How much does health insurance actually cost in the UK? And which policy is best for you, given your situation? We have all of the answers in our ultimate health insurance guide for 2024.
With more and more people in the UK opting to pay for private health insurance, it can be a daunting and confusing task to pick the right policy for you.
Policies vary considerably on price and coverage. Additionally, factors like your age, general health, budget, and type of coverage you require mean that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to health insurance.
In this guide, we will compare various health insurance policies and decide the best overall policy for those on a budget, travellers, self-employed people, families, older people, and small businesses, before choosing the best policy overall.
To keep the comparisons as standardised as possible, we compared policies for a female nonsmoker, living in London, residing in the UK for over five years and registered with a GP for over five years. The policies (with the exception of travel insurance) all covered full diagnosis and treatment, including:
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Hospital fees
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Specialist fees
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Anaesthetist fees
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Diagnostic tests (X-rays, blood tests, etc.)
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Diagnostic scans (MRI, CT & PET scans)
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Cancer treatment, including drugs, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, biological therapies, and other specified treatments
With full diagnosis and treatment covered as standard, we compared policies on other variables, including:
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Price
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Amount of excess
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Additional benefits included in the policy
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Hospital choice
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Your choice – means that you can choose your own consultant from a national network of hospitals listed by your insurer.
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Insurer’s choice – means that your insurer will help you choose from a select number of consultants and hospitals within your local area.
What are the benefits of private healthcare?
Before exploring what is the best private healthcare insurance for you, it is important to understand the advantages of having private healthcare, and what is normally covered in your policy.
Private healthcare offers many benefits over the NHS, including:
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Faster appointments and treatment
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Choice of hospital and doctor
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Treatments not available on the NHS
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Private hospital rooms
What is covered in a private healthcare policy?
What is covered under your policy varies between providers, but in general, most private insurance covers:
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Hospital appointments, diagnostic scans, and tests
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Inpatient treatment – treatment that requires you to stay in hospital
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Outpatient treatment – treatment that does not require a hospital stay
Some policies may also include:
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Physiotherapy
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Dental treatment
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Optical appointments
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Mental health care
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Homeopathy
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Medical and nursing treatment at home
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Treatment for specific diseases like cancer
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GP appointments, in person or online
What isn’t usually covered in a private healthcare policy?
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Pre-existing conditions – medical conditions or illnesses that you already have before taking out health insurance
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Emergency treatment
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Cosmetic surgery
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Fertility treatment
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Drug or alcohol abuse treatment such as rehabilitation
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Treatment overseas – this should be covered by your travel insurance
Now, let’s discover the best health insurance when it comes to affordability, travelling, occupation, families, senior citizens and small business opportunities.
1. What is the most affordable health insurance in the UK?
To find the most affordable health insurance for those on a budget, we compared quotes for a female 30-year-old non-smoker living in London with no previous medical conditions.
he cheapest private health insurance quote we received was with WPA Insurance at £35.87 per month. The excess on this policy is £500, and the hospital is your choice.
In addition to the full treatment and diagnosis outlined above, WPA offered the following additional benefits:
- Unlimited online GP appointments
The runners up: General Medical & Bupa
The second cheapest quote was General Medical at £51.09 per month, closely followed by Bupa at £54.59 per month.
The excess with both providers is £500, but with General Medical, the hospital is your choice and with Bupa, it’s the insurer’s choice.
Additional benefits offered by General Medical include:
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£1000 per policy year towards outpatient psychiatry treatment
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£1000 per policy year towards physiotherapy and complementary medicine
Bupa’s additional benefits include:
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Mental health treatment limited to 28 days inpatient or day patient care (combined) each year
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Online GP service through Bupa Blua
2. What is the best health insurance for holidays and travel?
Our annual summer holiday is a time we look forward to all year and the last thing on our mind is having an accident or becoming unwell whilst abroad.
But, sometimes, the unexpected can happen. Not having insurance, or having the wrong type of insurance, can leave you seriously out of pocket. Or even stranded in a foreign hospital with a hefty bill.
