How much is private health insurance?

What is the average cost of private health insurance?

Prices depend on your age, lifestyle and where you live. The cost also depends on the insurer and what type of cover you choose.

But to get you started, we’ve looked at quotes for a few scenarios and come up with some example prices.

These prices are just examples of cover for a single person, based on averages across London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Cardiff with:

• Comprehensive cover with a £500 outpatient allowance
• £500 excess
• Extended choice hospital access
• Full cancer cover

These are approximate costs that we’ve estimated to give you a rough idea of prices. You may be able to find cheaper cover, and some policies will cost more.

The best way to find out exactly how much health insurance could cost for you, is to get a quote.

It’s a good idea to compare different policies and levels of cover. The cheapest option may not be the best for you. You'll need to consider both the costs and cover level on offer to make the decision best for you.

If you have a budget in mind there are ways you can make health insurance more affordable.

How is the cost of health insurance calculated?

There are two major factors that affect the price of health insurance – your personal circumstances, and the level of cover you choose.

You and your circumstances

Factors that affect price

• Age - Prices are higher for older customers.
• Where you live - Healthcare costs are different around the country. Your price reflects the cost of care where you live.
• Whether you smoke – Cover will cost more if you smoke.
• Your BMI - Some insurers offer discounts if you have a BMI within a certain range.
• Who you cover – Some insurers offer discounts on your policy if you include more than one person. Cover for couples and families, compared to the price of separate cover for each person may be cheaper.

The cover you choose

Factors that affect price

• The health insurance provider you choose - Some insurers will offer cheaper or more expensive policies than others.
• The level of cover you choose - Some insurers offer tiers of cover from basic to more comprehensive.
• The amount of excess you choose - Adding a higher excess will lower the cost of the policy. But you will need to pay the excess if you claim.
• Whether any limits apply - Some policies limit the amount you can claim each year for some types of treatment. Policies with higher limits cost more.
• The private hospitals you choose - You may be able to choose different ranges of private hospitals. The bigger the range, the higher the cost.
• Claims history - The number of claims you’ve made in the past and the cost of your previous claims could affect your policy’s renewal price. When you take out a new policy, you might have to answer some questions about your medical histories. This could affect what you’re covered for. In some cases, it could also affect the price of your policy.
• How your policy is arranged - Some insurers will ask you for your medical history before you take out your policy. Other insurers won’t ask for this information. The information the insurer has about your health and the conditions they decide to cover you for can affect the price.

What other factors affect the cost of health insurance?

The rising cost of healthcare

Advances in medical technology, drugs and treatments have led to improved quality of life and better recovery rates for many people.

Funding these new treatments increases costs each year. This in turn increases the cost of health cover.

Health insurers work closely with doctors and hospitals to make sure these costs are fair.

Your past claims

When you come to renew your policy, if you’ve made claims, your price may be higher than if you haven’t claimed.

Some policies have a no-claims discount. If you have a no-claims discount on your policy and you don’t make any claims, your renewal price may not increase as much.

How to make health insurance more affordable

If you have a budget in mind, there are ways you can adapt your cover to keep costs down.

Learn more about ways to reduce your price in our guide to making health insurance more affordable.

More health insurance guides

Learn more about health insurance

• How does health insurance work?
• How to choose health insurance
• Health insurance excess
• Self-employed health insurance
• All health insurance guides