Best health insurance companies

In the UK, we're lucky enough to have the NHS, but with pressure on services rising — NHS waiting lists reached record levels in recent years — many of us are also thinking about private healthcare. Here, we briefly explore how health insurance works, what to look for in a policy, and summarise some of the biggest providers in the market so that you can decide if it's right for you.

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What are the different types of health insurance?

Health insurance is an umbrella term that covers different plans, so it can be confusing to work out what you actually need. Here, we've summarised the different packages you can buy, but if you want a more in-depth look at what's covered, we've put together these comprehensive guides:

Private medical insurance (PMI)

Also called private health insurance (PHI), this is what most of us think of when we talk about private healthcare.

PMI sits alongside essential NHS services and covers the cost of treatment for a range of acute conditions.

What is an acute condition?

Acute conditions are short-term illnesses which usually have a clear set of symptoms which can be diagnosed and treated. Hospital stays are generally short-term even if there is longer-term follow up care.

What is a chronic condition?

Chronic conditions are long-term illnesses or health problems that can't be cured. Instead, chronic conditions need to be managed on a regular basis, usually with medication or therapeutic treatment. Examples of chronic conditions include:

How does private medical insurance work?

Usually, you’ll need a referral from your GP. Once that’s done, you’ll be able to access treatment covered by your policy.

Like many other types of insurance, what’s included in your policy will vary according to the provider. As a general rule, the more tailored the package and the more it covers, the more it’s likely to cost.

In most instances, PMI provides services alongside essential NHS care. For example, you’d still use A&E in an emergency and most PMI policies don’t cover childbirth.

Most private health insurance providers will also give you the option of sticking with NHS treatment if the waiting list is less than six weeks. If you choose this feature, it can help reduce your premium.

Policies vary but you can expect PMI to cover:

What are the benefits of private medical insurance?

What are the drawbacks of private medical insurance?

Cash plans

Cash plans generally cost less than PMI and can help cover the cost of routine healthcare — for example, going to the dentist, the optician or chiropodist. As with PMI, you can usually tailor your plan to suit you; the more options you choose, the more you can expect your premium to be.

What are the benefits of a cash plan?

What are the drawbacks of a cash plan?

Critical illness cover

This type of insurance provides a lump sum payment if you're diagnosed with a condition covered by your policy — often including stroke, heart attack or certain types of cancer.

The amount of cover you need will depend on your circumstances. To help you work out what you might need, think about all the expenses you usually cover and any that are in your immediate future, for instance:

Remember – if you have life insurance, check to see if critical illness is part of the policy, otherwise you could end up paying for something you already have.

What to look for in a health insurance policy

With most providers offering broadly similar standard features, the differences that matter most tend to come down to a handful of key areas.

Outpatient cover — this isn't always included as standard, and when it is, it may be capped at a certain value or number of appointments. If you want access to consultants and diagnostics without being admitted to hospital, it's worth checking whether outpatient cover is included and to what extent.

Cancer cover — some policies include comprehensive cancer cover as standard; others offer it as an optional add-on. This is worth examining closely, as cancer treatment can be one of the most significant costs PMI can cover.

Mental health cover — provision varies considerably between providers. Some include mental health support (such as talking therapies or CBT) as standard; others limit it or exclude it altogether.

Hospital networks — most insurers work with a network of approved hospitals and consultants. Wider networks give you more choice, but you'll typically pay more. If there's a particular hospital you'd want to use, it's worth checking whether it's included before you buy. Excess — as with other types of insurance, a higher excess generally means a lower premium. Most providers offer a range of excess levels, so it's worth modelling out the options.

The NHS six-week option — many providers let you choose to use NHS treatment if you'd be seen within six weeks, which can reduce your premium. Not all providers offer this, so if cost is a priority, check whether it's available.

No claims discount — some providers reward you for not claiming with premium reductions at renewal. Others (notably Vitality) use a different model based on healthy lifestyle activity rather than claims history.

