What is private health insurance for children?
When your child is unwell, you want to get them the support they need as quickly as possible. Our child health insurance gives your child fast access to private diagnosis and treatment when you need it most.
With Bupa health insurance, your child would get:
- Fast access to specialist care, including appointments and treatment for a wide range of conditions.
- Support for your child’s wellbeing with our 24/7 Anytime HealthLine for medical advice and our Family Mental HealthLine.
- Cover you can rely on, from diagnosis through to treatment and aftercare, including advanced cancer care.
Call us on 0800 600 500^ to get a Child Only quote.
Bupa health insurance doesn't usually cover medical conditions, including diseases, injuries or symptoms you had before the cover started. These are sometimes known as pre existing conditions. Our health insurance is designed to cover any new issues that appear after your cover has started.
How much is private health insurance for a child?
The cost of health insurance depends on several factors including:
- Child’s age
- Where your child lives
- The type of policy you choose.
The health insurance policy is unique to your child and the cost will also depend on the level of cover you want for your child. For example, you can choose the level of excess you want to pay for your child. You can also choose how much allowance your child will have for some types of treatments or appointments.
Choose the right cover for your child
We have two health insurance policies to choose from. You can choose either Comprehensive health insurance, or Treatment and Care health insurance.
Check our comparison table to see what is and isn’t covered on each policy.
Why Bupa health insurance?
Seen, treated, cared for. That's why our customers are with Bupa.
Your health is connected, so we figure healthcare should be too. With Bupa health insurance, you and the family get quick answers, the right treatment and less stress. You can also expect:
- Yearly dental check-ups
- Flexible physio
- Fast cancer diagnosis results
- Mental health and wellbeing support
- Hassle-free digital healthcare appointments
- Nurses ready to help, every hour of the day
Bupa health insurance doesn't usually cover medical conditions, including diseases, injuries or symptoms you had before the cover started. These are sometimes known as pre-existing conditions. Our health insurance is designed to cover you for any new issues that appear after your cover has started.
What does child health insurance cover?
Clear and simple advice, 24/7
Late at night or first thing in the morning, our Anytime HealthLine connects you to a qualified nurse when you have a health concern.
Fast and convenient access to healthcare
Our cancer cover can offer some cancer drugs and treatments before they're available on the NHS. Helping you get the medicines you need, faster. Any drugs or treatments will need to be evidence based and covered by your policy.
Access to breakthrough cancer treatments
Access to breakthrough cancer drugs and treatments, often before they are available on the NHS or approved by NICE. This is as long as they’re evidence-based and covered by your policy.†††
Mental health conditions cover
We all have mental health. That's why we cover multiple conditions such as anxiety, addiction and depression.
Dental care for your child
Everyone with our health insurance can have one appointment at a Bupa Dental Care practice every year. Your child will also get a £300 allowance towards any restorative treatment your child needs. This covers things like fillings or crowns.
Go wherever and see whoever for treatment
You can use our online directory of nationwide, Bupa recognised consultants, hospitals and therapists to find the right place for your child’s treatment. While wait times may vary, we’re committed to giving a timely diagnosis to help your child live a happier and healthier life.
Call us on 0800 600 500^ to get a Child Only quote
Private health insurance with dental care now included
Our private health cover comes with one dental appointment every year for everyone on your cover, including children.
Plus, a £300 allowance towards keeping your teeth healthy.
Child only private health insurance helps cover your child for any new health conditions that appear after taking out their policy. Generally, any health conditions they had before taking out the policy won’t be covered.
If your child becomes unwell or injured, you can contact us to make a claim. We’ll check whether what you’re claiming for is covered under your child’s policy. If your child is covered, we’ll either pay all or part of the costs towards the healthcare your child needs.
Depending on your policy, you may have limits on the amount you can claim, and you might have to pay an excess towards treatment costs.
Your child’s policy will renew each year. The price of the policy can be paid in yearly or monthly instalments, and the price can vary one year to another.
We can offer child health insurance to children up until their early 20s. Children in full-time education can be covered up until they’re 24. For children not in full-time education, we’ll cover them until they’re 21.
Your child doesn’t have to live with you to be covered by a child-only health insurance policy.
Your child’s health insurance policy will start on their agreed policy start date.
You don’t need an excess on your child’s insurance policy, but having one on there may help to reduce the overall cost for their policy.
If you want to keep the cost of your child’s policy down, there are a few things that can help. Including:
- Increasing your excess: A higher excess amount lowers the price of your overall premium. However if your child makes a claim, you’ll have to pay that excess towards the cost of treatment.
- Change cover limits: Lowering the cover limits on your child’s policy can reduce the number or type of claims you’re able to make, but it can also reduce your overall policy cost.
- Reduce your hospital cover: The level of hospital cover chosen for your child’s policy can affect the overall price. Smaller networks of private hospitals help to reduce the cost of their policy.
- Look out for discounts: Adding your child to a family health insurance policy may help you save money, overall.
- Encourage your child to lead a healthy lifestyle: Living a physically active lifestyle, eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, and sleeping well are all ways to help your child live a longer, healthier and happier life.
Like most health insurance policies, pre-existing conditions aren’t covered. For example, if your child injured their shoulder in January, and their policy started in February, they wouldn’t be able to claim for any future treatment relating to that shoulder injury.
When you take out your policy, we’ll ask you about your child’s medical history. Once we know this, we’ll let you know what we’re able to, and unable to, cover your child for.
We are the only UK healthcare insurer rated 'Good' by the CQC for our remote clinical advice
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates all health and adult social care in England. They make sure that we are:
- safe
- effective
- compassionate
- high-quality
- well-led
Our rating of 'Good’ means that our telephone services are performing well and meeting their expectations. It’s an important way of showing you that you can be confident and trust the service you’re using.
For further information and verification, you can visit the CQC's website.
The Private Healthcare Information Network looks at the quality and cost of private care. You can find independent information about doctors and hospitals at www.phin.org.uk.
†As of March 2026, this comparison to other products in the market is based on Bupa’s and Defaqto’s interpretation of the differences between Bupa’s Bupa By You, SME Select and Corporate Select health insurance and other health insurance products offering mental health cover. The comparison excludes any special offers or promotions which may temporarily alter the cover offered. Cover comparison information is for personal use and guidance only and does not constitute any contractual representation, warranty or obligation by either Bupa or Defaqto about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability of the comparison. Neither party accepts any liability for errors, omissions, direct or consequential loss in relation to this comparison.
†††Access to eligible breakthrough cancer drugs and treatments often before they are available on the NHS or approved by NICE as long as they are evidence based. Applies to eligible cancer drugs and treatments covered by your policy. Bupa will not fund for genetic testing when used solely for the purpose of screening.
Bupa health insurance is provided by Bupa Insurance Limited. Registered in England and Wales with registration number 3956433 . Bupa Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
Arranged and administered by Bupa Insurance Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales with registration number 38 29851. Registered office: 1 Angel Court, London, EC2R ?HJ.
Page last reviewed: 23/07/2026
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