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Health insurance

Health insurance

You could get medical treatment by taking out private health insurance. Compare insurers that could offer in-patient treatment, a health advice helpline and a no claims discount.

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Compare multiple providers to find the best deal for you
Individual, family, joint & children's policies
Extras: dentistry, eyecare, physiotherapy, mental health care

Health insurance

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Compare Health insurance from leading UK companies

You'll only find results from genuine companies. Our data experts check each company before we add them to our comparisons.

What is health insurance?

Having health insurance means that some – or all – of the cost of private healthcare treatment will be covered if you’re ill or injured. Without medical insurance, the bill for private healthcare can run into the tens of thousands.

Even though the NHS offers free healthcare in the UK, many people still like to have health insurance. That’s because private healthcare comes with added benefits, such as faster treatments for long-term conditions and more flexibility about where you're treated.

There are also services available through health insurance that simply aren't available on the NHS - including access to specialist treatment and private rooms.

You can either get single policy health insurance which is just for you, or you can get a joint or family policy to cover your loved ones too.

Read more about how health insurance works here.

Benefits available through private health insurance

Lower waiting time

Appointments can sometimes be found more quickly than on the NHS

Choice of hospitals

There can be a selection of hospitals to let you choose you're treated

Physiotherapy

Private health insurance can offer quicker access to physiotherapy too

Private rooms

Policies can offer private rooms for you rather than open wards

Specialist referrals

Policies can let you get GP referrals for consultations from specialists

Specialist treatments

Private cover can include treatment from specialists that aren't on the NHS

How to get a health insurance quote

Compare our Health insurance deals

Put in your details to compare polices, then choose the deal from our results table that best suits your lifestyle and the needs of you or your family.

Fill in an application form from your chosen provider

Fill out the quote form with your chosen health insurance provider. This will include things like your personal information, any existing health conditions and your medical history.

Adjust for the level of cover you need

Tell your provider how much cover you will need to meet the cost of for your health insurance bills, adding in or removing any optional extras you think are important.

Wait for your results to see if you're accepted

Your health insurance will start after the application is accepted, or select an alternative provider to compare quotes if rejected.

Types of health insurance

Some medical insurance policies let you pick what to cover. They base the price around your choices.

There are three main types of insurance for private health care:

Basic Health Insurance Cover

Usually pays for inpatient treatments and stays.

Medium Health Insurance Cover

Usually covers outpatient care as well time in the hospital.

Comprehensive Health Insurance

Includes all the above, plus cover for treatments such as physiotherapy.

After you’ve decided what you want, you can compare health insurance policies using our health insurance comparison.

Doing a health insurance comparison makes getting health insurance quotes easy. Check the following features to help you make a decision:

The level of cover
The cost
The excess charge
Claim limits

It's also good to know if there's a delay between buying the health insurance policy and making your first claim.

What comes as standard? Health insurance providers compared

All providers offer hospital stays and a choice of locations - although you can frequently upgrade to get an even wider choice.

But the standard options change depending on who's offering the service. Here we've rounded up the main benefits of the comprehensive policies of the major health insurance providers.

Health insurance options by provider

Updated 11 August 2021

Provider	Acute conditions	Chronic conditions	Hospital choice	Cancer care	Pregnancy/childbirth	Outpatient	Dental	Mental health
Aviva	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Optional	Optional
AXA PPP	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Optional	Optional	Optional
Bupa	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Optional	Yes
Freedom Health Insurance	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Some	Optional	Yes	Optional
General Medical	Yes	No	Optional	Yes	Some	Yes	Optional	Optional
Health-on-line	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Optional	Optional
PHC	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Optional
Saga	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	N/A	Yes	Optional	Optional
The Exeter	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Vitality	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Optional	Optional

How much does private health care insurance cost?

Male pediatrician hold stethoscope exam child boy patient visit doctor with mother, check heart lungs of kid do pediatric checkup in hospital children medical care concept

Private health care costs vary. That’s because the cost of your medical insurance is affected by many factors. These factors include:

Your age – the price might increase with every birthday
Your medical history – your insurer will want to know about pre-existing conditions
Your family medical history – as this may be relevant to your own health
Where you live – London is more expensive than other areas of the UK
Your lifestyle – your insurer will want to know about your habits, such as whether you drink, smoke or exercise
What you want to be covered for – you’ll need to decide how much cover you want

With private healthcare insurance, there are two costs to think about. The first is the cost of your health insurance policy and the second is your excess - how much of the claim you pay yourself.

