Methodology

How myTribe's Star Ratings work

myTribe's annual star ratings put every policy through the same tough test. Whether it's health, life or income protection insurance, each policy is scored using a rigorous process designed by our insurance experts before it ever earns a star. Here's exactly how we rate products you compare.

Last updated:
17 July 2026

What goes into a myTribe Star Rating

50 +
Insurers

Rated across our annual Star-ratings programmes

160 +
Measures

Used to score and differentiate products

350 +
 Policy documents

Read cover-to cover to assess terms and conditions

2,800 +
Data points

Expertly researched, analysed and compared

30 +
Years of experience

Writing and reviewing insurance products

Independent by design

Our ratings are built by insurance specialists who spend their working lives inside policy documents that many people never read. Every rating comes from a comprehensive methodology that scores each policy on its features, benefits and real life customer experience.

myTribe’s rating process follows strict content guidelines built on a core principle: editorial independence. We don’t have commercial relationships with the insurers we rate, so no provider is judged more kindly because of its size or its marketing budget.

Transparency also matters to us. We want consumers to be able to see and understand the mechanics behind every rating we give so they can easily identify a product’s strengths and weaknesses.

Behind every myTribe star is the same process

1. Gather the data

We read policy terms and conditions, collect product information from providers, and draw on industry data covering real-life experiences such as customer service and claims.

2. Define what matters

Our specialists identify the criteria that matter most to customers, such as policy options and features, exclusions or service. 

3. Weight and score

Every data point is scored and weighted by importance to policyholders, producing one comparable rating out of five stars.

4. Publish and review

Ratings are published every year, and the methodology is continually reviewed to make sure that all scoring measures are relevant and reflect the latest product developments.

Our ratings methodologies

We publish a detailed methodology for each type of product we rate. You can read the full breakdown of criteria and weightings behind any of our ratings below.

1

Private Medical Insurance Ratings

Measures include hospital and cancer treatment, eligibility, underwriting, outpatient benefits and treatment pathways.

Read the full private medical insurance methodology

2

Life Insurance Ratings

Scored on criteria including life cover types, limits, additional protection benefits, policy flexibility, customer reviews and life insurance claims payout rates.

Read the full life insurance methodology

3

Income Protection Insurance Ratings

Scored on areas such as deferred period options, benefit levels, definitions of disability and claims acceptance rates.

Read the full income protection insurance methodology

Why you can trust our ratings team

The myTribe star ratings team has over 30 years of combined experience writing about and reviewing private medical insurance, life insurance and income protection insurance. That specialist knowledge has enabled us to create ratings systems built on real data and free from bias, so you can compare cover with confidence.

Read more about our team of experts and the values that shape how we work here.

FAQs

  • How often are the myTribe Star Ratings published?

    myTribe Star Ratings are published annually, in the first quarter of the year. Ahead of each rating cycle, we review every scoring methodology to make sure the measures we use remain relevant to the market and to the products being rated.

  • Do insurers pay to use a myTribe Star Rating?

    No. myTribe does not charge insurers a fee to use its ratings. Insurers have free access to the star rating badges for use on their website, in policy documents or on social media.

  • How are myTribe's star ratings different from other insurance ratings?

    Every rating company has its own methodology and approach to assessing products. We believe myTribe's ratings are the most comprehensive on the market, based on the number of measures we assess for each policy. myTribe is also unique in being the only ratings company with no commercial relationship with the insurers it rates.