Travel insurance varies from health insurance in that it also covers other aspects of travel, such as cancellation and lost baggage. We compared price, and what was covered in the policy, taking a special look at medical cover for both single-trip and multi-trip (annual) insurance.
Best family single-trip insurance
To determine the best travel insurance, we compared quotes for a family of four travelling to Spain for the first two weeks of July.
The winner
The best overall travel insurance for a family of four was insurewithease.com.
Cover with their Silver policy is £33.60 for a family of four and includes £10 million medical coverage, £1000 cancellation, £1000 baggage insurance and COVID-19 cover, with an excess of £95.
The runners up
The next best option was Cedartree travel insurance at £35.38. Underwritten by AXA, the policy includes £15 million medical coverage £1000 cancellation, £1000 baggage insurance and COVID-19 cover. The excess is higher than with Insurewithease at £150.
Coming in third was Insure & Escape at £42.80. This policy matched the cheapest cover offered by Insurewithease with £10 million in medical expenses, £1000 each for cancellation and baggage and COVID-19 cover. The excess on this policy was £150.
Best multi-trip insurance
We compared annual multi-trip travel insurance with worldwide cover for a single, 25-year-old with no pre-existing medical conditions and looked at the best cover offered for 31 days and 45 days per trip.
The best annual multi trip insurance (31 days per trip)
The best coverage for 31 days per trip was Coverwise with an annual premium of £34.60, which includes £20 million medical cover, £2000 cancellation cover and £1750 baggage insurance. Excess was £50.
The next best annual multi-trip insurance, also providing £20 million in medical cover, £5000 for cancellations and £2500 in baggage insurance with an excess of £50, was Admiral, at £45.74 per year.
The best annual multi trip insurance (45 days per trip)
The best policy for longer trips up to 45 days was CoverForYou at £68.50 per year. This includes £15 million in medical expenses, £3000 cancellation cover and £2000 for baggage. Excess was £50.
Comparatively, the next most affordable, loveit coverit came in at £73.32 per year. This also covers medical expenses up to £15 million but offers increased cover on cancellations (£5000) and baggage (£3000). Excess was the same at £50.
3. What is the best health insurance for the self-employed?
If you are self-employed, for example, as a freelancer, contractor, or sole trader, it’s important to find a health insurance provider that best meets your needs. As you are unlikely to get sick pay for time off work, getting back to work as soon as possible is a priority.
In addition to health insurance, we strongly recommend that you take out income protection insurance if you are self-employed. This type of insurance covers you for time taken off work due to injury, illness or unemployment and will pay a monthly sum (up to 70% of your gross salary) to cover your living expenses.
We compared policies for a female 50-year-old self-employed nonsmoker living in London.
The winner
The overall winner was Vitality, with a monthly premium of £97.99. It offered the same overall cover as the two runners up and the same excess of £250 towards the first claim each year. All three companies offer full cover for treatment, diagnosis, and cancer treatment.
Additional benefits offered by Vitality include:
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Full Cover Promise
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Four virtual GP appointments per year
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Health and Rewards scheme
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Chiropractic treatment
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Chiropody/podiatry
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Acupuncture
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Homeopathy
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Two dietician consultations (with a referral from a GP or consultant)
The runners up
The second-best health insurance for self-imployed individuals was The Exeter, with a monthly fee of £103.43. In addition to basic cover it offers:
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Four virtual GP appointments per year with The Exeter’s online virtual GP service
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Up to six virtual physiotherapy sessions per year
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Up to six virtual mental health sessions per year
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Physiotherapy, osteopathy, acupuncture, podiatry, and treatment with a chiropractor when referred by a GP or consultant (up to £1000 per policy year)
In third place was Freedom Health Insurance with monthly premiums of £110.26. Additional benefits of this policy include:
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Up to six sessions of acupuncture, homeopathy, osteopathy, podiatry, and chiropractic treatment when referred by a GP (up to £1500 per policy year)
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24/7 access to a GP via virtual appointments, or a GP helpline
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Two year’s fixed premium regardless of whether you make a claim
4. What is the best health insurance for family cover?
We compared quotes for a family of four (two parents and two children), nonsmokers, with no pre-existing health conditions living in London.
