Compare private health insurance quotes
When it comes to health cover for you or your family it’s important to shop around and find the right policy to suit your needs and budget. We search across leading health insurance providers to show you our best deals tailored to your requirements.
*Accurate as of March 2023
Private health insurance covers the cost of private healthcare. Like other insurance, you'll pay monthly or annual premiums - then, should you need private medical treatment, your provider will pay out for some or all of the cost.
Private medical insurance works as a helping hand when you need it most, from in-patient treatment to extra support for mental health, depending on your policy. You can take out private health insurance for yourself, or as a joint policy to cover you and your partner.
If you think you have a health problem, you’d visit your GP or healthcare provider but let them know you have private cover. They’ll refer you to a specialist if needed. You may be able to choose private hospitals or specialists that aren’t offered by the NHS.
You’ll then need to tell your insurer that you want to make a claim. They’ll confirm whether the treatment you need is covered by your policy and if it is your insurer will approve your claim.
Your GP will book your appointment. The cost will be covered by your insurance provider so long as your policy is active. You may also be asked to pay an excess toward the cost of treatment depending on your policy details.
Private health insurance gives you the freedom of your own choice when it comes to medical treatment. Whether it is worth it will depend on your personal circumstances however reasons to opt for private health insurance rather than publicly funded healthcare include:
If you’d like to jump ahead of NHS waiting lists, private health insurance can help you be seen quicker by giving you fast access to GP appointments and medical specialists which can be valuable when it comes to surgical treatment
If you enjoy a quieter environment, private health insurance can give you more privacy and home comforts
Some treatments and therapies aren’t offered by the NHS, especially specialist surgery for sports-related injuries. Make sure your health insurance provider covers the treatment you need beforehand
With private health insurance, you're likely to get quicker access to physiotherapy sessions than you would through NHS treatment
You'll be able to ask your GP to refer you to an expert or specialist working privately, so you can get a second opinion or specialist treatment
You may have a choice of specialist surgeons and be able to choose your hospital, which isn't possible on the NHS
The type of policy you choose will determine what is and isn't covered so it’s important to carefully check policy details before you buy to make sure it meets your requirements. In general, a policy will involve the following:
Outpatient treatment (e.g., scans, tests, hospital appointments and x-rays)
Inpatient treatment
Access to a Digital GP app
Physiotherapy
Treatment for long term, chronic or pre-existing conditions
Emergency treatment
Treatment you can get quickly within the NHS
Maternity care
There are different types of health insurance to choose from to suit your needs, including:
Individual health insurance helps you skip NHS waiting times and receive treatment quickly should you become ill or injured
Family health insurance provides cover for the whole family, with treatment that is offered quickly should any of you need it
Child health insurance offers tailored cover for your child's growing needs, and if they become ill or injured
Joint health insurance offers couples peace of mind should either need treatment, received quickly and at a hospital of your choice
Health insurance won't cost the same for every person - your premium will be calculated based on different factors, including:
Age can be an important factor in how your health insurance premium is calculated. As you get older, you become more at risk of developing health conditions and needing medical services
If you’re a smoker, this will affect your premium as you’re seen as higher risk. Reducing your alcohol intake may also help bring costs down
Comprehensive health insurance is more expensive than a basic policy, so decide if more extensive cover is needed if you're looking to keep costs down
The higher your excess, the more you'll contribute towards your healthcare costs - so the lower your premiums will be
"When choosing your health insurance policy, make sure you consider exactly what treatment you're looking to cover, just in case the unexpected happens and you need medical support. A comprehensive policy can cover extra treatment, like physiotherapy, which can be reassuring if you need surgery. So, for extra peace of mind, weigh up exactly what you want your policy to cover so you aren't left feeling disappointed!
"
If you're looking for ways to cut the cost of private health insurance, there are steps you could consider:
Comparing private medical insurance across different providers can help you find the right policy at an affordable price for you
Excess payments are what you pay towards your claim before your insurer covers the rest. If you choose to pay more in excess it can indicate to insurers that you'll only claim when you need to, which means they may lower your premiums as a result
If you don't need certain extra levels of cover, removing them from your policy can also help keep your premiums down as you'll only pay for the cover you actually need
Private medical insurance policies come with their own hospital list indicating where you can receive private healthcare treatment in the UK. Reducing the number of preferred hospitals on your list can bring your premiums down.
A six-week option means that, instead of claiming on your policy, you will use the NHS if it can deliver inpatient or treatment within six weeks of referral. This can help cut insurance costs as it can reduce the likelihood of you needing to claim
You may have the option to pay a certain percentage towards your claim on top of the excess payment - known as co-payment. By reducing the cost of your claim, you can also lower your own monthly cost of cover
To find a suitable quote for you, we will need to know a few details, including:
This includes disclosing whether you are a smoker, if you are recovering from any long-term medical issues and any additional people you would like to add to your policy.
