Leaving your company health insurance scheme?
Continue your health insurance cover after leaving your job
If you're leaving your employer, you can keep your health insurance going by starting a new, personal policy with us.
Your new policy will be different from your employee cover. But you may be able to continue with your treatments. And we may continue to cover any ongoing conditions you have.
To get continuous cover, you'll need to start your new policy within three months of your old cover ending.
Give us a call and keep your cover in 3 easy steps:
Step 1. Call us on 0808 250 1900
Call us within 3 months of your scheme ending. We can backdate your new policy to the date you left.
Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm.
Step 2. Quick questions
We’ll ask you a few questions about your medical history in the last 5 years to give you a new quote.
Step 3. Start your policy
Start your policy by paying from the date your old policy ended, so there’s no break in your cover.
Questions about leaving your work health insurance policy? Just ask.
If you have Bupa health insurance through work, but you’re leaving your job, you might not know what to do next. Ed Read, Bupa expert, answers your questions about the process. From ongoing medical conditions to the price of your new cover, we've got the answers.
Select a question from the video player to begin.
Transcript
Who are you?
Hi, I'm Ed Reed from Bupa.
Come and ask me questions about continuing your cover when
you've left work.
I'm leaving my job and have Bupa health insurance with them, what do I do?
It's really easy to continue your cover on your
own personal policy.
This means that existing
or ongoing medical conditions might be covered dependent on
the level of cover that you choose.
The best thing to do is to give our friendly team a call
who can talk you through the options
and make you feel at ease at which option that you pick.
How do I get a quote after I've left my job?
We'll usually write to you when you've left your job,
but you can give us a call within three months
with your leave date
and to chat through all your options with our friendly team.
You won't be able to get a quote off the website for this,
so please do give us a call.
If I continue my health insurance after I've left my job, will my new cover be the same as before?
Your cover may be similar but not the same.
We will help you find the right level of cover
that suits your needs
and ongoing medical conditions may be covered.
The best thing to do is to give our friendly team a call
who can talk you through all the options.
Will I still have access to benefits like digital GP or Anytime HealthLine?
Yes.
If you decide to continue on a personal basis,
you have access to a digital GP
where you can usually get an appointment within 24 hours.
We also have the Anytime HealthLine, where you can speak
with a nurse to get advice on health and wellbeing.
We also have our family mental health line
where you can speak
to a nurse about a child's mental wellbeing,
and this is available to you wherever you are.
If I continue my health insurance after I left my job, will the price for my new cover be the same?
No, it won't be the same as before
because employers sometimes pay for part
or all of the cost of the employee's cover.
There's also different levels of cover,
and we'll ask you questions based on your medical history,
which could determine the price.
But if you do give us a call, we can explain everything.
How long do I have after leaving my job to decide to stay with Bupa?
You have three months from leaving your job to decide
to stay with Bupa.
The policy would start from the day
after you left your work policy,
and you would pay for that yourself. If you decided
to join after the three months, then conditions
that you had in the past may not be covered,
you would effectively be starting again.
The best thing to do is to give our friendly team a call
and we can talk you through all the options
that are available to you.
What do I need before asking about continuing my cover after I've left my job?
When you've left your job, you'll need to give us a call
with your leave date
and you can speak to one of our friendly team about all the
options that are available to you.
You won't be able to get this quote on our website,
so please do give us a call.
I've ongoing treatment but I'm leaving my work health insurance policy, can I still have treatment?
Yes, this may be covered on your new personal policy.
Please note that it may affect the price.
The best thing to do is to give our friendly team a call
who can talk you through all your options.
How do I claim for treatment?
If you need treatment, please give us a call
to check whether it's covered
and we can advise you of the next steps.
We may need further information from you or your gp,
but we can advise you of that on the phone.
I.
Will I still get speedy access to help?
Yes, we're always at the other end of the phone.
For certain conditions, we may be able to refer you
to consultant without needing to see a GP first.
Dependent on your cover, you also have access
to a digital GP where you can urgently book an appointment.
You have access to Anytime HealthLine,
and you can also have access to a pharmacist.
We have our family mental health line where you can speak
to a nurse about a child's mental wellbeing,
and that's also available to you as well.
What if I just need advice?
If you stay with us, you'll have access to all
of our health expertise from events hosted
by our health ambassadors and clinical experts.
