Bupa Health Insurance Review: Is it worth it?

Bupa established itself in 1947 as a health funding organization and has since amassed over 31 million customers worldwide making it one of the leading healthcare companies, providing not only private health insurance but also treatment and advice. As a result it has become a household name and is certainly one to consider if you are thinking about taking out private health insurance.

But how good is Bupa's offer really? In this review we'll take a closer look at Bupa and what their private health insurance plan entails, including what is and isn't covered, exclusions and of course, how much taking out a policy with them might cost you.

In This Review

• Bupa Private Health Insurance: Overall Review
  • Why choose Bupa Private Health insurance?
  • Customer Reviews and Ratings
  • How much is Bupa Private Health insurance?
  • What is and isn’t covered?
• How to Claim
• Bupa Private Health insurance: discounts and savings
• FAQ’s

Bupa Private Health Insurance: Overall Review

Bupa is considered one of the biggest names in the health insurance industry, both in the UK and internationally — in fact, they operate in 190 countries! Across the 31 million customers they serve, health insurance makes up around 18 million of these making them a popular choice indeed. Not only does Bupa offer individual private health insurance plans, they also offer cover for couples as well as for families too.

With this in mind, it might come as no surprise that Bupa has earned a pretty sterling reputation amongst experts and customers alike. They have earned an impressive Trustpilot rating of 4.4 out of 5, indicating an excellent customer experience. Not only that, their comprehensive cover has a pretty solid set of features compared to other products on the market.

Bupa's reputation isn't completely without blemishes, however. Whilst their comprehensive tier of cover is pretty top notch, their standard tier 'Treatment and Care' has less coverage (and is cheaper, of course). It is important to keep in mind that whilst overall features are an indication of the overall quality of a product, there are many other factors to take into account too, such as cost and what you are looking for in cover.

We'll get into those later on, but for starters let's take a look at why Bupa might be the private health insurance provider for you...

Why choose Bupa Private Health Insurance?

Bupa's private health insurance comes with a range of benefits that might appeal to any new customer. Here are a few key ones we feel are worth knowing about:

Customer Reviews and Ratings

^Note, this rating is based on only 121 customer reviews so use as a guide only

Overall, expert and customer ratings for Bupa health insurance were generally positive.

But when taking a look at the customer experience of Bupa's health insurance customers, the picture is slightly mixed. Whilst they have received an 'excellent' Trustpilot rating of 4.4 out of 5 across over 12,000 reviews, they have received a very disappointing rating of 1.4 out of 5 according to the customer feedback site reviewcentre.com. It's important to bear in mind that this lower rating is based on only 121 reviews, compared to Trustpilot's 12,000 so we'd recommend taking this with a pinch of salt.

Regardless, considering how large Bupa's health insurance customer base is (around 18,000 at the time of writing!), we feel that the general consensus indicated a positive experience using their service. Let's take a closer look at some of the feedback given by verified Bupa health insurance customers...

What does Bupa Private Health Insurance do well?

We reviewed hundreds of pieces of feedback left by verified customers and found a few key areas that Bupa appear to do particularly well.

They have been praised on the clarity of information and the high level of professionalism from their customer service agents, with many noting it has given them peace of mind during stressful times and has left them feeling well-informed through out the whole process. The service itself has also been highly praised, in particular customers have commended Bupa on the excellent medical staff they work with and also the speed with which they handle claims.

“Excellent service when you need it. I had serious hip issues and they saved me from becoming permanently disabled. I was able to sort out my expert and progress to receiving all the treatment I needed with little fuss or issues”

“I'm really pleased with the service, from assessment to being diagnosed. The next step of finding the correct treatment when I was at an all-time low was slow but this is understandable at this present time. I would highly recommend BUPA”

“Following my call to BUPA i booked an appointment at a local private hospital and was seen by a consultant within 2 weeks. The consultant referred me for an MRI scan which was available within 2 days of the consultation. All in all a brilliant service”

“The customer service received was excellent, each time I spoke with someone they were professional & explained the whole process which made my experience so much easier. They also backed up our conversation with either a text message or an email. I definitely recommend Bupa!”

“Bupa has been a lifesaver for me. Always professional and got me the help I needed after years trying to get help from NHS. I am finally on the mend and I cannot be more greatful to Bupa and the doctors that are connected to them”

What could Bupa Private Health Insurance improve?