Pre-existing conditions — most PMI policies exclude pre-existing conditions, but approaches to underwriting vary. Some providers use moratorium underwriting (covering conditions after a set period of no symptoms); others use full medical underwriting (where you declare your history upfront). It's important to understand which approach your policy takes.

How do the main private health insurance providers compare?

The UK's PMI market is highly concentrated — according to LaingBuisson, Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva and Vitality together account for roughly 95% of policies. Below, we've summarised the main providers, including some of the smaller or alternative options that may suit particular needs.

Defaqto provides independent ratings for financial products and services. Their maximum five stars is awarded for products with comprehensive features and benefits. Find out more at Defaqto.com. Trustpilot ratings cover all products for that provider, not health insurance alone.

Standard features across PMI providers are broadly similar, so no single provider stands out as universally superior — the right choice depends on what matters most to you. Here's a closer look at each.

Aviva

Aviva is one of the UK's largest insurers and a household name. On Trustpilot, they score 4.3 out of 5 overall across all their products, with around 74% of customers giving five stars.

Aviva tends to be one of the more competitively priced traditional PMI providers, and their Healthier Solutions policy offers considerable flexibility — with multiple excess levels, the NHS six-week wait option, and no maximum joining age. Their MyHealthCounts programme can also earn you a 15% discount in your first year. Recurring customer complaints centre on difficulty reaching their customer service team by phone or live chat.

Axa

AXA Health scores 4.1 out of 5 on Trustpilot from over 18,000 reviews. Their product — now called the AXA Health Plan — takes a modular approach, meaning there is no fixed core cover. Instead, you build your policy from a set of options: outpatient diagnosis and care, inpatient and day patient care, cancer care, mental health care, and so on. This gives considerable flexibility but also means you need to think carefully about what you're selecting, as leaving out an option (outpatient cover, for example) can significantly limit what the policy actually does for you in practice.

A standout feature is AXA's Muscles, Bones and Joints service. Members aged 18 and over can access a phone or video appointment with a physiotherapist or specialist without needing a GP referral first, by completing a short online clinical assessment. This is included as standard for most members. It's worth knowing that if the assessment leads to a recommendation for hands-on treatment, diagnostic tests or an onward specialist referral, you'll need the relevant cover options in place for those to be funded.

AXA also offers a no claims discount of up to 80% — one of the highest available. However, the system works across 17 tiers and drops by three tiers if you make any claim, while increasing by only one tier per claim-free year. In practice, this means recovering from a claim takes several years, so it's worth understanding the mechanics before treating the headline figure as a straightforward benefit.

There are a couple of coverage exclusions that are less common in the market and worth flagging. Mental health cover is unavailable to anyone who has been referred to a psychiatrist in the past five years. AXA also excludes any previous cancers regardless of when they were resolved — a stricter approach than some competitors.

On the plus side, all members get access to Doctor@Hand, AXA's 24/7 digital GP service offering phone and video appointments, and a 24/7 health support line with nurses and counsellors.

Benenden Health

It's important to understand that Benenden Health is not a conventional health insurer. Instead, they offer a discretionary healthcare service that complements the NHS — which is why their plan costs a flat £15.85 per month regardless of your age or medical history.

The low price reflects real limitations: services are provided on a discretionary basis, and Benenden only steps in for diagnostics when NHS wait times exceed three weeks, and for surgical treatment when they exceed five weeks. They also don't cover conditions readily treated on the NHS, including cancer, heart conditions and brain disease, and won't cover procedures like hip replacements.

That said, Benenden has a strong customer reputation, with a Trustpilot score of 4.6/5, and won 'Private Healthcare Provider of the Year' in the 2025 Health Insurance & Protection Awards. Members get immediate access to a 24/7 GP and mental health helpline, with diagnostic and treatment services available subject to the NHS wait thresholds above.

They also offer a separate Health Cash Plan, with five levels of cover ranging from £11.32 to £127.89 per month. This provides 100% money back on dental, optical and therapies costs up to your plan limits, with no upper age limit and no medical questions when you join.