The winner
The best family cover in terms of both price and cover was Vitality at £153.04. The excess was £250 towards the first claim each year, and the hospital was the insurer’s choice.
In addition to treatment, diagnostics and cancer care covered in full, Vitality offers the following additional benefits:
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Full Cover Promise
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Four virtual GP appointments per year
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Health and Rewards scheme
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Chiropractic treatment
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Chiropody/podiatry
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Acupuncture
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Homeopathy
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Two dietician consultations (with a referral from a GP or consultant)
The runners up
At a marginally higher premium, Bupa came in second at £154.68 per month. The excess was the same at £250 and the hospital was the insurer’s choice.
Additional benefits include:
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Mental health treatment (limited to 28 days inpatient or day patient care (combined) each year)
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Virtual GP service through Bupa Blua
The third-best family cover option was WPA at £162.02 per month. The excess is the same at £250, but the hospital is your choice.
Additional benefits offered by WPA include:
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Unlimited digital GP appointments
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Unlimited cancer treatment
5. What is the best health insurance for seniors?
The best health insurance policy for seniors was based on a female 75-year-old nonsmoker living in London.
The winner
In first place was The Exeter. At £295 per month, it is slightly more expensive than our second choice, but offers considerably more in additional benefits, including:
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Four online GP appointments with Exeter’s virtual GP service
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Up to six virtual physiotherapy sessions per year
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Up to six virtual mental health sessions per year
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Physiotherapy, osteopathy, acupuncture, podiatry, and chiropractor treatment when referred by a GP or consultant (up to £1000 per policy year)
After considering the benefits above, The Exeter is considered the best private health insurance for senior citizens. The excess on this policy is £250, and the hospital is the insurer’s choice.
The runners up
At £277.98 per month, Saga was the most affordable health insurance for seniors and included some attractive benefits such as mental health care and help with home care during recovery from illness, injury, or surgery.
As with The Exeter, the excess with this policy is £250 towards the first claim each year and the insurer’s choice of hospital.
Additional benefits include:
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Mental health support through Stronger Minds
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Mental health inpatient and day patient treatment up to 28 days per year, including £2500 per year for outpatient mental health treatment
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Up to £2000 for recuperative home care
In third place, Bupa came in at £288.87 per month with a £250 excess and the insurer’s choice of hospital.
Additional benefits include:
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Mental health treatment limited to 28 days inpatient or day patient care (combined) each year
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Virtual GP service through Bupa Blua
6. What is the best health insurance for small businesses?
Private health insurance is one of the most attractive employee benefits. Offering private health insurance will make your company stand out to potential employees, increasing recruitment, and improving employee wellbeing and staff retention.
Offering private health insurance also benefits you as an employer. Providing your employees with access to quick appointments and avoiding lengthy NHS waiting times minimises time off sick, allowing your employees to get back to work faster.
How much does health insurance for small businesses cost?
The cost of health insurance for a small business varies considerably and is affected by many different factors, including:
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The number of employees
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Employees’ average age
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Whether employees’ family members are included in the cover
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Company location
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The level of cover
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The current cost of private treatments
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The industry your business works in
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The current cost of private treatments
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The type of underwriting
According to myTribe Insurance, the average cost of comprehensive cover for a 34-year-old employee is £25.24 per month.
Price aside, there are many small business health insurance options available, offering a variety of additional benefits on top of standard cover.
The winner
Our winner, with the widest range of additional benefits, is Vitality. Their small business insurance is available to businesses with between one and 249 employees.
