Private Health Insurance in the UK
Private health insurance pays for private medical treatment for new, acute conditions that arise after your policy starts. It gets you faster appointments, a choice of consultant, and access to private hospitals, without paying out of pocket.
Insured Health compares cover from every major UK insurer and helps you choose the right policy. Call 0800 131 0400 or email info@insuredhealth.co.uk for a free quote.
What is private health insurance?
Private health insurance; also called private medical insurance, or PMI; is a policy that covers the cost of private treatment for new medical conditions that develop while you’re insured. You pay a monthly or annual premium, and in return the insurer pays for eligible treatment up to the limits in your policy.
PMI sits alongside the NHS rather than replacing it. You can still use NHS services whenever you want; private cover is there when you’d prefer faster diagnostics, a private hospital room, or a specific consultant.
What’s typically covered
A standard UK PMI policy usually includes:
- Specialist consultations after a GP referral
- Diagnostic tests; MRI, CT, ultrasound, blood tests
- Inpatient surgery and day-patient procedures
- Cancer treatment, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy
- Mental health treatment, often with a session limit
- Outpatient physiotherapy
- A private hospital room and meals
- Some virtual GP services
What’s typically excluded
Most policies do not cover:
- Pre-existing conditions, unless specifically agreed
- Chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, or high blood pressure
- Routine GP appointments
- Routine pregnancy and childbirth
- Cosmetic surgery
- Dental and optical care (often available as add-ons)
- Emergency A&E (the NHS handles this)
Choosing the right level of cover
Most insurers offer cover in tiers, broadly:
- Core cover; inpatient treatment only. Lowest premiums, suits people happy to use the NHS for outpatient care.
- Comprehensive cover; inpatient plus outpatient consultations, diagnostics and treatment. The most popular tier.
- Comprehensive plus; adds wider mental health, virtual GP, optical, dental, and travel cover.
You can usually adjust the excess (the amount you pay per claim) to bring premiums down, and choose between hospital lists; a cheaper “guided” list, or a fuller list that includes premium central London hospitals.
How much does it cost?
UK PMI premiums vary widely. Age is the biggest factor: a healthy 30-year-old on a comprehensive policy might pay £40-£70 a month, while a 65-year-old on the same cover might pay £150-£250. Other factors include where you live, smoker status, your chosen excess, and any medical history disclosed during underwriting.
We’ll quote you exact prices from multiple insurers in a single conversation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get private health insurance with a pre-existing condition? Yes, in some cases. Two routes exist: Full Medical Underwriting, where the insurer reviews your history and tells you what they will and won’t cover; and Moratorium underwriting, which automatically excludes recent conditions but can re-cover them after a symptom-free period. We help you decide which suits you.
Do I need to use the NHS first? For most claims you need a GP referral, which usually means seeing your NHS GP first. The treatment itself is then private.
How quickly is a policy active? Cover usually starts the day you complete the application and pay the first premium. Some benefits, like mental health or maternity-related cover, may have a waiting period.
Can I add my partner and children? Yes. Most insurers offer joint and family policies, and the cost per person typically drops as you add members.
Ready to compare quotes? Call 0800 131 0400 or email info@insuredhealth.co.uk.