Bupa

Bupa is the UK's largest private healthcare provider by revenue and membership, with around 2.3 million health insurance customers in the UK. This scale means patients have access to one of the widest hospital and clinic networks in the country. On Trustpilot, Bupa scores 4.4 out of 5 from nearly 31,000 reviews.

Their cancer cover is widely considered comprehensive, and mental health support — including CBT and talking therapies — is built into many policies. Depending on your policy, you can speak to Bupa directly without needing a GP referral first, and GP access is typically available within 24 hours.

One notable limitation is that Bupa doesn't offer the NHS six-week wait option, which can be a useful way to reduce premiums with other providers. As one of the larger and more comprehensive providers, Bupa also tends to be among the more expensive options.

Simply Health

Simply Health operates as a cash plan provider rather than a traditional PMI insurer. Their plans come in five levels, starting at £7.75 per month for an individual — though at Level 1, dental and optical cashback aren't included. To claim back routine dental and optical costs, you'll need at least Level 2 at £11.00 per month.

All levels include 24/7 access to a GP or nurse via the SimplyPlan app or phone, a mental health helpline with up to six sessions per issue per year if deemed clinically appropriate, physiotherapy and other therapy cashback (up to £50 per year at Level 1, rising to £350 at Level 5), and a digital muscle and joint pain triage service.

On Trustpilot, Simply Health scores 4.1 out of 5, with most complaints relating to the time it takes for claims to appear on the system.

Vitality

Vitality takes a different approach to health insurance, built around encouraging healthier lifestyles. Rather than a traditional no claims discount, members earn points for activities such as going to the gym, running or hitting a daily step target. These points translate into discounts and perks via the Vitality app, including rewards from a range of partner brands.

Cancer cover is comprehensive and included as standard, covering diagnostics, surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapies. Talking therapies — including up to eight sessions of CBT or counselling per year — are also a core benefit, and members can self-refer for up to six physiotherapy sessions per year through Vitality's Priority Physio network, without needing a GP referral first.

Vitality is one of the only UK private health insurers to cover certain weight loss and corrective surgeries. This includes gastric band, gastric sleeve and gastric bypass procedures, as well as breast reduction and some corrective procedures for children. However, this comes with important conditions: members must have held the policy for at least 12 months, must meet strict BMI eligibility criteria (BMI of 40 or above, or 35 or above with co-morbid conditions such as type 2 diabetes or sleep apnoea), and are required to pay 25% of the cost upfront. It is not standard cover in the conventional sense, and members should check their specific policy terms before assuming they qualify.

For menopause support, Vitality has partnered with Peppy, a digital health platform. Through Peppy, members can message menopause practitioners, book video or phone consultations, and get help with symptom management and treatment referral. This is a support service rather than funded treatment coverage.

One notable limitation is that Vitality does not offer the NHS six-week wait option, which other providers use as a way to reduce premiums. Vitality scores 4.2 out of 5 on Trustpilot, though reviews are somewhat mixed — some members find the rewards programme engaging, while others feel the various services don't always join up smoothly in practice.

How to choose a private health insurance provider

Taking out private health insurance is a very personal choice with a lot to consider. PMI can give you faster access to diagnostics and treatment and greater choice in where you're treated — but these benefits need to be weighed against cost, exclusions and your own medical history. Most PMI providers, for example, exclude treatment for pre-existing conditions.

With all this in mind, it's worth taking the time to think about:

Should I get cheaper healthcare insurance?

Most of us want to save money where we can, but when it comes to health insurance, it's worth focusing on value rather than price alone. A cheaper policy might come with more restrictive outpatient limits or a narrower hospital network that makes it less useful when you actually need it.

When comparing policies, pay close attention to exclusions — it's easy to be drawn in by a list of benefits without noticing what's been left out. Cancer care, mental health treatment and outpatient diagnostics are common areas where cheaper policies cut back.

If you're unsure where to start, a regulated broker can help you work through the options based on your specific circumstances.

Don't feel the need to rush into a decision. Most quotes are valid for at least a couple of weeks, and you also have a minimum 14-day cooling off period after buying — so if you change your mind, that's fine.