In addition to standard health insurance, Vitality offer:
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Virtual GP consultations within 48 hours
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Advanced cancer care and screening
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A year’s subscription to the sleep and meditation app Headspace
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Up to eight sessions of talking therapy/cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
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Better Health scheme (rewards to encourage healthy habits)
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Better Rewards (no claims with all-year-round rewards/discounts from top brands)
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Up to six physiotherapy sessions
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NHS cash benefits (cash back for choosing to be treated on the NHS rather than privately) £250 per night up to £2000 per plan/year and £125 per day up to £500 per plan/year
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Up to £100 per year for private prescriptions/minor tests
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Home nursing
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Private ambulance
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Oral surgery
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Parent accommodation
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Rehabilitation
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Childbirth/adoption cash benefits
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Pregnancy complications cover
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Menopause support
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Weight loss surgery (member contribution 25%)
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Corrective surgeries (member contribution 25%)
The runners up
In second place, was AXA Health, whose small business health insurance provides cover for companies with between one and 249 employees.
Additional benefits include:
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24/7 phone or video appointments with an online GP or advanced nurse practitioner
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Phone or video consultation with an expert in muscles, bones, and joints without the need for a GP referral
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Fast-track services for specialists
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24/7 Health information phone line
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Phone or video physiotherapy consultations
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Up to 40% off monthly Nuffield Health, Fitness and Wellbeing centre membership, and Hussle Monthly+ pass fees
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Telephone support for cancer care and heart conditions
In third place, with a good selection of additional benefits, is Bupa. Their small business health insurance is available to companies with fewer than 250 employees. Additional benefits include:
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Access to up to 600 hospitals in the Bupa network
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24/7 access to a qualified nurse (Bupa Anytime Healthline)
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24/7 access to online GP appointments via Bupa Blua
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AI symptom checker
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Extensive mental health cover, including alcohol and drug abuse and self-harm
7. What is the best overall health insurance in the UK?
Winner
The overall winner, coming top in three out of five of our categories, is Vitality.
This London-based company offers a winning combination of affordability and a wide range of additional benefits included as standard across a range of policies. It is also the only UK company to provide a full cover promise.
In addition, Vitality focuses on health prevention by rewarding healthy habits with rewards and discounts on a range of products.
Coverage for a female 30-year-old non-smoker living in London with no previous medical conditions was quoted at £50.12 per month.
Runners up
In second place, Bupa was runner-up in four out of five categories and offers comprehensive health insurance and significant additional benefits at a reasonable price. As the largest health insurance provider in the UK, Bupa also runs a network of hospitals across the country and is one of the few health insurance providers to accept new applicants over the age of 65.
Bupa quoted £37.69 for comprehensive cover for a female 30-year-old non-smoker with no previous medical conditions living in London.
In joint third place, as runners up in two out of five categories are WPA and The Exeter.
WPA is one of the smaller providers on the market, but easily rivals its competitors with excellent customer service and flexible policies that can be tailored to your needs. WPA is a nonprofit organisation and doesn’t have shareholders, meaning its profits can be reinvested in the company to improve service for customers.
WPA quoted £35.87 for a female 30-year-old non-smoker with no previous medical conditions living in London.
The Exeter is another nonprofit organisation that offers comprehensive healthcare and great customer service. It also offers the option to tailor your plan and includes additional benefits such as virtual GP appointments, physiotherapy, and mental health care.
The Exeter gave a quote of £47.96 for a 30-year-old non-smoker with no previous medical conditions living in London.
Summary: UK private health insurance comparison for 2024
When choosing health insurance, it’s important to take your time and choose the best policy for you, your family or employees based on your individual needs.
Besides looking at what is covered under your policy, compare factors like the amount of excess you will need to pay when making a claim, whether your hospital is chosen by you or your insurer and what additional benefits are included with your policy. Many insurance companies will allow you to customise your policy to add more benefits for an extra fee.
Though choosing the right health insurance policy can seem like an overwhelming task, we hope this guide has helped you navigate the complex world of private health insurance and made the search a little easier in 2024.
Featured Photo by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography on Unsplash.
