Private Health Insurance - What You Need To Know

About 7.6 million adults pay for private medical insurance. That's 14% of the population, 900,000 more people have bought private health insurance since 2020, according to Broadstone, a consultancy.

Private health can be very expensive but as NHS waiting lists rise - more people have clearly decided to pay for access to healthcare.

Q: What has happened to the NHS that appears to be pushing people to private insurance?

Public satisfaction with the NHS has hit a new low, according to the long-running British Social Attitudes survey. Just 21% said they were satisfied with the NHS in 2024, with waiting times and staff shortages the biggest concerns. Satisfaction rates have dropped sharply since the pandemic – in 2019, 60% were satisfied.

There has been no lack of effort by politcians to improve the NHS. NHS staff numbers have increased, with doctor numbers up 26% and nurses up 25% over the five years to February 2025.

Over the past 50 years, real terms UK health expenditure has increased over five-fold. Rising from around £36 billion in 1972/73 to £212 billion in 2022/23.

Real terms expenditure takes into account the impact of inflation on the purchasing power of a currency.

The average real terms annual expenditure increase over the period from 1972/73 to 2022/23 was 3.8%.

Despite all the extra spending, for many the service they can expect to receive from the NHS has got worse and worse.

The waiting list for hospital treatment rose to a record of 7.7 million in September 2023, but has since fallen to around 7.4 million in March 2025. The 18-week treatment target has not been met since 2016.

Longer waiting lists mean that people are having to wait longer and longer to get help with serious health conditions.

Source: NHS England, Consultant-Led Referral to Treatment Waiting Times

Q: So what does private healthcare cost?

The average monthly cost of private health insurance in the UK is £79.62 for individuals, £146.86 for couples and £165.67 for a family of four, research by myTribe Insurance shows. So the average cost would be a little under £2,000 a year per family, and it can be a lot more than that.

To gauge this risk, insurers consider your personal circumstances, including your age, where you live and your overall health. They also consider the level of cover you buy.

Q: What does it cover?

Health insurance is designed to cover you for non-routine tests and treatment for acute conditions.

Therefore many chronic conditions such as arthritis or asthma, as well as those that exist before you take out a policy, are excluded as standard.

The types of treatment that insurance usually cover include:

• Tests

• Surgery

• Hospital accommodation

• Medicine or drugs

Even with private medical insurance, you'll still use the NHS for services such as your GP or A&E and of coure you can still use the NHS if you prefer.

Q: What if I go private - can I still get an NHS prescription?

You might be able to mix private care and NHS prescriptions — but not automatically

If you see a private consultant, they can’t issue an NHS prescription directly, because they are treating you privately.

However, your NHS GP can sometimes issue an NHS prescription for the medication — if certain conditions are met, such as if the drug is routinely available on the NHS, and

your GP agrees that it’s clinically appropriate for you, and the GP is willing to take over prescribing responsibility (this is important for safety and liability reasons.

Q: Do I need to get insurance to go private?

You don't need insurance to go private – you can pay the bill yourself.

But private care can be expensive. Cataract surgery on one eye around £3,000, but a hip or knee replacement starts around £10,000.

Q: Are there ways of keeping the cost down?

Generally the larger the excess you can accept, the lower the cost. So if you opt to pay a larger amount yourself, then the monthly fee will be lower.

Basic policies stick to in-patient care but outpatient cover can be added at an extra cost.

Some policies allow you to choose which hospital you would like to use or which consultant you want to see.

Generally the more flexibility they offer - the more expensive they are.

Q: Some insurance companies offer perks - what sort of things are those?

Aviva Get Active offers savings on gym services, discounted lifestyle products and offers at more than 3,500 nationwide health and fitness clubs

AXA Health offers discounted gym memberships, such as up to 40% off a Nuffield Health monthly individual membership or 40% off online-only gym membership. Members can also save up to 40% off at Hussle with a Monthly+ pass.

Bupa consumer health insurance policies now include a free annual dental appointment at a Bupa Dental Care practice.

Vitality Health offers the Apple Watch Series 10 from £39 upfront, and by staying active you can earn 160 activity points per month which will reduce your Apple Watch payments to zero. It also offers 50% off monthly gym membership.

Q: What about health declarations and going through your medical history?

If there's no health questionnaire. This is a 'moratorium underwriting' option which is usually cheaper, quicker. But claiming is usually slower as you'll often need to prove you haven't had the condition before.

Pre-existing conditions aren't usually covered so treatment for them can't be claimed for

Q: How can I compare the costs?

MoneySupermarket.com has a good comparison site tool and offers you £150 Amazon voucher incentive.

For other sites and information see MoneySavingExpert advice here

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Please remember everything on this site is journalist commentary and is not financial advice or guidance in anyway.

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