Of course, you want the best private health insurance so you can access the private medical care you want. But it’s important to find a policy you can afford - especially with the average private health insurance policy coming in at £1,435 a year¹.

Prices for private medical treatments²

Elective C-section - from £7,950

Knee replacement - from £14,670

Breast reduction - from £3,815

Hip replacement - From £12,363

Gastroscopy - From £1,640

Lumbar decompression - From £6,590

Dental Insurance

UK health insurance providers might also offer private dental insurance as an additional extra. If you are unable to use an NHS dentist, a dental plan can cover the cost of routine consultations and emergency procedures. You will usually have to pay the dentist first, then claim the money back through your dental insurance plan. Some cosmetic procedures, such as teeth whitening, will not be covered by dental insurance. UK dental costs can quickly add up, so a private dental insurance plan could potentially save you money.

It is worth considering that best dental insurance can be more valuable depending on where you live. The costs of dental treatment can vary wildly across the country, so private dental insurance may be the best option for you if your preferred dentist is particularly expensive.

It is also important to remember that unlike standard hospital treatment or medical appointments, NHS dental procedures and consultations still cost money for most people. If you usually pay for dental treatment, whether through the NHS or a private dental insurance plan, it is worth weighing up your existing costs against buying a dental insurance plan.

Joel Kempson, Health Insurance Expert

"Comprehensive health insurance policies may be the most expensive, but they will provide the complete cover. This could be especially important if you're worried about your health or problems developing as you age.

"Don't go just go for the cheapest option – find the best cover for you and your family."

Health insurance FAQs

What does a private health insurance policy cover?

Your private health insurance covers you for private healthcare treatment as an inpatient or outpatient. This means you could be covered for:

staying overnight in a hospital bed, for example for surgery as an outpatient
consultations or diagnosis appointments as a day patient (where you don’t need an overnight stay)
any other regular appointments where you don’t need to stay in a hospital overnight.

What does health care insurance not cover?

Most private health insurance, may not cover you for:

long-term conditions
emergencies
treatment you choose to have but don’t necessarily need, such as cosmetic treatment
organ transplants
drug abuse
alcohol abuse
treatment abroad

There are sometimes ‘extras’ that you can add on to your health insurance policy, which aren’t automatically included. For example:

dentistry
eyecare
physiotherapy
mental health.

Will health insurance cover my existing conditions?

Some policies can include them, but many do not pay out for them. Here is how cover for pre-existing conditions works.

Do I need a medical check before I get health insurance?

Some policies make you fill out a declaration about your health, and some may need to run medical tests. But moratorium policies do not do this.

Will my health affect the cost of my insurance?

Yes, some policies could charge you more if you have existing conditions. Others only charge you more if you need to cover treatment for them.

How can you reduce the cost of your private healthcare

If you need to lower the cost of your healthcare insurance, there are several things that might help. These include:

agreeing to pay a higher excess when you make a claim
proving to your private medical insurer that you live a healthy lifestyle – for example, by exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet
reducing the number of hospitals you have access to
reducing the level of cover you have
co-paying on claims, which is when you split the cost of treatment with your insurer
paying annually rather than monthly.

Which hospitals or doctors can I use?

Most companies give you a choice of several medical facilities when you are referred for treatment.

Can I still use the NHS if I get health insurance?

Yes, you can get free treatment on the NHS or use your policy to pay for private treatment.

Does health insurance cover me abroad?

No, most of these policies only cover treatment in the UK, but you could get medical cover from your travel insurance if you go abroad.

Can I get health insurance for my family?

Yes, you could get separate policies for everyone or a single family healthcare policy.

Can I get health insurance if I am disabled?

Yes, but some providers do not cover treatment for any conditions that are related to your disability.

Why compare health insurance with money.co.uk?

By comparing health insurance, you could save money on the policy. The best value health insurance will offer the cover to you and your family need at an affordable price. Choose a cover plan from the best UK health insurance companies and see the online discounts they offer.

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