Insurance?
Every health insurance policy has exclusions, and knowing what is not covered helps you avoid unexpected bills.
Pre-existing conditions
Conditions you had before taking out the policy are usually excluded. Some insurers use a moratorium, which means a pre-existing condition may be covered after a set period without symptoms or treatment.
Chronic conditions
Long-term conditions like diabetes, asthma, and high blood pressure are not covered. Health insurance is designed for acute, treatable conditions, so you would continue to manage chronic conditions through the NHS.
Cosmetic surgery
Procedures carried out for appearance rather than medical need are excluded. This includes facelifts, breast augmentation, and elective dental work.
Accident and emergency
If you need emergency treatment, you go to an NHS A&E department. Health insurance does not cover emergency admissions because the NHS handles these free of charge.
Pregnancy and fertility
Routine pregnancy, childbirth, and fertility treatments are excluded from standard policies. Some specialist policies offer maternity cover as an add-on, but it comes with a qualifying period and higher premiums.
Self-inflicted injuries and substance abuse
Injuries caused deliberately or conditions linked to drug or alcohol misuse are excluded. This applies even if the underlying condition would otherwise be covered by your policy.
How Does A Health Insurance Claim Work?
Making a claim on your health insurance starts with a visit to your NHS GP, who refers you to a specialist covered by your policy.
Step-by-step claims process
Your GP writes a referral letter and you contact your insurer to open a claim. The insurer checks your policy, confirms the treatment is covered, and approves it.
You then book your appointment with a consultant or hospital from your insurer's approved list. You can search for recognised consultants and hospitals on the Private Healthcare Information Network.
Worked example
Sarah has mid-level cover with a £100 excess, and her GP refers her to a knee specialist. She calls her insurer, gets approval, and sees the consultant within a week.
The consultation costs £250 and the follow-up MRI costs £500. Sarah pays £100 (her excess) and the insurer covers the remaining £650.
How Much Does Health Insurance Cost?
The average cost of a new health insurance policy in the UK is around £83 per month for an individual, according to industry data. Your actual premium depends on your age, location, cover level, and lifestyle.
| Age group | Basic (monthly) | Mid-level (monthly) | Comprehensive (monthly) |
| 20–29 | £25–£35 | £35–£55 | £60–£90 |
| 30–39 | £30–£45 | £45–£65 | £70–£110 |
| 40–49 | £40–£60 | £55–£85 | £90–£140 |
| 50–59 | £55–£85 | £80–£120 | £120–£200 |
| 60–69 | £75–£120 | £110–£170 | £150–£250 |
Factors that affect your premium
Your age is the biggest factor, because insurers charge more as you get older and the risk of health problems increases. Where you live also matters, as premiums tend to be higher in London and major cities.
Smokers pay more than non-smokers, and your choice of excess directly affects your monthly cost. Your hospital list also matters, because a wider choice of private hospitals costs more than a restricted network.
Underwriting methods
Moratorium underwriting looks back at the five years before your policy starts and automatically excludes any condition you had symptoms or treatment for during that period. If you then go two consecutive years on the policy without symptoms or treatment for an excluded condition, it may become covered.
Full medical underwriting asks you to declare your entire medical history upfront. The insurer reviews it and decides what to cover before your policy starts.
How To Save Money On Health Insurance
There are several ways to cut the cost of your health insurance without giving up the cover you need.
Compare quotes
The easiest way to pay less is to compare health insurance quotes from multiple providers. Prices vary by hundreds of pounds a year for the same level of cover.
Increase your excess
A higher voluntary excess lowers your monthly premium. If you can afford to pay the first £250 or £500 of a claim, you could cut your premiums by 10% to 20%.
Choose a six-week option
A six-week option means you only claim on your private insurance if the NHS waiting time exceeds six weeks. This reduces your premiums because you are less likely to make a claim.
Opt for co-payment
Some insurers let you pay a percentage of each claim, typically 10% to 25%, in exchange for a lower monthly premium. This works well if you do not expect to claim often.