Although we found the feedback for Bupa's private health insurance to be overwhelmingly positive, there is always room for improvement. We noticed some customers were unhappy with the recent changes made to Bupa's website, with the normal portal less user-friendly and confusing to navigate. It appears others have also struggled to contact Bupa's customer service team and even when they do, are left feeling frustrated at staff who are unable to direct them to the right place.

As it the case with most types of insurance, some customers feel caught out by the small print. Increased renewal fees and limited choice of practitioners are a few details that left customers feeling uneasy. To avoid surprises like this it is crucial you read your policy documents prior to signing the terms of contract.

“Very difficult to get through client service vs other insurance companies. Many practitioners available on other insurers aren’t on Bupa”

“BUPA the website has changed and it is confusing knowing where to go, even when you ring they don't know where to direct you. With regard to getting approval for a medical appointment it is far too slow. I send emails and they are not responded to for at least 5 days. When a claim is in process that takes forever”

“The new BUPA claim portal is both slow and frustrating. The claimant seems to be doing the BUPA back-office tasks on your behalf and at our cost and time. Whilst claims show paid in the portal, and via letter, funds not transferred to bank. Spoke to customer service twice and they don't seem to know what's going on and don't even understand the tool”

“The small print gets more important each year; the cost goes up way more than inflation; choice of medical supplier gets more limited”

How much is Bupa Private Health Insurance?

We compiled quotes for Bupa's health insurance based on the profile of a 35 year old male non-smoker from a mid-sized town in the UK. The prices shown below related to a single person plan (i.e. if you were looking to take insurance out for just yourself). Bupa offers two levels of cover — their lower level is named 'Treatment and Care' and their higher level offer is called 'Comprehensive'.

Here is a brief summary of what each level of cover offers:

It's important to remember the above figures are intended to be used as a guide only and you may find your quotes to be higher or lower depending on your own individual circumstances. Let's now take a closer a look at which is and isn't covered in each tier of Bupa private health insurance...

What is and isn't covered by Bupa Private Health Insurance?

With Bupa offering two different levels of cover, you will find many treatment benefits are covered by both whilst some more specialist areas are only covered by their comprehensive level.

The following are benefits we found are covered in both levels:

Bupa offers a good level of standard cover which will protect you should you need to access core healthcare services. What is more, regardless of the level of cover you opt for, you will gain access to a 24 hour medical helpline which may be hugely beneficial in the case of medical emergencies.

There are some services that Bupa's standard 'Treatment and Care' level will not cover you for, so it's important to weigh up the importance of this to your own individual healthcare needs. We've detailed the key differences below:

What is typically covered?	Treatment and Care	Comprehensive
Outpatient consultations
Diagnostic tests
Diagnostic scans (e.g. MRI, CT)
Post diagnostic tests
Post diagnostic scans
Post diagnostic outpatient consultations

What isn't covered?

As with any type of insurance, private health insurance will contain certain exclusions that are good to be aware of so you don't get caught out. For both their 'treatment and care' and 'comprehensive' levels of cover, Bupa have a set list of treatments types and conditions that are not covered.

We've listed some of the key ones below but note the full list is much longer, so do be sure to read up on these in your policy documents:

Remember, this list is longer and there will be some very specific scenarios detailed that won't be covered. To save any surprises we always recommend putting aside some time to read through your policy wording carefully.

With something as important as health, you don't want to find yourself in a position where you aren't covered for something you thought you were!

How to make a claim on Bupa Private Health Insurance

There are a few different routes you can take should you need to make a claim.

Direct Access Service: Bupa offer a Direct Access service which applies to certain medical conditions, such as mental health, joint and cancer symptoms. Here you can call Bupa directly and, depending on your insurance policy, their trained advisors and practitioners can offer support, advice and a referral should you need it.

Referral from a GP: if you have visited your GP or any other accepted medical professional (e.g. consultant, chiropractor, health visitors) and have a referral, you can submit a claim on line.

You will need to have details about your diagnosis and treatment, so be sure to have this information to hand. A GP will give you a referral letter, so be sure to keep this safe, too.

If none of the above work for you, you can always call Bupa directly and speak to a member of their team to check that any referral proposed is covered by your policy.

Bupa Private Health Insurance: Discounts and Savings

There are some benefits that Bupa offer to their customers which can save you some pennies along the way...

There are plenty of other easy tips and tricks at your disposal which can help you save on your health insurance. We've put together a handy guide for you which you can check out here.

FAQ's