Choose what level of cover you would like to include in your policy.
We will browse the market for deals from leading UK health insurance providers to find the best policy for you at the lowest possible price.
It's unlikely that you'll need to use your health insurance for COVID-19 treatment as the majority who get COVID-19 recover fairly quickly and won't always need to go into hospital.
If you are sent to hospital because of coronavirus, it will be seen as emergency treatment. Emergency treatment is always handled through the NHS, as private hospitals aren't designed to cover emergency care.
Health insurance is usually intended to cover conditions that occur or develop after you've taken out your policy. If you have a pre-existing condition you'll generally still be able to buy private health insurance, however it's unlikely you'll be covered for treatment if it flares up.
Some insurers offer cover for certain pre-existing conditions if they are seen as minor (but the definition for this can vary), or if they believe the symptoms are unlikely to come back again. If you haven't experienced any symptoms for around five years (this may vary), insurers may be more willing to cover you for the condition.
Private health insurance providers can have extensive lists of conditions that won't be covered, as well as certain situations where you won't be able to claim for treatment costs. Some situations and conditions that aren't covered by private health insurance include:
Organ transplants
Cosmetic treatment
Pre-existing conditions
Chronic conditions
Self-inflicted injuries
Injuries related to dangerous sports or activities
Substance abuse
Routine pregnancy
Mobility aids
Depending on the provider or insurance products you choose, there may be optional extras you can add to your private health insurance policy. Some of these extras may be included as standard, while some may be excluded entirely. You'll usually be able to choose to add:
Dentistry cover
Homeopathy
Some health insurance providers might have an auto-renewal feature in place, which means you won't necessarily need to renew it yourself. However auto-renewals can be risky as insurers often raise premiums when they renew your policy.
It may be best to compare policies when yours is running out, in order to ensure you can stay on the best available deal for the cover you need.
You can take out joint private health insurance if you want to add your partner to your policy. Some health insurance providers will also let you add your children, so you have one policy for the whole family.
It's worthwhile checking what your provider offers, so if you're not happy with your cover options you can shop around and find the right deal for your needs.
You'll likely need to be over 18 to take a policy out for yourself, but under-18s can usually be added to their parent or guardian's policy - again, it's best to check beforehand instead of assuming. Some providers might have upper age limits, but even if they don't you can generally expect to pay more the older you are when you take out a policy.
You shouldn't need to go through a medical to get private health insurance. Most insurers will simply ask you to fill out a medical history form, so they can get an understanding of your lifestyle and medical history.
If your work offers private health insurance through an employee benefits package, it's unlikely that you'll need to take our private health insurance yourself. Just make sure you check exactly what you're covered for through your work, as your policy may not cover what you need it to.
If you're after health insurance that covers optional extras like dentistry or physiotherapy, your policy through your work may not cover this.
Health insurance is not the same as a healthcare cash plan, and you can have both at the same time.
Health care cash plans are schemes where you pay a monthly fee to cover your routinely medical appointments, while health insurance usually covers treatment for conditions that develop after you take out your cover. You'll use a cash plan for routinely appointments, like an eye test or dental check-up.
Unlike medical insurance, which is used for private treatment, a healthcare cash plan can be used alongside the NHS (as you may be expected to pay for prescriptions, eye tests and the dentist, depending on where you live.)
Depending on your policy type, you may need to pay an excess only once each policy year, while other policies will charge an excess each time you make a claim. The higher excess you have, the lower your health insurance premiums are likely to be.
Health insurance can cover you for private health care in the UK, while critical illness cover pays out a lump sum or source of income if you're diagnosed with a serious illness that your policy covers. Unlike health insurance that you claim on for private medical treatment, critical illness cover is there for financial peace of mind, if you're diagnosed with a serious illness during the term of your policy.
Most private health insurance policies won't cover you if your fall unwell abroad, but it's best to check this with your insurer as policies do vary. If your policy does offer cover abroad, it's likely to only pay out for emergency treatment. With this in mind, it's important that you take out medical travel insurance when travelling outside the UK, so you can be protected against the unexpected.
You work hard to earn your money, and we don’t think you should waste a penny of it paying over the odds on your household bills. That’s why at MoneySuperMarket, we’re on a mission to save Britain money.
Whip your credit score into shape with Credit Monitor
Super save over and over again with Energy Monitor
There are always more ways to save with MoneySuperMarket
So how do we make our money? In a nutshell, when you use us to buy something, we get a reward from the company you’re buying from.
You might be wondering if we work with all the companies in the market, or if our commercial relationships with our partners might make us feature one company above another. We’ve got nothing to hide, and we want to give you clear answers when it comes to questions like these, so we’ve pulled together everything you need to know on this page.