Check your employer benefits
Many employers include health insurance in their benefits package, so check whether your job already covers you. If it does, you might only need a top-up policy for extras like dental or optical.
Cut cover you do not need
Review what your policy includes and remove extras you are unlikely to use. If you do not need mental health cover, physiotherapy, or private GP access, dropping these brings your premium down.
Consider your life insurance too
Health insurance covers treatment while you are alive, but it does not protect your family financially if the worst happens. If you do not already have life insurance, it is worth considering alongside your health cover.
Running a comparison takes a few minutes and shows you the cheapest option for the cover you need. Switching at renewal is one of the simplest ways to keep your costs down.
What Types Of Health Insurance Policies Can You Get?
Health insurance policies are available for individuals, couples, families, and people living or working abroad. The policy type you choose depends on who you want to cover.
Individual cover
An individual policy covers one person and is the most common type of health insurance in the UK. It gives you access to private treatment without NHS waiting times.
Family cover
Family health insurance covers you, your partner, and your children under one policy. It costs less than buying separate individual policies for each family member.
Joint cover
A joint policy covers you and your partner under a single premium. It works the same way as individual cover, but both of you are protected.
Child cover
You can insure your children either as part of a family policy or with a standalone child policy. Children benefit from faster diagnosis and treatment if they become ill, without the waiting times that can affect NHS paediatric services.
Self-employed cover
If you are self-employed, getting ill could mean losing income as well as your health. A health insurance policy gets you treated and back to work faster.
You might also consider income protection insurance to cover your earnings while you recover from illness or injury.
International cover
International health insurance covers you if you live or work abroad, and it is different from travel insurance, which only covers short trips and holidays. International policies renew annually and can include dental and maternity cover.
Frequently Asked Questions
Private health insurance is a policy that pays for private medical treatment in the UK, giving you access to private hospitals, shorter waiting times, and a choice of specialists. It works alongside the NHS and lets you skip waiting lists for non-emergency treatment.
That depends on your circumstances. If you want faster access to treatment and a choice of hospitals, it can be worth the cost, but if you are happy with NHS care and rarely need treatment, you may prefer to self-insure by setting money aside.
Yes, most health insurance policies require a referral letter from your NHS GP before you can make a claim. Your GP recommends a specialist, and you contact your insurer to get the claim approved before booking your appointment.
Your insurer provides a list of approved hospitals and consultants you can choose from. Some comprehensive policies let you access any recognised private hospital in the UK.
Standard UK health insurance policies do not cover you outside the UK. If you need medical cover while living or working abroad, you need an international health insurance policy, and for short holidays, travel insurance covers emergency medical treatment.
Health insurance pays for private medical treatment while you are alive, and life insurance pays a lump sum to your family if you die during the policy term. They serve different purposes, and many people have both.
Standard health insurance does not include dental cover, but you can usually add it as an optional extra for an additional premium. Alternatively, you can buy a standalone dental insurance policy or a healthcare cash plan.
Yes, most insurers offer family health insurance that covers you, your partner, and your children under one premium. Family policies are cheaper than buying separate individual policies for each person.
Moratorium underwriting automatically excludes any condition you had symptoms or treatment for in the five years before your policy starts. If you go two consecutive years on the policy without symptoms or treatment for that condition, it may then be covered, while full medical underwriting asks you to declare your entire medical history upfront so the insurer decides what to cover from day one.
Most insurers accept new customers up to age 75 or 80, and some major providers like Bupa and Aviva have no upper age limit at all. Premiums increase with age, so taking out a policy earlier locks in lower rates.
You do not need health insurance because NHS care is free, but NHS waiting times for non-emergency treatment can stretch to months or years. Health insurance gives you faster access to diagnosis and treatment when waiting is not an option.
Yes, reviewing your policy at renewal helps you avoid overpaying because your circumstances may have changed and new policies may offer better cover or lower premiums. Comparing quotes each year is the best way to make sure you are getting good value.
