
Cheap Private Health Insurance
How to slash the cost of getting treatment
Private medical insurance is a luxury as the NHS provides comprehensive treatment to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay. This guide explains how it works and what to watch out for.
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What is private health insurance?
Health insurance covers the cost of private medical treatment for acute conditions which are likely to respond quickly to treatment – musculoskeletal problems (eg, back pain) and digestive system conditions are the most claimed-for issues.
There are lots of different plans to choose from and while basic policies cover essential treatments, more comprehensive policies may include specialist therapies and medicines such as acupuncture or chiropody. In short:
You pay a monthly sum to the insurer and it pays for your treatments incl hospital care and surgery.
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Private health insurance: Your nine need-to-knows
Health insurance covers the cost of private medical treatment and people who buy it typically do so because they receive faster consultations and private treatment – note that this can be in a private or NHS hospital.
Here are nine need-to-knows to help you decide if it's right for you and where to find the best cover at an affordable rate.
How to buy private health insurance
Cheapest doesn't necessarily mean best but you can cut the cost of the premium once you've decided what you want. Follow our two steps below...
Buy a new health insurance policy by 11.59pm on Wed 31 Mar, when you go via this ActiveQuote link, and you can get £50 or £100 automatically paid back to you.
The cashback amount depends on the price of the policy:
- Purchase a policy between £35/mth and £44.99/mth to receive £50 cashback
- Purchase a policy with a minimum monthly premium of £45 to receive £100 cashback
The cashback will automatically be paid in to the account the premiums are being paid from after 6 months continuous payments.
Activequote also provide the quotations for comparison sites Moneysupermarket*, Gocompare and Confused.com, and worth checking in case any special offers appear.
Note: Always make sure the policy meets your needs, and get alternative quotes to compare.
This comparison site is another specialist health (and life) insurance provider worth trying as well in case any special offers appear.
Assured Futures* also provide the health insurance prices for Compare The Market.
Step 2: Contact a broker for more options and specialist advice
If you're not sure which policy to get, or have conditions making it difficult to find the right one, contact a broker for a more thorough search. It does take a bit longer but they will be able to give you a much more bespoke quotation and clearly explain the exclusions connected to your policy. They also often have connections with various insurers and might be able to offer you a deal.
Is there a fee?
Brokers get paid commission by the insurer, so if you are charged a fee (which must be disclosed upfront), do weigh up if that is the best or your only option.
How to find a broker
To find a broker, use the Association of Medical Insurers and Intermediaries, a trade association for independent medical insurance advisers. It has a list of members to choose from.
If you've had a positive experience with a broker, please let us know.
What are the typical costs of health insurance?
We got quotes from the big players in the market to see which came out top. To make it fair, all quotes had a zero excess (so you'd pay nothing towards a claim), unlimited outpatient care and full cancer treatment coverage.
When getting quotes, many insurers will give you the monthly price but if you can pay the annual premium as one payment, you usually get a discount. The prices below should give you a rough idea of how much you can expect to pay a year, taking into account any discounts if you pay as one payment. Remember – only go for a policy if it works for you, no matter how good the discount is.
Finally, as health insurance policies aren't always easy to compare, we're never going to be able to provide a like-for-like comparison. Some areas of coverage are standard with some providers, optional with others, while some have discount offers for the first year or perks.
For a healthy, non-smoking 35-year-old
PROVIDER | COST A YEAR |
---|---|
Aviva | £688 |
Exeter Family Friendly | £804 |
VitalityHealth | £853 |
£881 |
|
£935 |
|
Correct as of Jan 2021. |
For a healthy, non-smoking 70-year-old
PROVIDER | COST A YEAR |
---|---|
Aviva | £2,238 |
Exeter Family Friendly | £2,472 |
Bupa | £2,632 |
VitalityHealth | £2,780 |
Axa Health | £2,834 |
£2,834 |
|
Correct as of Jan 2021. |
Health insurance FAQ
How to complain about your insurance provider
The insurance industry doesn't have the best customer-service reputation and while a provider may be good for some, it can be hell for others. Common problems include claims either not being paid out on time or at all, unfair charges, or exclusions being hidden in small print. It's always worth trying to call your provider first, but, if not, then…

Free tool to help you complain
This tool helps you draft and manage your complaint. It's totally free to use, and it's offered by Resolver, a firm we work with to help people get complaints justice.
RESOLVER – FREE COMPLAINTS TOOL*
If the company won't help, Resolver also helps you escalate your complaint to the free Financial Ombudsman Service.

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