And if you have a health concern,
you can access our digital GP or Anytime HealthLine.
We also have our family mental health line
where you can get advice on children's mental health
and that will all still be available to you.
Are there any rewards for being a Bupa member?
Yes, there are rewards for continuing to be a Bupa member.
These rewards are in the leisure, wellbeing,
and health spaces, and you can find more details about our
rewards on our website.
What is health insurance?
Health insurance is an insurance policy
that covers the cost of private treatment such
as an operation, hospital or consultants' fees.
Sometimes you'll hear it referred to as PMI,
private medical insurance.
You can choose to pay
for your policy either on a monthly basis or annual basis,
and you can cancel at any time.
What's the difference between health insurance and the NHS?
The NHS or National Health Service is publicly funded
and available for everyone in the UK.
You would use the NHS still for your GP appointments
or accident and emergency.
The main difference of private medical insurance is
that you would pay for private medical insurance policy
and you would have faster access to treatment and care
and flexibility in choice of that treatment as well.
Our health insurance benefits
Bupa private medical insurance is designed to suit your health and wellbeing needs, and you can expect all of this and more:
Dental care for all the family
Everyone with our health insurance can have one appointment at a Bupa Dental Care practice every year. This includes children. You'll also get a £300 allowance each towards any restorative treatment you need. This covers things like fillings or crowns.
Fast and convenient access to healthcare
Most Bupa cover includes access to digital healthcare. Speak to GPs, nurses, physiotherapists and mental health specialists face-to-face or virtually in the My Bupa app.
Whatever the mental health condition, we'll be there
We believe emotional wellbeing is as important as physical health. That's why we cover more mental health conditions than any other leading UK insurer.†
Come to us direct, without waiting to see a GP
If you have Direct Access and are worried about cancer, mental health or muscles, bones and joints, you can call us directly. We'll check that your issue is covered and let you know if you can get treatment without a GP referral. We'll explain your next steps and could even refer you to a specialist on the call.
Access to breakthrough cancer drugs
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.
Nurses ready to help, every hour of the day
Late at night or first thing in the morning, our Anytime HealthLine connects you to a qualified nurse when you have a health concern. Clear and simple advice from someone who cares.
Rewards from brands you know and love
Fitness, nutrition, relaxation, getting outdoors. Whatever works for your wellbeing, we want to save you money on it.
Get a quote with us now
Our health insurance is designed to suit you. You can get a personalised quote by answering a few questions about your health and lifestyle.
Learn more about private health insurance
Get a better understanding of our health insurance cover.
Private health insurance exclusions
Before you take out health insurance, check what is and isn’t covered.
Inpatient and outpatient cover
Find out what terms like inpatient and outpatient cover mean.
Getting insurance when you’re self-employed
We’ve put together some FAQs about health insurance when you’re self-employed.
Will I need an excess on my health insurance policy?
Health insurance policies often include an excess. See our guide to understanding how excess works.
The amount of time left on your employee health insurance cover once you leave your current employer will vary between companies. If you’re unsure, it’s best to check with your employer.
If you’d like to continue to benefit from Bupa health cover after leaving your job, you can do so in a few, simple steps.
Your new cover would be a different policy from the one you had as an employee, but we may be able to continue some of your benefits or treatment. This will depend on the terms of the new policy you choose. See how to continue Bupa health cover.
†As of September 2024, 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.
See PDF How we compare: Individuals (PDF, 0.2MB)
The My Bupa App is provided by Bupa Insurance Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Registered in England and Wales at 1 Angel Court, London, EC2R 7HJ. Its company number is 3829851. VAT Registration Number: 239731641.
Bupa Digital GP services are provided by Bupa Occupational Health Limited. Registered in England and Wales with registration number 631336. Registered office: 1 Angel Court, London EC2R 7HJ.
Digital GP services are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority or the Prudential Regulation Authority.
Rewards by Bupa is promoted by Bupa Investments Limited, 1 Angel Court, London EC2R 7HJ. Terms and conditions can be found at bupa.co.uk/rewards
Bupa Investments Limited will use your information for the purposes of the administration of Rewards by Bupa. For details of how your information will be processed by Bupa, please visit: bupa.co.uk/privacy.
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 3829851. Registered office: 1 Angel Court, London, EC2R 7HJ.
Page last reviewed: 02/08/2024
